A Court of Stars and Shadow

Chapter 29

By the time I finished training with Rhys, and he dropped me off In front of the house, my hair was plastered to my face, my shirt clinging to every part of my skin and I knew I would have to peel it off of me. I had never sweat this much. Never. Rhys said it was normal though for the training we did. I don't know how when I was sitting on the floor the whole time, but he said that mental exercise was the most straining of them all, especially when I combine my powers with it.

Even then, I enjoyed training today. For the first time, I felt like I was actually doing something. Defensive training didn't count, not when today Rhys had me sit and meditate with my eyes closed, holding a ring of small rocks circling around my head. Rhys then used his own power to make random spots of darkness pop up around the field. I had to identify it, feel it with my power and then try to catch it, however means necessary he told me. It was like a giant game of whack-a-mole and while it took me a long while, to say the least, to get the hang of it, by the end of our time I was shooting vines across the field. The power was exhilarating, endless and I could have gone on forever. The circle of rocks around my head never wobbled once, everything was just an extension of myself, like an octopus.

No matter how quickly I identified his power and shot my vines from the ground however, I was always just a second late from grabbing it so before I became frustrated, I switched tactics and instead of bringing up vines from the ground, I brought up the entire ground itself. Before he could move or do anything, before he could move it in the way he had anticipated my power to go, how he had been studying it I surrounded the dark ball of darkness and enclosed it, bringing it down into the earth and sealing it below ground. And just because I could I made a single flower grow from the center of the spot where his power had just been covered up.

Rhys laughed harder than I had seen him since arriving and I couldn't help but laugh with him. I chuckled again, snapping out of the memory and climbing the last step to the front door of the house.

A small pot sat on the stove, a tendril of steam floating above it... my mouth was salivating. I scooped the stew in a bowl and barely sat down at the table before shoving the spoon down my throat. it was the best thing i had ever eaten.

I was scrapping the bottom of the bowl when footsteps came down the stairs. "Don't you just look stunning" Emily teased as she raised an eyebrow, taking in my appearance. I must look like a rabid animal to her right now. Still, I stuck my tongue out at her.

"It's freezing outside" I told her, motioning to her short sleeve tunic and pants.

She shrugged "I forgot my jacket back in Velaris."

"Did you ask one of the twins if they could get it?" I asked. I'd do it if I could winnow.

"I was just going to buy a new one. gives me an excuse to leave this house anyways."

"want company?"

"Always" she replied. I grinned and quickly rinsed my empty bowl, placing it on the drying rack.

"Ok, let's go"

"wait don't you have training with Cassian now?"

I shrugged. "I can be late" I lied. I needed some time with Emily. I deserved this time.

I opened the front door and tossed my coat around the both of us. I'm honestly not sure if it did anything but I hoped my body heat seeped into her.

"I saw a clothing shop on my way to the rings" I said, leading her towards the thin path between houses that connected to the main mud road that led to the training rings.

"How was training this morning?"

"Good. Rough but good. That reminds me, I made this for you" I dug into my side pocket and pulled out the smooth rock, shaped like a blooming rose.