My face fell. "Oh, am I not meeting up to your standards?"
His eyes widened slightly. "Oh, no, no, it's not like that. This trainer is an elite warrior, in many ways more skilled than I am. She'll guide you properly in your next phase of training."
"Oh," I said, intrigue replacing my despondency. "Who is it?"
"Well—"
His gaze shifted to something to the left, and his face tightened. "You have got to be kidding me," he muttered.
I frowned, turning in the direction of his line of sight. "Wha—"
I bit back a groan of frustration when I saw the pair at the entrance to the garden—Celeste and Kieran.
I turned back to Lucian and forced a smile. "We should get out of here."
He nodded, taking my hand. "Yes, let's."
As we stood, Celeste's saccharine voice carried across the flowers: "Oh, sis
