CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Morning finally arrived; I rolled over and jumped. Lila was already awake. She sat cross-legged on her bed, chewing on a piece of bread like she hadn't secretly disappeared the night before.

"Good morning," she said.

"Did you sleep well?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Like a baby."

"Really?"

"Mm-hm," she replied with confidence.

"You weren't walking around the academy at midnight?"

She paused dramatically. "Only in my dreams."

"You're impossible," I said with a smirk.

"And yet, here I am."

I glanced toward the floor. Her boots were neatly arranged beside her bed, very clean. Last night, I was certain I had seen dirt on them. Maybe I imagined it, or maybe I was becoming paranoid. I tried comforting myself, but neither option was comforting.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Lila asked.

The folded timetable Adrian had given me flashed through my mind. I was meant to be at the East Cliff before the first bell. 

"Unfortunately," I sighed with frustration. 

"Mr. Popular." A mischievous grin appeared on her face.

"Please stop calling him that." I threw a pillow at her. She dodged it.

"Have fun!" she said, adjusting the edges of the bed.

I ignored her and went to prepare for the day. 

East Cliff was nothing like the rest of Grimhalden. The academy was always crowded and busy. This place was different, quiet, and ancient. I could hear my footsteps. The path climbed above the forest until the trees gave way to open sky. Wind swept through tall grass, carrying the scent of rain and stone. Massive cliffs overlooked endless mountains hidden beneath a blanket of silver mist.

For a moment, I forgot I was supposed to be training; A calm voice cut through the wind before I could enjoy the silence.

"You're late."

 Adrian stood near the edge of the cliff with his arms folded.

"I'm early…you didn't give a specific time"

"I've been here an hour."

"Do you want a reward?"

A corner of his mouth twitched. It wasn't exactly a smile, but it was close. It could be defined as a smirk.

"Come here," he said, with his fingers.

Regret arrived before I did. "That's never a good way to start a conversation."

"It wasn't a conversation."

I walked toward him. The moment I stopped, something flew past my face, and I yelped. A stone bounced across the ground behind me.

"What was that for?"

Another stone came flying.

"Adrian!" Another stone flew past my ear. "Is attempted murder part of the curriculum?" Then the stones came on and on. I barely dodged them all. 

"Are you trying to kill me?"

"No."

Another stone. I ducked.

"If I were trying to kill you, we'd be having a very different conversation."

"That is somehow not reassuring."

The next stone hit my forehead.

"Ow!" I clutched my head.

"You looked at it." Adrian looked completely unimpressed.

"What else was I supposed to do?"

"Feel it."

I stared at him.

"That doesn't make sense."

"It will."

I was beginning to suspect he enjoyed confusing me.

For the next thirty minutes, my training consisted of being attacked by rocks. By the end of it, my patience was hanging by a thread. Adrian finally tossed the last stone aside.

"Again."

"Again?"

He held up a black cloth. I immediately took a step back.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Absolutely not."

Five minutes later, I was blindfolded. The world disappeared into darkness. The wind brushed against my face. The distant cry of birds echoed through the mountains. Then—Something tapped my ankle. I lost my balance and nearly fell. A second strike hit my shoulder. A third struck my arm.

"Seriously?"

"Focus."

"I am focusing."

"No."

His voice remained calm. "You're thinking."

I resisted the urge to throw the blindfold at him. Another strike, stumble, and failure. My frustration grew with every passing minute. Nothing worked. I couldn't see, I couldn't predict him, I couldn't defend myself. Then something changed. The air itself felt different. Without thinking, I turned. A hand grabbed my wrist; no, my body moved before my mind did. My fingers closed around a wrist that shouldn't have been there. The blindfold slipped as I froze. Adrian was staring at me, his wrist trapped in my hand. I immediately let go.

"I..." I didn't know what to say.

I wasn't even sure how I'd done it. For a moment, something strange flashed across his face. His shoulders relaxed for the briefest second. Then his jaw tightened again, as if he'd remembered something he wished he hadn't.  Then it vanished.

"You felt me."

I nodded slowly.

"I think so."

He looked toward the mountains.

"You shouldn't be able to."

That wasn't comforting.

"What does that mean?"

He was quiet for a few seconds.

"It means your instincts are developing faster than they should."

"Is that bad?"

His gaze returned to me. "In Grimhalden?" A pause. "Everything unusual is bad."

At least someone said the right thing for the first time. By the time I returned to the academy, the first bell had already rung. Students crowded the hallways. Though the east cliff was strange, it was peaceful. I immediately wish I could go back and avoid the strange things with Adrian. Being the Unranked Elite was exhausting. As I entered class, I spotted Lila. 

She waved. "Morning!"

I slid into my seat. "Morning."

She leaned closer. "How was training?"

"Painful."

"Excellent."

"Excellent?" I raised my eyebrow. 

"It means you're learning."

I narrowed my eyes. She looked completely normal, sharp as ever. Nothing showed the evidence of her disappearance in the middle of the night. I thought of asking her about it, but before I could decide, the classroom door opened. Instructor Kael entered carrying a sealed black envelope. The room immediately fell silent.

His eyes landed on me.

"Miss Nira."

"Yes?"

Kael walked to my desk and placed the envelope in front of me.

"This arrived for you."

Confusion spread through the room. I stared at the envelope.

"I don't know anyone here."

"Apparently," Kael said calmly, "someone knows you."

My stomach tightened. The black wax seal carried a symbol I recognized immediately. The same symbol from the feather. The same symbol from the mysterious door. My hands suddenly felt cold. Slowly, I broke the seal. Inside was a single black card, on which was written in silver ink.

Stop training with Adrian.

He needs you alive for a reason.

My breath caught. I looked up instinctively. Across the room, Adrian stood outside the classroom window. Adrian was already looking at me.