Page 39 of Avalon Tower
“Raphael.” Viviane’s sharp voice echoes in the room.
Everyone has stopped practicing, and they are all staring at Raphael, Tarquin, and me. Looks like we’ve put on quite the show.
I hate being the center of attention.
“This is my class,” Viviane says. “And I think I can manage on my own.”
“It didn’t look like it.” Raphael’s pale eyes glint. “It looked as if we were about to lose one of our Sentinels.”
Viviane folds her arms calmly. “I saw what happened, and it looked fine. I didn’t see any good reason to interfere with her training. Nia was learning a valuable lesson.”
“Viviane, if you suddenly find yourself with the rare skill that Nia possesses, then you can be a bit more careless with her welfare.”
Viviane narrows her eyes at him. “Get out,” she says through clenched teeth.
Raphael gives me a curious look, then turns and stalks gracefully from the room.
Viviane whirls, her cheeks pink. “Okay,” she says, “that’s enough for today. Put your training knives back and get out of here.”
She stands by the knife block, arms folded.
I let Tarquin and Horatio go first to avoid looking at them, and then I return my training knife to the block.
“Nia, are you okay?” Serana asks me.
My chest feels bruised and crushed. “I’m fine,” I choke out. “No worries.”
“No worries?” She cocks her head, peering down at me. “Tarquin better pray not to be paired with me next training session.”
I smile at her. “Yeah.”
Darius crosses over to us, his eyes wide. “I cannot believe Raphael did that. He just ripped Tarquin off you. Tarquin practically flew in the air like a posh little rag doll.”
“I wish I could have seen it,” I say ruefully.
Viviane clears her throat, and her expression looks furious. “Nia, I want a word. You two, piss off.”
Darius grimaces at me, and he and Serana cross to the door.
Viviane glares down at me. “What was that today?”
“Tarquin lost it.”
“I don’t care about Tarquin.” Viviane narrows her eyes. “He can take care of himself. He’s a good fighter. I’m the self-defense instructor, and it’s my job to make sure that out in the field, you’ll be able to take care of yourself and your allies. And right now, Nia, it doesn’t seem likely.”
“I’ve never trained for this,” I protest. “I work in a bookstore.”
“Really? And when you’re on a mission, will you ask them for mercy because you’re just a harmless little reader of books?” She shakes her head. “I’ve never seen such a pathetic display of survival instinct. Tarquin is a big man. How do you beat a big man?”
I raise my eyebrows. “I need to be faster?”
“Don’t be absurd. You can’t be faster. He’s been training from a young age, and you’re weak.”
I bite my lip “So…I should tire him out. Keep my distance until—”
“Aren’t you asthmatic? The longer the fight is, the worse your chances are.”
“I should use his weight against him?” I ask desperately.