Chapter 32

Gray

The next morning, I arrived heavy-eyed in the combat training arena. Pink hues peeked on the horizon, and the cold air seeped into my bones. I desperately craved the warm comfort of the jacuzzi in my bathroom oasis. The leggings and long-sleeved tee I wore provided little protection from the chill.

The arena was yet another wooden structure built by the Elementals. Chrome explained this to me yesterday during our tour of the property. It wasn’t designed like the lodge, where it breathed comfort and home. This place smelled of musk and vengeance.

Like the lodge, beautiful log beams lined the high, vaulted ceilings, but that’s where the similarities ended. There were no wall windows, decorative staircases, or natural oasis embracing its comforting arms around the building. Windows were kept to a minimum and installed near the ceiling. It was an open arena split up into designated sections for training. This place was designed for war prep.

Dummies bordered the oak walls. White lines marked the entire floor with sparring circles. A hallway led to the entry of the training room, where all the weapons were stored and cleaned.

Rows upon rows of built-in nooks stored a cache of various small blades near the dummies. Sorted by their blade styles and sizes, I selected an array to test—three knives, two daggers, and five throwing stars—and slid them into my weapons belt. I backed up to the marker line on the floor to stand near the opposite wall.

I hadn’t stretched, but it didn’t matter. In real-world situations, I never got the chance to warm up before a fight. I wielded the knife in my hand, growing familiar with its hilt in my palm. Its blade had a slight curve to it, making it different from what I was accustomed to. The throwing blades Kinetics used are shaped similarly to the kunai. Its blade weight was heavier, whereas the one I held was lighter and more balanced.

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, imagining the knife’s tip piercing my target between the eyes. I shifted my body into the proper stance, holding the hilt in the correct grip. When I opened my eyes, I released my breath. On the exhale, I launched the knife with power and ease. It cleaved the air apart while it sailed and rotated into the target. It didn’t hit the perfect mark, but it was close. The curve and the weight difference in the blade threw me off.

Void’s baritone voice vibrated through the weapons’ area. “Not bad for changing blade styles.”

Elementals strolled in as others prepped their blades and stretched their muscles to begin their training for the day.

Void stood off to the side of the blades’ cache with his dark, corded arms crossed over his chest. His vacant stare assessed me, and I squirmed under his scrutiny. He’d pulled his locs back into a low ponytail that draped down his back.

I shrugged. “Throwing blades have always been my favorite.”

He maintained his vacant stare. “You are too unaware of your surroundings,” he finally said after several quiet beats.

I raised an eyebrow and shifted my stance to square my shoulders. “That is not true.”

“I have to disagree, Princess. You were trained in the art of combat and to wield your Kinetic powers, but they absolutely failed you in the art of awareness. You have enough to get by, but it would be most beneficial for you to improve those skills.”

“My ability allows me to sense any movement, sound—” I began.

“Yes,” Void cut in, “but that’s the problem. When rendered without your abilities, you’re left vulnerable. You depend on your abilities too much. From Chrome’s account, every situation you found yourself in, you were caught unaware without your abilities. It’s almost as if your father designed that little programming flaw as a failsafe for him to exploit. It’s your weakness. So, let’s fix it.”

My stony mask fell into place as I combed through his words, reflecting on all the events that led me here. I’d been unaware when Chrome—posing as Griffin—got the best of me. I’d been unaware of the redfern in my drink at the revel. I’d been unaware when ambushed outside of the tattoo parlor, while Chrome had already picked up on it.

Was it possible I could’ve avoided the beastie-bear’s paralyzing blow if I’d been more aware?

I shoved my bruised pride aside as I studied Void. He emitted an unsaid strength. I wondered why he was so qualified for this sort of thing. “So, what makes your training any different from a master trainer?” The question wasn’t meant to be snarky; I was genuinely curious.

Void took a step forward, then another. Each step, meticulous, until he stood inches in front of me. He breathed in a slow, deep breath. “Look into my eyes. What do you see?” he asked.

