"Common sense. And practice. Lots of it. Do not interrupt me again, apprentice." The training master glowered at the rest of the class. "As I keep attempting to say, these drills will build up your reserve to a multitude of attacks… Given a couple of weeks I am sure most of the fourth— and fifth-years will be ready to advance to un-dictated exchanges, but for this first month I would like the entire faction to train together. Now, everyone take your positions."
The class quickly dispersed and I found myself trailing after Ella and her new mentor Bryce to the end of two parallel lines. Both apprentices avoided looking directly at one another as they waited for the drills to begin. I cringed inwardly. Ella's pairing was almost as painful as mine. Bryce was one of Priscilla's friends and shared many of her condescending views. This morning he'd made the mistake of telling his mentee she was a fool for consorting with lowborns. Before my brother and I had even risen Ella had already thrown the entire contents of her porridge into the highborn's face.
Now she had latrine duty for a week.
Needless to say the two were at an uncomfortable impasse.
Still, I had to think animosity was better than guilt. Ella could at least channel her frustration into her castings. With my fifth-year mentor I had already made a fool of myself holding back in a misguided attempt to spare him. Two times during the morning's non-magic sparring I had received a stiff reprimand from Byron and an unpleasant bruise where my new partner's blows had landed.
I vowed not to let pity affect my actions for the rest of the afternoon. The last thing I needed was for the Master of Combat to assume I'd gone soft.
Taking a deep breath, I took my place beside Ella, shifting my feet into a comfortable stance as I faced off against the sandy-haired fifth-year fifteen feet across from me.
Ian met my eyes without expression. He hadn't said a word to me since our unfortunate pairing. Not that I could blame him. The last time we'd exchanged a full sentence I had broken his heart and subsequently ended our friendship.
Not unlike what Darren did to me.
I shoved the thought away as soon as it came. I wouldn't, couldn't think about the non-heir now. Not unless I wanted to spend the rest of the day fighting back tears. And I was done crying. I'd had three weeks of that during our travel from the palace to the Academy and then back again. If anything, that experience taught me exactly how heartless I had been to Ian.
I deserved the fifth-year's silence.
But it made things extremely awkward. Mentors and mentees were supposed to trade advice and feedback. Suggestions. It wasn't exactly possible if you weren't speaking to one another.
"And begin. Mentors: ice!"
I barely had time to throw up my defense. In the blink of an eye Ian had cast out an onslaught of icicles. Sharp, spinning torrents of water tore into the metal shield I had cast. An unfortunate choice. Within seconds the casting had frozen the metal and sent a chilling burn down my arm.
Ian released his casting just as I dropped my shield to the floor. My whole arm stung. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I knew better than to cast iron against ice. My guilt was going to ruin my training if I kept forgetting to think. Ian could handle himself – any feelings of ill will were buried behind a stone wall of silence.
It was me that needed to focus.
Massaging my arm I forced myself to straighten back up and take in the rest of the class around me. I was relieved to see I wasn't the only one who had cast metal… but then it came to my attention that the only mentees foolish enough were second-years. The rest of my year had used fire.
I nodded to Ian for him to start again and then cast out a barrier of flames. At that exact moment Byron called out "Wind!"
I barely had time to fall back before a huge gust of fire came sweeping toward me. Ian ceased his attack immediately but it was too late for my pride. I could hear Priscilla's tittering laughter a couple spots down.
I turned my head to glare at the girl and immediately regretted it when I noticed the non-heir watching me.
My pulse stopped.
I couldn't breath.
I couldn't think.
I couldn't move.
"Keep drilling, apprentices, I didn't tell you to gawk!"
What was wrong with me? I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and made myself block out everything but the green-eyed fifth-year directly across from me. My mentor's blank expression gave no hint to his feelings. If he was secretly pleased I was making a fool of myself in today's lessons, he gave no sign of it.
"Fire!"
At least this time I was ready. Before the flames had even traveled half the distance between us I had a spiraling tunnel of sand chasing across the field to squelch them. There was the sizzling hiss as sand collided with fire and then a loud clap as the flames died.
The remains of sand sprayed across Ian and the mentors closest.