Somehow, I’m now walking toward the sparring center, my strides tense. I was not grouped under Xaden. Disappointment coils in my guts.
Every face in the room turns toward me at once, almost all having curiosity, and mostly anticipation written on them.
Of course.
Kate Benjamin, my opponent, steps forward into the light and my jaw clenches reflexively.
I had never seen her around before.
Her blonde hair is cut low against her scalp, exposing a sharp jawline and a face scattered with freckles that would have looked soft if not for the way her green eyes gleam with excitement as she looks at me.
Her arms are thick, toned, built like someone who spends more time breaking bones than attending lectures. There is eagerness in the way she rolls her shoulders.
And I don’t feel prepared. I
