For a terrible moment, I think he'll continue fighting anyway. His eyes burn with murderous intent, and the muscles in his thick neck cord beneath my blade.

"Yield," Blackstone repeats from the sidelines as he drifts toward our match, his tone making it clear this isn't a suggestion.

"I yield," Davrin finally spits.

I lower my weapon, taking a step back. The borrowed energy drains from me quickly, leaving me light-headed and slightly nauseated. Not free, I realize. I've taken something that must be returned. The balance must be maintained.

I release the excess energy back into the stone. I release the warmth I gathered from the torches and the water saturating the air, feeling it flow from me like water finding its level.

Even with the energy gone, I'm tired down to my bones. Whatever I did took something from me. Something that will take time to recover, I imagine. And it's something I'm going to have to avoid using at all costs moving forward.

If anyone ever sees I can manipulate elements other than water, I'll be exposed. If Bastian's first warning hadn't made the danger of exposure clear, the book has. People used to know and fear what I am. They used to hunt us down because they were terrified of what we could do if allowed to live.

Mireen is at my side a moment later, fingers probing the place where Davrin's blow landed. She produces a small vial from her pocket, uncorking it. "Found some juniper leaf growing just outside the castle walls. We used it back home for pain." The salve smells of mint and something sharper as she dabs it on my skin. The pain eases immediately.

I lift a brow. “We’re not supposed to leave the castle walls.”

Mireen leans closer, smile conspiratorial. “Tell that to the cute guy who insisted on ‘ravaging my perfect body in nature.’” She shrugs. “In any case, he knew when we could sneak out. The sex wasn’t anything special, but now I can stretch my legs from time to time.”

“You’ll have to tell me more about this mysterious guy later.” I give my shoulder an experimental rotation and find the balm works amazingly well. “And thank him for me.”

"Impressive footwork, Thorne," Blackstone says, interrupting us. There’s a hint of surprise on his face. "Perhaps you've been paying attention after all."

From across the training area, I feel Malakai's eyes boring into me, cold and calculating. He's standing over the dead body of a girl who is bleeding from a horrible wound to her neck, eyes wide and unseeing.

“By the four elements, Malakai… Again?” Blackstone grumbles as he notices, leaving us to head toward the dead body.

“Got carried away. My mistake,” Malakai says, voice devoid of all emotion.