The bedroom door opened and closed, and Basque put his book down. “Natt! You’re back.”

  “Hi.” Her face was slack, and there was no energy in her voice.

  “That bad?”

  She walked over to him and climbed into the bed. Basque vanished his book and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  She shook her head.

  “Loushee finally did something at the lessons tonight.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, she attacked Reianna.”

  “That was silly.”

  Basque nodded and rubbed Natt’s back as she curled up into him. “Reianna asked her to use her powers to make something. She did, then Loushee turned it into a dagger and tried to stab her.”

  “Is Reianna okay?”

  “Yeah. Though I think I’m going to ban Loushee from coming.”

  “Ask Reianna first.”

  “What?”

  “You’ve been running roughshod over her too much recently. First Banca, then having Loushee join the lessons. I know the Loushee addition didn’t bother her, but you are making these unilateral decisions that involve her without making sure she’s okay with them.”

  Basque lolled his head back and looked at the ceiling. “I suck, don’t I?”

  Natt got up enough to kiss him, then lay back down. “No, you’re just strong-willed and think that you’re doing the best for people. You come from a good place, but sometimes people aren’t there with you.”

  He sighed. “Okay. I’ll ask Reianna first. But I will suggest that we ban her.”

  “That’s better.”

  “Okay, now it’s your turn.”

  It was Natt’s turn to sigh. “Take me in the bathtub first. I need to feel good.”

  More than happy to oblige her, Basque took her into the bathroom, where he washed her first, then made love to her, before they bathed together one last time. When they were back in bed, Natt was once again curled up against him, her head resting on his chest.

  “I have fulfilled your wishes. Now talk.”

  “So demanding!”

  “So avoiding!”

  She slapped his chest. “Fine! I’ll tell you.”

  Only she didn’t talk. When Basque counted to twenty, and she still said nothing, he said, “Natt?”

  “I’m collecting my thoughts.”

  “It’s okay. You don’t want to talk about it. I’ll stop pressuring you. Just let me know when you’re ready to talk, if you want to.”

  “It’s not that I don’t, it’s just, if I do, I feel like…I don’t know. It’s hard to describe.”

  “Like it becomes more real if you vocalize it?”

  “Yeah, something like that.”

  He rubbed her back and closed his eyes. He felt sleep pull on him when she finally spoke.

  “She won’t talk to me.”

  Basque opened his eyes.

  “The entire dinner was just me talking at her.”

  Natt rubbed her hand along Basque’s chest. He grabbed it and stilled it. Be it alcohol or sex, Natt had a bad habit of running away.

  “I don’t feel the hate coming from her, though. Which I guess is an improvement.”

  When she paused again, Basque squeezed her with his arm that was wrapped around her.

  “I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s not like just because I adopted her that our relationship would go back to how it was when she was eight years old.”

  Once more, Natt fell silent. Through their time together, Basque had learned she needed time to express herself, and he would give her that time.

  “But she feels stable, unlike those first couple of weeks here when it felt like her desire to live was fading.”

  “That’s good. I see it in class, too. At first, she didn’t speak to anyone, but now she talks with her pod.”

  Natt nodded. “That slate blue-haired maid, Belinia, she came bouncing in until she saw me. She invited Banca to hang out with her after dinner.”

  “See, she’s making friends.”

  “Yeah…”

  Once more, the conversation slowed. Basque wanted to ask if Natt really needed to make the effort, if she really needed to put herself in the position to be hurt by the girl again, but he didn’t. He wasn’t that stupid.

  “She needs an adult. She needs to know that there is a grown-up who will be on her side.” Natt said, as if she’d heard Basque’s unasked question.

  He didn’t need to ask if that adult had to be Natt. They both knew that she was the only choice. Basque’s priority was the entirety of Class E. He’d already damaged relations with them just by having Banca in the class.

  No, Natt was the only option. She had the history. She had the heart.

  “Just give it more time.”

  “Yeah…”

  The conversation lulled again. Natt shifted her body weight in a way that Basque knew she wouldn’t pick it up again. She’d said what she was willing to say.

  So, instead, Basque said what was on his mind. “There’s only a week and a half until the tournament, and I still don’t know what I’m going to do about the last two standing.”

  “Let it play out.”

  “What?”

  “Tyze will be on stand-by. Just let it play out.”

  “You know who’s going to be the last two, right? There’s no way it won’t be the two of them.”

  “Are you worried about Reianna?”

  Basque nodded. “I know she doesn’t want to fight Banca again. Her fight with her is over. And then to fight knowing she has to hurt her, hurt someone…”

  “I’m worried about Banca, too. What if she sees attacking Reianna as a way to, I don’t know, get revenge or something? What if she tries to kill Reianna and Reianna has to kill her in return?”

  “Maybe we should decide who the final two are?” Basque asked.

  “It might be prudent.”

  “I’ll discuss it with the class tomorrow. I just wish there was a way around the unshielded portion.”

  Natt nodded. She rubbed her hand across his chest. “It’s time to sleep. Leave tomorrow's worries for tomorrow.”