It was uncomfortable, staring into a stranger’s eyes with intensity. Aside from the black eyes ringed in silver, his gaze remained vacant, devoid of life. I gasped. “Nothing. I don’t…see… anything.” I searched between each of his eyes, trying to figure out what I was missing.

He gave a curt nod. “Exactly. It is because I can’t see. I’m blind.”

“That’s impossible,” I said, shaking my head. But he knew I’d almost hit my mark… “How? Elementals can heal…”

“It was a Kinetic ability that eradicated my vision.” His expression was flat. “But it is why I’m able to help you with this skill set.”

Understanding slammed into me as I overcame the shock of a blind Elemental. I’d never heard of a case where either race was robbed of their senses since we could heal. It shouldn’t be possible.

“What kind of power caused it?” I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.

Void angled his head to the side, his lips pursed as if he debated whether to share that information. It was clearly a sensitive topic for him, and I didn’t have that right. But I needed to know what my people were capable of.

After several silent moments, he finally responded, “Ultraviolet.”

I nodded, thinking back to the blistering burns on my back at the palace in my escape. The Kinetic responsible for Void’s vision must’ve wielded it in light form. “I’m sorry that happened to you. It never occurred to me we couldn’t heal those kinds of injuries.”

Void cleared his throat. “Perhaps it was the black crystal-laced arrow that sliced into my arm that didn’t allow me to heal.”

I released a shuddering breath, unsure of what to say, so I scanned the training area around us. Elementals sparred in pairs, some even in groups of three or four, using different blades and various styles of fighting. It was familiar from my run-ins with them in the past, but I couldn’t replicate it.

The fighting styles were very fluid, graceful, and swift. It involved a lot of quick hits that tired the opponent while they spent their energy on heavy blows. It’s been rumored that Ancient Asian cultures learned and adapted the Elemental fighting styles centuries ago. While the Ancient Romans learned and adapted from the Kinetics. And the more I observed their sparring styles, the more I wanted to believe the stories.

“Before we start, I want to assess where you are,” Void said, drawing my attention from the sparring groups around the arena. “Close your eyes.”

I hesitated for a moment, the instinct to mistrust his intentions stiffening my posture. I twisted my chest away from him and narrowed my eyes.

“Relax.” Void’s voice was deep and calm, soothing the rushing waves of the rising tide of fear. “I need to see what level of awareness you hold.”

I exhaled and nodded. “Okay.” Ever so slowly, I closed my eyes, leaving me with only the sounds of the combat echoing around me.

Before he could even finish, a thick arm locked around my throat from behind, putting me in a chokehold. On instinct, my eyes flew open, and I jabbed an elbow behind me, aimed at his ribs. He didn’t flinch. I braced my arm for another jab, but Void released me.

I whirled on him, trying to gasp for air with subtlety. “What the fuck was that?” I refused to touch my throat, not wanting to show that the sneak attack shook me.

“A test,” Void said, shrugging his broad, corded shoulders.

“That was some bullshit test,” I hissed.

“Your father purposefully left out awareness training. There is no other excuse for you to be so ungodly ill-prepared,” Void said.

My breaths came in ragged and fast, seething at being humiliated and beaten with ease. “The joke’s on me, right? I’m so glad you got a good laugh at my expense.”

Void stood there in his quiet stoicism. His vacant gaze pierced right through me, his jaw clenching. “Listen, Princess,” he snapped. His deep tone dropped a few more octaves with the quiet anger that rolled through his body. “I’m not doing this for my amusement. Training an already highly skilled enemy assassin isn’t something that I’d do for fucking laughs. I’m doing this because it was an order. I’m doing this with the small hope that you have a heart inside that cold-ass exterior of yours. Chrome and Orion may blindly trust you, but I don’t. I have a hard time believing that someone who has been brainwashed by a psychopath her entire life has suddenly seen the light and wants to throw us a bone.

“However,” Void’s voice grew sharper, “since I’m not in charge around here, I’m to follow orders even if I disagree with them. Perhaps you can learn something if you get your head out of your ass. And let’s pray I don’t live to regret it.”

