Chapter 9: The test
819 Words
Zara’s POV
I woke to the sound of rain drumming against the windows, the kind that would make the whole day slow. But my heart raced with anticipation.
Today was combat class. And I was more than excited to show Atlas that I’m not as weak as he thought, although I had no idea what to expect.
By the time I reached the training yard, the rain had stopped, leaving the ground damp and the air cold.
The students were already gathering, voices low, eyes bright with excitement or dread.
And standing at the center of it all was our instructor for the day.
He looked like he’d been carved from old wood. His hair was silver, cropped close to his skull, his face weathered, one eye milky white with blindness. The other? Sharp as a dagger.
He surveyed us, his arms crossed over his chest, and the yard went silent.
“Name’s Corbin,” he growled, voice like gravel. “I don’t care who your family is. I don’t care what you think you know. Out here? Blood, sweat, and instinct decide who lives.”
A long pause. His gaze swept over us.
“And who dies.”
Someone swallowed audibly.
Corbin smirked. “Good. Fear keeps you alive.”
He clapped his hands once, loud enough to make me jump.
“Pair off. Let’s see what we’re working with.”
Students scattered, murmuring as they sized each other up.
I lingered, unsure. Then Corbin’s voice barked again.
“You. Blackwood girl. You’re with Kai.”
My stomach sank. I had been expecting to be paired with Atlas, but it was as much trouble that Kai would cause me.
Kai smirked as he sauntered toward me, rolling his shoulders like he was warming up for a fight he already knew he’d win.
“Don’t worry, Zara. I’ll go easy on you.”
I didn’t answer. I just took my stance, heart pounding, every sense on high alert.
Around us, other pairs began sparring, bursts of magic, flares of energy, claws flashing, scales rippling as some of the dragon shifters half-shifted mid-battle.
And somewhere off to the side, I felt Atlas’s eyes on me. His crew with him, Nova and her group who always gave me those smug looks, watching like they were waiting for me to make a fool of myself.
Corbin barked, “Begin!”
Kai came at me fast — too fast. A blur of movement. His hand shot out to grab my arm, but I twisted at the last second, ducking under his grip.
Surprise flickered across his face.
“Lucky,” he muttered, lunging again.
But this time, something inside me woke up. I didn’t think, I moved.
My body knew what to do, muscles coiling, weight shifting. I sidestepped his lunge, grabbed his wrist, and used his own momentum to send him flying into the dirt.
A sharp gasp rippled through the watching crowd.
Kai blinked up at me, stunned.
“What the—?”
I didn’t let him finish. He scrambled up, and I met him head-on, driving my shoulder into his chest and knocking him back again.
Instinct. It wasn’t like anything I’d learned, because I hadn’t learned. It was in me.
Kai’s shock morphed into fury. His eyes glowed faintly, magic stirring.
He lashed out, a burst of air magic coming toward me, but I dodged, felt it whistle past my cheek.
“Enough!” Corbin barked.
Kai froze.
I stood panting, heart hammering, fists clenched.
Corbin stalked toward us, his sharp eye flicking from me to Kai.
“Blackwood’s got a bite,” he said, almost approving. “You’ve been hiding that, girl?”
I shook my head, still catching my breath.
“Didn’t know it was there.”
Corbin grunted. “It’s there. And it’s sharp. Watch yourself, Kai, you’re not the top dog out here anymore.”
Kai glared at me like he wanted to argue, but he stayed silent.
The match was over. But the looks weren’t.
Atlas. His gaze locked with mine for a second, unreadable. But his friends? Amused. Impressed, even. One of the girls nudged him, whispering something that made him scowl.
And then there was that boy. The one who’d stepped on me the other day.
He stood at the edge of the yard, arms folded, watching me with a focus that made my skin prickle. Like he was trying to figure something out.
Or like he already had.
…
That night. The howls came again. Low, echoing, closer than before.
I sat on my bed, hugging my knees, staring out the window at the dark line of trees beyond the school grounds.
And then, eyes. Glowing. Yellow-gold. Watching me from the forest’s end.
My breath caught, I blinked. But then it was gone.
But I knew what I’d seen.
And this time, I couldn’t convince myself it was my imagination.
- Writer
