A Court of Rising Starlight

Chapter IX

The training area obviously wasn't at the house, but a few miles down the road was a field that provided plenty of room for practing magic or with weapons. Megan and Logan had joined Derek and me to watch how the "lesson" would go down.

"Alright," Derek starts. "The first thing you need to learn is..." He went on trying to explain things to me. He was honestly a pathetic teacher.

"Dude, you suck at this," Logan says, stating my own thoughts.

I laugh. "You know, I've always found that the best way to learn something is to jump right in."

"Are you suggesting that I just hand you a blade and let you do whatever?"

"What if I told you I've been lying this whole time and could kick your ass in a heartbeat?"

He slowly approaches me. "If I take you up on that challenge will you be able to follow through?"

"Absolutely."

We both grab weapons, ready to face one another. Derek was obviously still confused by my confidence and the laughter of our friends behind us. Logan simply takes a drink while Megan provides a smile you'd only see on an innocent child. He shakes his head at the pair.

"If you think that you two can put on a little act to give her some sort of leverage-"

"I don't need their help distracting or beating you. I'm pretty sure they're only here to see you be made a fool of. Let's begin," I finish dramatically.

He lunges, immediately pushing me into a defensive position. I smirk, shoving him back, our blades crossed. It was a dance, in a way. A swift flash of steel finding a new mark every time. A few minutes past and we both fall to the ground. I end up landing on top of him, a slight heat rising to my cheeks.

I knew he could have easily flipped us so I was under him, but he didn't move. "I'm surprised you aren't rushing away," he murmurs. Knowing it would get to him, I stand, offering him a hand up. He takes it. Just as I move to pick up the scattered weapons he seizes my elbow, kicking my knee out. I shriek as my shoulder hits the ground. "You might be good at fighting, but you're still impulsive. Don't let things get to your head and don't assist your opponents after a fight."

"Asshole," I grumble, sitting up.

He smirks, turning to walk away from me. The cocky expression was quickly wiped from his face when he slips on a patch of ice that had been so strategically placed only a few feet away from where he previously stood by someone who had a convenient connection to the Winter Court.