  “I love you, Natt.”

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “I love you, too.”

  The next day, Basque stood with his hands clasped behind his back as he watched his students train. The days of just dodging the balls were over, and now all the students wielded short daggers.

  Of course, some of the students were more proficient with the dagger than others, and it wasn’t always the same as the students who were better at dodging. Avae had surpassed Ryleegh in the ability to dodge, making her just behind Banca and Reianna as the best at dodging, but she was one of the worst with the daggers.

  While the girls took top spots in dodging, so far, the boys were more adept with the weapons. Kolt and Kamron were just behind Banca and Reianna. Their movements were efficient and crisp, leaving very little gap in their recovery time between strikes. Having three of the top performers, Kamron, Banca, and Reianna, being Yani didn’t bode well for the pods.

  As Basque watched, Taraia stabbed the ball that shot at her from her left. The ball became impaled on her weapon, making it useless.

  “Taraia, three!” Xav called out as a ball shot out from the middle of them towards Taraia. She spun, but her weapon was useless. The ball thumped into her head, and she fell to the ground.

  Growling, Taraia pulled the ball off her dagger and threw it, and it vanished into the core’s storage.

  “Taraia,” Basque said.

  “Yes, Gerenet-Shr?”

  “What should you have done there?”

  “Dodged better?”

  Turning to Reianna, who was sitting out and watching her pod practice, Basque asked her, “Reianna, could you have dodged that?”

  “Maybe? It was pretty close and fast.”

  He turned back to Taraia. “The best dodger in the class says she doesn’t know if she could dodge that or not.”

  Taraia held her arms out. “I dunno? Stab it with the ball on my dagger?”

  “Why would you have to do that?”

  “Because there was a ball on my dagger?” Her tone suggested that Basque was the stupidest person she’d ever talked to.

  “On all of them?”

  “On all…?” Her face lit up, then she dropped her head. She sighed.

  “Exactly. Why do you think I spent so long going over the interface?”

  “It’s good to know I’m dead because I’m stupid.”

  Basque shook his head. “You’re not stupid; you’re just young and learning. That’s why we practice here.”

  She nodded.

  “Reianna,” Basque called. She looked at him. “Set it for fifteen balls every two seconds.”

  “What?!” Fawna yelled. “Gerenet-Shr! I can’t handle that!”

  “You guys are taking it too easy. There’s a reason that the max is thirty per second. I need you guys to be at that level before mid-way through next year.”

  “We can do it, Fawna!” Xav cheered.

  “Speak for yourself, Cadmium boy,” Taraia said. “I’m with Blondie on this one.”

  “Fifteen-two!” Reianna called. “Starting!”

  “You Yani!” Taraia yelled as she swiped at the ball that came flying in at her.

  Basque left their group and walked down the line. While individuals stood out, none of the pods seemed further ahead than any other. When he got to Cayelyn’s group, he stopped once more to watch.

  Kamryn was sitting out, and Banca was in the six role—the primary caller’s role. As the person in the “back” of the formation, they should have the clearest view, and so their voice was supposed to be the commanding one. They were supposed to make the decisions.

  “Kolt, twelve! Jame, three!” Banca called.

  The two boys slashed their targets.

  “Cayelyn, nine!”

  “I see it!” Cayelyn slashed the ball in half.

  “Six-top, Caye!” Banca yelled as she stabbed a ball that came from her left.

  Cayelyn spun and ducked, and as she did, she sliced with her blade, and another “Yani” died.

  Like Taraia, when Banca stabbed the ball, it got impaled on her blade. Unlike Taraia, she immediately dropped it, and a new blade appeared in her hand in time for her to slice a ball in half that shot out from in front of her.

  Basque watched for another minute. Banca’s calls were clear and sharp. Her instincts were fast, and she often called out for her teammates almost the instant the ball appeared. He was impressed by how well the group worked together, and by how well Banca commanded them.

  “Kamryn, what’s the rate?”

  “Seven-one, Gerenet-Shr!”

  Even though it was mostly confirming his suspicions, Basque’s eyebrows still rose as he pursed his lips and nodded. “Up it to eight-one.”

  “Understood, Gerenet-Shr!”

  The group, under Banca’s command, continued to slaughter the spherical Yani.

  “Seventeen-two!” Basque yelled ten seconds later.

  “Seventeen-two!” Kamryn repeated.

  In Maecy’s group next to them, Jardan “died,” and they stopped to watch as Cayelyn’s pod continued to live on.

  “Nine-one!” Basque yelled.

  “Nine-one!” Kamryn replied.

  Still, Banca’s calls kept her pod alive. Kolt’s reaction times were getting close to his limit, but he fought on with Banca’s commands.

  “Nineteen-two!”

  “Nineteen-two!”

  Sweat flipped from Cayelyn’s forehead as she spun and responded to Banca’s commands. Two more pods stopped to watch after one of their members died.

  “Twelve-one!” Basque yelled.

  “Twelve-one?” Kamryn asked.

