A Court of Light and Fire

Chapter 7

POV: Alina

Azriel hadn't stayed much longer in Alina's cottage once he noticed her struggling to keep her eyes open. He'd stepped through the front door and paused to take in the soft orange light of dawn, and perhaps due to her exhaustion Alina had unashamedly stared at how handsome he looked in the morning glow. He'd asked her then to join him and his friends for dinner after the next training session, and she was so eager to go back to sleep that she'd said yes without really thinking. He gave her one more long, sensual look – the kind that brought heat back to her cheeks once again – before he disappeared into mist and shadow. Alina collapsed on the couch and did not rise again until the sun was well into the early afternoon sky.

That whole next day had passed much, much too slowly. She'd tried desperately that night to not think of him, to not remember the feel of his lips caressing her neck or the hardness of his muscled body as he pressed against her. She'd even covered up the handprint on the counter just so she wouldn't think about it. It didn't work.

The next day finally rolled around, and Alina dressed in her favorite flying leathers: looser than her other sets due to years of wear, and so bleached by the sun that the brown had long ago faded into a beige that almost looked white. Against her pale skin and massive white wings, she looked like a goddess of winter, fearsome and angelic with hair like the fire in her veins. With her knives and her necklace that she never dared to leave behind, she flew to the training ring in Windhaven well before the start of the session this time. She made sure to circle overhead before landing as she always did when coming here; the last thing she wanted was a nosey Illyrian male trying to figure out which direction she lived in. She landed in the training arena where a few of the girls from last time were already waiting along with several new faces. Alina scanned the training ring, noting the stockpile of weapons on the opposite side and the considerably larger amount of onlookers already gathered to watch. She noted the sneers and obvious disdain several males sent her way as her gaze met theirs.

"Alina!" the younger female from last week called as she trotted over to where Alina stood. Alina ripped her eyes away from the males across the ring to find two sets of large doe-eyed, ogling eyes looking up at her. They stopped several paces away, and Alina realized with some guilt that they might be scared of her after seeing how she'd reacted last week.

"We weren't sure if you were going to come back!" The same girl said excitedly. What was her name again? It started with a V... Vienna.

Alina gave a soft smile that seemed to put them at ease. "I have to redeem myself after last week. It's Vienna right?" The smile that broke out on Vienna's face was radiant and infectious.

"Yes! And this is-"

"Jane," they both said at once. Alina was thankful she'd had some wits about her that day. "I remember. It's nice to meet you." Alina gave her a short nod, hoping she was coming across as friendly.

"What was it like?" Jane blurted. "I mean, when you did the thing with the light. What does it feel like?"

Alina could see some of the other women starting to edge closer, probably also wanting to hear the answer.

"Well... " Alina cleared her throat and began fidgeting with her braid. Speaking in front of a lot of people always made her uncomfortable, especially when she was speaking about herself.

"It's kind of like... When you step into a warm pool and you slowly go deeper and deeper – you feel the heat gradually building around you, filling you. But then the bottom falls away suddenly and you plunge in, and the heat hits you all at once. It feels good. Like a burst of warmth and energy." She paused to take in Jane and Vienna looking at each other like it was the coolest thing they'd ever heard. She was surrounded by the women now. There had to be at least thirty of them. Forty, maybe. Definitely more women than last week. More women than she'd ever seen gathered together in an Illyrian camp, actually.