Chapter 22 | Magnus

Chapter 22

Magnus

MY INTRODUCTION TO the girl with the silver hair was an exhilarating one. I'd caught her staring at me every time I passed her, but I was used to that.

After finishing her bout, she limped away with her friend, who said, "Damn, babe, she fucked around and found out! You need to teach me to do that."

"Teach you to punch people in the face?"

Randi Ranttir nodded. "Yes. Like that."

They walked in my direction. I found it interesting Ravinica Linmyrr limped now, yet not during her fight. She found the presence of mind to tamp down the pain. I could use someone like that. Perhaps we could learn from each other.

I leaned against a short tree in the meadow, under the shade of its canopy, watching her interact with her friends.

The big one, named Grim, gave Ravinica a stern nod. "Good work, little sneak. You fought smart."

Ravinica craned her neck, then looked down and blushed, trying to hide herself. "Thank you."

"My offer of tonight still stands."

"I . . . okay. We'll see."

Randi dragged away the hesitant girl. I heard her low voice as she leaned in, "You're fumbling the bag with him, babe."

"You don't know what I know about Grim, Randi."

I cocked my head. What have you learned about him?

I stood less than ten feet from them, yet they didn't seem to notice or acknowledge me. I appreciated being forgotten for a moment. It reminded me of simpler times. Now, well, I had to hide myself so no one ever saw the true me. I didn't want to fill the poor wretches with nightmares.

As Ravinica passed Arne Gornhodr on her way back to Hersir Axel, the whimsical iceshaper grabbed her by the elbow and stopped her. "A fine showing, little fox. Quick as a snake, you are."

I flared my nostrils at the way he spoke to her. There was nothing "little" about Ravinica. She was strong, tall, with a powerful physique. Beautiful in every respect, even if she didn't notice it. Soft curves, sharp eyes, thick legs and arms.

It wasn't often I admired someone of the fairer sex, but there was a lot to admire with this one.

Arne Gornhodr, in my mind, was a tempestuous man. I may have only been an initiate, but I knew him from elsewhere.

She kept walking past Arne, after saying her thanks. Once she was past me and the tree I leaned against, I caught her glance over her shoulder at me.

I kept my face stoic, not revealing anything. The girl's hair was silver as the moon, and she was fierce as any man. Much more controlled than her loud, blustering opponent, Astrid Dahlmyrr, who now stomped away with her tail between her legs to head for the infirmary wing.

I appreciated seeing the Tomekeeper's snide daughter brought down a peg. The sight of her blood made a shudder run through me, making my own blood itch, and I had to fight down a pulse of intensity.

Hersir Axel was busy watching a few other bouts in Tyr Meadow. The initiates fought with wooden weapons. I knew my time would come soon. No one had yet challenged me.

I continued watching Ravinica and Randi, and noticed someone pushing through a small crowd of students watching the fights.

I shoved away from the tree and marched over just as Sven Torfen burst from the crowd, heading directly for Ravinica. Coming up behind her.

I intercepted him and grabbed his arm, spinning him.

Sven's fist flew before he'd fully turned, and I dodged it, my head tilting to the side. I pulled on him, bringing him close, and whispered, "Keep away from her."

The handsome man's face twisted with contempt. "Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do, trench coat?" He pushed at me and I let him go.

His brother Ulf was on the way over to us. Ravinica hadn't noticed Sven creeping after her and her friend. They were almost to Hersir Axel now.

My frown deepened. "I can be a nightmare, if given the opportunity."

Sven seemed confused by my answer. "Fucking freak."

"You don't know the half of it."

I had a feeling my lack of emotion—my calm temperament and slack face—unnerved him. I wasn't scared of him, unlike others. I was not like other initiates here, and I had a feeling Ravinica wasn't, either. I could sense it.

I didn't feel emotions like other people did. Never had. But seeing Sven heading for Ravinica, after his ploy to bring her down using his pawn Astrid failed, made something shift inside me. It was only a slight shift—a twinge of my cold heartstrings—and I couldn't pinpoint more than that. I'd been drawn to Sven like a moth to flame.

I had a feeling Ravinica had something to do with this startling sensation, this change. The feelings of togetherness and possessiveness I felt next to her, without even knowing who the hell she was.

Sven readjusted his shirt, flattening it on his body, and eyed Ulf next to him, then me. "Your name, initiate?"

I remembered my place as a first-year, and his seniority. "Magnus Feldraug."

Sven grunted, trying not to look surprised. It was always interesting watching their faces, to see how they'd react to my name and appearance.

"No wonder you're so fucking pale," he muttered.

His response was better than most. Many others simply veered away from me once they learned I was draug-blooded.

"I suppose it would be strange for me to say I'm not like other undead?" I quipped.