My mouth formed a slight O, and I angled my head to the side. “That…” I began, “is the most I’ve ever heard you speak,” I quipped. It was my only thought. The image I’d conjured of him being this calm, stout man of very few words conflicted with his emotional rant. It didn’t fit. I was too stunned to be angry.

“And it’ll likely remain that way. Now,” he said, blowing out a breath. “Let’s go again. Close your eyes and stop me.”

I didn’t stop Void. Not once. He proved to me time and time again that my sense of awareness outside of my magic was next to none. To say I was beyond frustrated was a vast understatement. How had I allowed this to happen?

Hours later, my body and mind ached from the training session. Every time, he had me pinned on my back with the breath knocked out of me before I could focus my senses.

Void insisted I feel for the air’s movements, which I did. He embodied stealth and silence to the point the air never alerted me. When I failed, he told me to use my nose to track which direction his scent moved. But he was too swift. By the time I caught it, he’d already slammed me on my back, my arms pinned above my head. Finally, he told me to use my hearing. But he was silent as well.

Void ensured that with practice, I’d be able to tune into my senses much quicker. Until then, I decided I needed to break his holds.

I left the training arena, taking fast strides to the dining hall. My stomach danced in excitement as I bypassed the liquid black pool and strolled inside. Once again, savory aromas flooded my nose. The other Elementals stared at me as I walked to the arranged food. Loud chatter died as I passed by tables. I pretended not to notice or care, being sure to carry myself with a little extra swagger instead.

Once I filled my plate, I searched for an empty table. This time, there was one available. Achievement rang through my chest as I claimed that golden spot and slid into my chair. Solitude. It’s what I did best. I could eat in peace. I could…

Another plate clunked on the spot across from me. I looked up to find Onyx with his inky black hair, glittering like the clearest summer night, plop in the seat with casual indifference. My heart sank. I really wanted to eat alone.

“So glad I caught you on your lunch break,” Onyx said, flashing a quick, beaming smile that’d made all the Kinetic girls swoon. He dug into his mac and cheese like a man starved. His orange currents illuminated his forearms, causing a pang of longing in my chest.

I looked around. The rest of the seats were empty. It was just me. “Why would you want to catch me on my lunch break?”

Onyx looked up from his loaded plate, looking like a chipmunk with puffy cheeks. An eyebrow quirked at my question. “B’cos…” he dragged out, the food hindering his speech. He waved his fork around in dramatic effect. “We’re friends?”

I fell back in my seat. “Whoa, slow down, big guy. We hardly qualify as friends, don’t you think?” Fuck, why couldn’t I just eat by myself? Awkward situations drained me.

Without a second’s hesitation, he said, “Oh, but we will be, Gray. We will. Just wait and see.” He wagged and pointed his fork at me with utter seriousness.

I rolled my lips inward, my brows raised to my forehead. “Right. Because we’re both Kinetics who’ve flipped over to the dark side?”

“I’m a Kinetic. You…” Onyx said, swallowing his food. “You are a hybrid. But yeah, I won’t lie. It’s cool having someone else here who gets it.” He shrugged.

“I feel like my experience was different from most Kinetics,” I said, picking at the food, pushing it around on my plate. “Being owned by the king didn’t make for a very pleasant childhood.”

Onyx nodded, his eyes softening. He looked back down at his food. “Yeah, I remember.”

My chest tightened, hoping he hadn’t ever witnessed any of my father’s punishments, but I knew better.

Another chair squeaked against the floor on my right, followed by a plate landing on the tabletop. A feminine body slid into the seat with care. Surprise filled me to find River sitting there looking like an heiress. She was so striking it made me want to sit up straight in my seat.

Frustration clawed at my chest. My plan to sit in peace without the stress of others around to assess me, ogle me—like I was a damn new pet that needed to be trained—got flushed down the toilet.

I was no longer hungry. Which sucked because I was to meet Chrome afterward to work on my Elemental abilities. Any black crystal residue that my father had ordered into my food should be passed by now, allowing for that side to manifest. It became hard to breathe as I recalled that reality.

