She looks so pleased that I don’t bother telling her my reasons and how they have nothing to do with wanting to join her army.

Infinity isn’t just a place where bad things might happen if I’m unlucky enough. There are four entire princedoms whose goals are to literally hunt down humans and take control of their minds. If I go out there alone and without any way of protecting myself, bad things will happen.

Even if I’m still not sure how to help the Colony without compromising myself, I know I want to stand a chance in this world. I want to be able to protect Mei when the time comes. And since staring at candles and crow’s feathers doesn’t seem to be getting me anywhere, physical strength seems to be the only option I have left.

When I turn up at the training room, I expect to find Theo, who clearly has the muscles of a warrior, or Ahmet, who has the patience of an oak tree.

To my visible surprise, it’s Gil who’s waiting in the middle of the room.

“The disappointment is mutual,” he remarks, sliding off his leather jacket and draping it over a nearby table.

I clamp my mouth shut. I’d rather not give him the satisfaction of knowing he gets under my skin.

I know why Annika picked him—he survived War, after all. He’s probably been in more fights than anyone in the Colony. As far as worthy teachers go, he might even be the best.

I just can’t believe he actually agreed to it.

The training room is an oversized hut, complete with thatched roofing and bundles of sticks for walls. But it’s round and flat, with a sparring ring in the center marked with white paint. A generous selection of swords, daggers, guns, and crossbows hang from a long metal rack.

Gil retrieves a small blade from the wall, studying the sharpness of the edge.

“No,” I say quickly, throwing up a hand like I’m desperate to intervene.

He frowns.

“It’s just I was thinking we could start with hand-to-hand type stuff.” I lift my shoulders. “You know, learn how to throw a punch?”

Gil turns the blade slowly in his hands. “I know your experience with Residents is limited, but if you think a basic right hook is going to save your life, you are gravely misunderstanding this world.”

“Isn’t there a saying about learning to walk before you can run?” I shuffle my feet uneasily. “Look, I’m not expecting to take on a Resident army with my bare hands anytime soon. But I need to be able to protect myself. Or at the very least, try.”