  “Twelve-one!” Basque said again.

  “Tw-twelve-one!”

  Kolt’s eyes no longer searched; he just responded to Banca’s call, putting his faith completely in her to keep him “alive.” Ball after ball fell to the ground, cut in half by the twirling students.

  “Fifteen-one!”

  “F-fifteen-one!” Kamryn’s voice squeaked on the “one.”

  A ball shot out from behind Kolt, but he was too slow to react to it. Banca stepped forward and stabbed it with her blade, “saving” him, but she didn’t have time to react to the ball that materialized from Jame’s side, and it hit her on the side of her head, knocking her over.

  The balls stopped, and the three “living” students bent over, panting.

  “Excellent work!” Basque praised them.

  All the other pods had stopped to watch, and they cheered for Cayelyn’s pod. Banca still sat on the ground, also panting. Kolt came over to her and held out his hand. She looked up at him with a blank face.

  Kolt pulled his hand back, then stuck it out again. Banca reached up and took it. He pulled her to her feet. “That was amazing, Miss Banca. How did you notice them so fast?”

  “There’s a shimmer. You can feel it before the balls launch.” Banca’s voice broke from all of her yelling.

  “A what?” Kolt asked.

  “A shimmer,” Avae repeated. “Don’t you feel it?” She walked over and picked up Banca’s discarded blade. After pulling the ball off, she gave it to the former noble.

  Basque raised his hand. “Who can feel the shimmer?” he asked.

  Two-thirds of the class raised their hands.

  He nodded. “That’s more than I was expecting, to be honest.”

  Motioning down with his hands, the students put their hands down. “So, those of you who can’t feel it yet, in your extra training time, dodge until you can start to feel it. That’s what it feels like when a Yani solidifies, and you need to know that timing.”

  “Understood, Gerenet-Shr,” came the replies.

  “Alright, since everyone is here, I need to talk with you.”

  The students gathered closer together and sat down as if they were in the classroom.

  “I’ve been thinking about it for days now, but I can’t figure out a way around the last two standing fighting until one person is disabled or dead.”

  Saevi raised her hand and spoke without waiting for him to call on her, “Why doesn’t one of them just forfeit?”

  “That was my thought, too, but apparently I’m easy to read, and if the last two standing refuse to fight, they will both be expelled from Dyntril.”

  The students were quiet.

  “So, they must fight. One of them must be injured to the point where they can no longer fight.”

  Basque let his statement hang in the air. The students stared up at him.

  “Nurse Tyze will be on hand. He will be able to immediately help the injured person, but they have to be injured, and it will hurt.”

  More silence.

  Reianna raised her hand. “I’ll take the injuries. I can dull them.”

  Basque wanted to tell her no, that he relied on her too much already as it was. But at the same time, that meant taking a volunteer from the others. All he could do was frown.

  Glancing over at Banca, Reianna said, “I’ve got experience being beaten until I’m disabled.”

  Banca met Reianna’s eyes. “If we’re going by that metric, I’ve now got months more experience than you. And he’s only asking this because he knows it will be you and me last.”

  Wearing her stone mask and with a flat voice, Reianna asked, “Did you want to go at me again?”

  “If by that you mean do I want to battle you like we did last time? I don’t see why not. The crowd loves rematches.”

  “You know it’ll be the same if not worse, right?”

  Basque shook his head. “I will not allow an actual fight to take place.”

  The girls fell silent until Banca said, “Fine, I can be Reianna’s pin cushion.”

  “No stabbing. We’re going with severed arms. Nurse Tyze can put those back on easily enough. Are you sure you’d be fine with that?”

  “It’s whatever.”

  The frown never left Basque’s face. After all Banca had been through, he didn’t want her to be in the final two, but what real choices did he have? He wouldn’t be down in the matches with her, and if she wanted to, he couldn’t stop her.

  He shook his head one more time. “No. No volunteers here. We’re going to let it play out however it plays out. You all are aware of the stakes. I hate this with a dozen birds, but we can’t avoid it.”

  The class laughed.

  “Why are you laughing?”

  Taraia shouted, “What is that even? Dozen birds?”

  “You all don’t say that here?”

  “No!”

  The mood of the class lightened as they discussed the weird Hianb expression Basque had used. It was an easy distraction for them, but Basque wished he had his own distraction as well. The tournament would be his hell.

  “Alright, that’s all for today. Those of you who need the practice with the shimmer, get to it. The rest of you, it’s self-study time.”

  “Thank you, Gerenet-Shr!” they said.

  As the students stood, Basque looked at the two girls who’d volunteered. His words no longer made them volunteers, but the results would still be the same: they would be fighting each other unshielded again.

  Reianna had laughed with the rest over his unfamiliar expression, but Banca just stared at Reianna with hard eyes. Even as the students broke up into different groups, Banca’s eyes never wavered from Reianna.

  Worry gnawed at Basque’s stomach. He’d never felt so helpless. He looked around for Natt, but she was working with Class B. He needed her to tell him that everything would be alright, even if it wasn’t true.