“We’ll do what we can with what we have.” He split a stray strand of hair, and they all watched the red curl fall to the ground at Kerrigan’s feet. The threat blatant between them. “I assume all of you have had proper sword training in the past. I can’t imagine you being here without knowing how to use one, but nothing would surprise me at this point.”

Kerrigan shifted on her feet, trying to suppress the cramp building in her thigh. Lorian whirled back around to face her. His sword came so close to her nose that she swore that she saw the gods’ faces. She jerked backward on instinct.

Lorian shook his head. “Typical.”

Kerrigan saw red. She didn’t know what he wanted her to do. She wasn’t going to get split in half by this Fae standing before her, but she wouldn’t be cowed either. If he thought threatening her was going to do the trick, then he would need to talk to Basem Nix about that. Hadn’t worked out well for him.

“Stand in a circle and walk through Ravendin’s twelve paces,” Lorian said.

They moved into place. Kerrigan met Fordham’s face for a second. His jaw was set. He was angry with Lorian too. Well, at least she wasn’t alone. Not to mention, she and Fordham had run through Ravendin’s paces so many times that she sometimes saw them in her dreams.

Everyone else, apparently, had likewise studied Ravendin, the Great War commander.

Lorian moved them into Chutrick’s art-of-war formations. Through the basics of Kristoffer’s lunge and parry work. And through three more of the greats.

By the end of the hour, not a one of them had picked up even a practice sword. But they were coated in sweat and panting. Each of the paces moving through the next one in synchronization. So, they looked more like a dance troupe than a group of sword fighters.

“Enough,” Lorian finally barked. “Tomorrow, be prepared for the ancients and not just the greats. We’ll spend a week on footwork before moving into practice play.”

Roake looked ready to pass out as he groaned. Noda pushed her headscarf back off of her face. The entire thing was drenched in sweat. Kerrigan had no idea how she’d done the entire morning with it on. Audria—even perfectly prim and posh Audria—looked less than peaky.

“Get out of my sight,” Lorian said. “Except you.”

He pointed at Kerrigan, and she held back from the rest of the group. Fordham made like he was going to stay for support, but one glare from Lorian, and he relented, following Audria to their awaiting lunch break.

“Yes, sir?” Kerrigan asked.

“You’d do them all better if you cut your losses and bailed on the first day.”

“I don’t know what you mean, sir.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Half-Fae have no place in these halls.”