Sven's lip twitched. "Was that . . . a joke?"

I shrugged. I wasn't sure, honestly.

"I didn't see you spar anyone, initiate," he said.

"That's because I haven't yet."

Sven patted his brother on the shoulder and sneered. "Then I have the perfect candidate. Ulf?"

"W-Wait, brother," the big wolf shifter said. "You want me to fight this creepy asshole?"

"Good luck," Sven said to his brother, and then stomped off onto the meadow after Ravinica.

Ulf frowned at me.

I said, "If I have to get through you to get to the girl, so be it." I walked to the table holding the wooden weapons. Blithely, I chose one at random—a sword.

Ulf took a sword as well, mirroring my choice.

He didn't mirror me when I broke the wooden sword in half on my knee, though.

He just stared at me incredulously. "What the hell?" he spouted. "You trying to stab me and make me bleed, demon-boy?"

I stared down at the jagged point. I rubbed it against the table until it was whittled down a bit rounder. "Better? It's not your blood I want, Ulf Torfen."

We stood away from the table, the young man shaking his head. I could already tell he was slow. Inexperienced compared to his brother, and not half as vicious. A bit dumb. Part of me wondered how he had even gotten accepted into Vikingrune Academy in the first place.

Nepotism, my mind told me. His father was a famous pack leader. I also knew Sven was weaker without his siblings around, so dispatching this one would aid me.

I held out the half-blade. "Well?"

Ulf charged at me, clumsily as I imagined.

I stayed unmoving, narrowing my eyes and then closing them. I breathed deeply, felt the weight of my longcoat on my shoulders, and felt the rumble of the earth beneath his trampling boots.

I kept my eyes closed behind my sunglasses when he reached me, felt the wind shift when he swung, and I ducked and spun away from him.

I jabbed the rounded dagger-point of my half-sword into his side and he grunted and staggered.

My eyes opened as he backpedaled, grabbing at his rib. I dashed forward with my back foot and slammed the hilt of the wooden sword against his shoulder, hitting a pressure point he likely didn't know existed.

Ulf Torfen crumpled like a sack of potatoes, his sword dropping from a useless, dangling arm.

"Fuck!" he groaned from the ground. "Did you break my fucking arm?"

"Only temporarily," I said, and tossed the lump of wood down next to him.

I turned to chase down Sven and Ravinica—

And noticed both of them watching me. The silver-haired girl had eyes wide as saucers.

"You were saying, Initiate Linmyrr?" Hersir Axel asked behind her. "I have other fights to watch."

Ravinica cleared her throat and nodded, spinning to face the battlemaster. "I've won my duel. Do I get to pick my cadet to train under now?"

The Hersir frowned. "It doesn't work like that."

Sven said, "I'd like to offer my expertise in this account, Hersir Axel."

"No!" Ravinica yelled abruptly, turning a few heads from the meadow. "Erm, I mean, please, Hersir Axel. Not him. Anyone but him."

Axel frowned, or rather deepened the one he already had on his face. "I don't do drama, you two. Figure yourselves out."

"I'll take the girl," said a brooding voice from the side. Grim Kollbjorn strode forward, and everyone turned to him. "If she'll have me."

Ravinica looked in awe, if not a bit hesitant. "Can I trust you, Grim?"

The giant bear shifter nodded. "Yes."

Clearly they had some history. I wondered why Ravinica seemed untrusting to this man who obviously cared for her.

Hersir Axel rubbed the back of his neck. "Fine. I'll allow it. Just leave me be to finish my duties here." He nudged his chin to the dark-skinned girl next to Ravinica. "I'm assuming she'll be in your initiate trio?"

Ravinica nodded firmly. "Yes, sir."

Randi beamed and took Ravinica's hand in hers.

Sven flared his nostrils, moving his anger over to Grim Kollbjorn. "You can't just poach them from me."

"They aren't pieces on a gameboard, Torfen," Grim grunted in a slow manner.

Hersir Axel raised his hand between them. The stout battlemaster lowered his voice in exasperation. "I won't be having this between you two cadets. The girl doesn't want you training her, Sven, and I won't force her to. Figure yourselves out, but do it away from me."

Grim's eyes flared like embers as he stared daggers at Sven. "We've figured out everything we need to, battlemaster."

"As you say. Who will be your third initiate?"

At that moment, I stepped forward from the fringes of their conversation. They heard me coming—or, rather, my trench coat swishing in the breeze.

With Ravinica, Randi, Sven, Grim, and Hersir Axel watching me . . . I said nothing. I just stood there.

Ravinica looked past me to where Ulf Torfen was getting off the ground from the quick work I'd made of him. She shrugged and pointed at me. "How about him?"

I clasped my hands behind my back. "Wise choice, silvermoon."