“Calm down. We won’t kill you unless you give us a reason to,” River drawled, eyeing her plate. Unlike Onyx’s, hers wasn’t piled with every food option available. Instead, she only had four small portions that were evenly dispersed. The vegetables didn’t touch each other—not even close.

I watched her delicately drive her fork into a few green beans as if she would break the plate were she to add just the slightest pressure. Her jet-black hair was once again pulled into a sleek, low bun at the base of her neck. The part down the middle could cut a diamond it was so sharp.

“I’m not worried about that.” I was fifty percent sure of that fact.

“If he’s bothering you,” she said, lifting her fork in Onyx’s direction, who snapped his head to attention, “just ignore him. He’s like a puppy that won’t stop nipping at your heels until you give it attention. And once you do, it’s game over.”

I chuckled. Onyx’s mouth opened wide at the insult. He looked positively affronted. He clutched his chest. “How could you? See if I smuggle anymore of that hair plaster you are so fond of, River.”

River simply rolled her eyes. Thick black lashes nearly touched her perfectly-shaped brows. “Oh, please. You enjoy the thrill of procuring that gel as much as I love organizing the weapons cache.”

Onyx threw his fork down. I assumed it was for dramatic effect, but River didn’t seem phased in the least. “I enjoy it because I value our friendship. A friendship you clearly exploit for your own gain.”

“Has anyone ever told you to stop whining?” She gave him a tight smile.

“You love me.” Onyx shifted his light amber gaze toward me. He smiled and shook his head. “Don’t let her fool you. She adores me. Probably is secretly in love with me, but she doesn’t want the world to know she has one of those things called a heart.” He shrugged and returned to his oversized meal.

Oh shit.

I volleyed my eyes back and forth between the two, expecting things to turn ugly. River just cracked another smile to herself but didn’t respond.

That left me wanting to shift uncomfortably in my seat. To avoid that, I pretended to be interested in our surroundings. My eyes landed on the black pool outside.

“Does anyone actually swim in that pool?”

Onyx looked up at me. His throat bobbed as he swallowed his food. “Yeah. All the time. Mainly at night.”

“Why at night?”

“It’s just better,” he said with a shrug, a smile hiding some inside humor underneath.

“It’s also heated. So, it feels great after a long day. There are also healing properties within it that soothe a sore body after a hard day of training, or a mission to the Earthen hellhole,” River explained further. “Some people like to get unabashedly drunk and perform childish acts all in the name of being valiant.” Her searing violet eyes rolled again at the last word.

“Hey!” Onyx said, his hand slapping the table with a sudden bang. I jumped. “I’ll have you know,” his forefinger pointed fiercely at River, who wore an expression of boredom like she invented the emotion, “doing a triple backflip into the pool from the top of the lodge could prove life-saving one day. Just you wait and see.” He shook his head in disgust.

I bit my bottom lip as I tried not to smile at their antics. I searched around the dining hall, looking for a clock somewhere. There wasn’t one, so I pushed away from the table and reached for my plate.

Onyx’s hand halted me, his orange currents contrasting against his black sleeve. “Where are you off to in such a hurry?” His dark brows furrowed.

“I gotta meet up with Chrome.” I tried to snag the plate back, but Onyx held firm.

Understanding chimed in his eyes. “Ah. Well,” he started, looking down at the table. He still wouldn’t release me. “Would you mind leaving me your leftovers?”

I gaped. His plate was nearly clean. The gargantuan midday meal he had? Gone. And he wanted more. “That can’t be healthy.”

Onyx shrugged. “I have a fast metabolism.”

I snorted and let go of the dish. “Fine.” I moved to walk away.

“See ya around, Gray,” River called out, her tone slightly lighter.

I paused, assessing her as she maintained eye contact with her food. “Sure,” I said, leaving the dining hall more at ease than I’d felt in a long time just by witnessing such a jovial interaction. It reminded me so much of the others I’d left behind.

An ache replaced that lightness in my chest at the thought of my friends. Then, the heaviness returned in full force at the thought of my next stop—meeting up with Chrome and Orion to test my Elemental abilities. I didn’t know what to expect if anything at all. I only knew permanent changes would alter everything within me.