Training started at dawn.
Rhys found them a clearing deep in the woods—far enough from campus to avoid observation, close enough to reach quickly. The ground was packed dirt, perfect for fighting. Trees formed a natural boundary. The morning light filtered through the leaves in golden shafts.
Sasha stood in the center, feeling absurd.
"I don't know how to fight," she said.
"You know how to survive." Rhys circled her slowly, his eyes gold in the morning light. "That's the same thing, just uglier. We're going to make it pretty."
Maya sat on a fallen log, phone out, taking notes. Luc leaned against a tree, watching with ancient eyes. He'd offered to help, but Rhys had insisted on leading the combat training. You handle magic, he'd said. I handle fighting.
Sasha wasn't sure if that was p
