I felt the small hairs at the nape of my neck prickle, and I suddenly remembered something else Sorcha often said. Never let down your guard until you’re off the field of battle.
Whether it was instinct, luck, or the Morrigan whispering a warning, I twisted sharply to one side just as the throwing knife spun past my ear. The point of the blade stuck in the scarred face of the wooden target ten paces in front of me. I didn’t turn to see who’d thrown it. I just kept walking and, as I passed the target, reached out and yanked the still-quivering dagger from the wood. A thin line of crimson marred its edge, and I felt the sear from where it had kissed the side of my neck. I wiped the blood off on the hem of my tunic and thrust the knife into my belt.
I had just acquired my first new possession.
? ? ?
That evening, I decided a good long soak was in order to soothe the bruises and muscle knots, and I shuffled wearily over to the bathhouse. The lateness of the hour meant that the only other occupants were Elka, whom I met in the dressing foyer, and Ajani, lounging on a bench in the steam of the calderium. I’d found myself watching the Nubian girl practice her archery in between my own training bouts, impressed by her sharp-eyed aim and dexterity. And her quiet confidence. Ajani was no show-off, even if she had every right to be.
I hung up my tunic on a hook and padded over to the hot pool, sinking up to my chin with a sigh that was almost a groan.
“You missed all the fun today, little fox,” Elka said as she sank down beside me and tipped her head back into the steaming water.
“Fun?” I shook my head to get the water out of one ear. “When did this so-called fun happen?”
“Just after you were finished getting pummeled all over the practice pitch by Meriel.” Elka grinned. “You left, and Nyx had a few unkind things to say about your abilities in your absence.”
I shrugged. “She probably had a point. I was terrible today.”
“The only point she has,” Elka said, “is the thorn she’s had stuck up her arse about you ever since we first got here. The gods alone know why—it’s not as if we’re the only new recruits. Anyway, I guess I just got sick of her casting an evil eye at you everywhere you went.”
I sat up, blinking away the spangles left by the steam on my eyelashes. “What did you do?” I demanded.
Her eyes widened with mock innocence. “I simply asked when Nyx was going to call off Meriel and her other attack dogs and muster up enough guts to fight you herself.” Elka stretched her arms above her head and knit her fingers together with a sigh of satisfaction.
“Oh, dear goddess,” I groaned. “You didn’t.”
“She did.”
The surface of the water rippled, and I turned, peering through the steam to see that Ajani had slipped into the pool to join us, an amused gleam in her wide, dark eyes.
“She also said that once you had finished fighting all of Nyx’s lackeys, you’d be more than happy to explain to her personally all the ways she holds a blade wrong.”
“Elka!” I gaped at her.
“Well, she does.” Elka rolled her eyes. “She hooks her thumb over the crossguard—which we both know is the best way to lose a thumb—and she’s all white knuckles. Brutish grip. No finesse.”
“Nyx didn’t take the criticism very well.” Ajani’s lilting accent gave her precise Latin a musical quality. “Started screaming in Greek about clawing Elka’s eyes out and feeding them to the stable dogs.”
“Was that what she said?” Elka asked. “I’m not up on my Greek.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said. “I can fight my own battles.”
“I know.” She grinned. “Only, you didn’t even seem to know you had one brewing. Besides,” she continued, “someone had to liven things up around here. All we do is eat, sleep, and whack-whack-whack with wooden swords on wooden posts. At least now we’ve got something to keep us on our toes!”
“That much is for certain.” Ajani propped her elbows up on the mosaic-tiled edge of the pool and grew serious for a moment. “Elka may have actually done you a favor, Fallon. I’ve seen this kind of thing happen here before. Better to lance the boil before the infection grows too deep. Still, you should be careful. Both of you.”
I swam over to the edge of the pool and hoisted myself out of the water.
“I’m going to bed,” I said, plucking a towel from a cubbyhole in the wall. “Please try not to win me any more mortal enemies before tomorrow?”
Elka saluted me with a grin and sank beneath the surface of the lavender-scented pool. I dried off and dressed, and walked out into the darkness. The ludus guards were somewhere making their rounds, but I didn’t run across any of them. Instead, it seemed as though the academy grounds were utterly deserted. And yet, all the way back to the barracks wing, I could not ignore the feeling that I was being watched.
The sensation set my nerves jangling.