Or, at the very least, they didn’t want to argue about it with me. I relished that small victory because I was too tired to spend all our time together fighting with them.
“Let’s start with basic channeling,” I said. “Take a deep breath, feel the sacred energy enter your core. Let any aspects you find flow into your aura, and cycle the jinsei out as you exhale.” I wondered what would have happened to me if I’d learned that technique the first time I’d been with Hahen. I certainly wouldn’t have stuffed my channels full of dangerous aspects. He wouldn’t have had to train me on the Path of the Pauper’s Dagger. I’d never have become an Eclipse Warrior.
I guess pain really does lead to growth.
The breathing exercises went perfectly, and the students were soon channeling an impressive amount of jinsei through their cores and aspects into their auras. They’d come a very long way since our first class together, and I was proud of all of them. If we’d had more time, I’d never have pushed them harder. Unfortunately, time wasn’t a commodity I had to spare. These initiates had to grow, and they had to do it before the end of the year.
“Think about your future.” I didn’t know much about guided meditation, but Professor Song had helped me take the next steps on my path like this. Thanks to him, I’d grown stronger than I’d ever thought possible. Maybe I could do the same for my initiates. “Imagine yourself standing tall and proud. Feel the power in your channels. Feel your core, whole and hearty, ready to harness the world’s sacred energy to do your bidding. In the future, you’ve found your path. You’re ready to take on any challenge the world can throw at you.”
Ricky and a few other students smiled at the images they saw with their minds’ eyes. But other members of the class furrowed their brows as they struggled to accept what I’d told them. And a few of them, like Christina, opened their eyes and pursed their lips. That last group didn’t look confused or frightened, they looked angry.
“This is stupid.” Christina bolted out of her desk and stormed toward the door. She threw it open and shoved her way past the armed guard before I could intercept her.
“Let her go,” I told the guard. She was my student. I wasn’t about to let someone else talk to her when she was so clearly upset. I hobbled after Christina and called her name until she stopped and waited for me to catch up.
“What was that all about?” I kept my voice calm and neutral. Yelling at Christina wouldn’t get me anywhere. I’d learned that early on.
“It’s dumb.” She shrugged. “All this stuff about strength and power. I’m sorry, Mr. Warin, but look at what’s happened to you. And you are powerful.”
Christina swiped angrily at the unshed tears in her eyes and turned her head away from me. I gave her the space she needed, and a few moments later she’d gathered herself and faced me with eyes as cold and hard as balls of ice.
“If I wasn’t stronger,” I said slowly and evenly, “I’d be dead. So would my friends. Strength doesn’t save you from every injury. But it will keep you alive.”
“You wouldn’t have even been in that challenge if you weren’t strong,” Christina shot back. Her cheeks were flushed with sparks of red, and her lips trembled with passion. “Your strength helped you survive, but it also put you in danger in the first place!”
“It’s not that simple.” It was time to tell Christina the truth. “You have to heal your core by the end of the year. All of you do. If you don’t, you may never get another chance to be whole.”
“I was whole.” She threw her hands up in frustration. “Our families worked hard for everything we had. But it made sense. We knew what to do, and we knew how to do it. Here, I don’t know anything.”
“Trust me.” I reached out for Christina, but she jerked away from my hand. “I’ll teach you. Work with me, and you’ll have more power than you’ve ever dreamed possible. You can help your family.”
“Like you helped your mother?” Her words burned like acid. “It’s not a secret, Mr. Warin. None of us wants that life. We don’t want your power. We want to go home.”
She stormed past me, back to the classroom, and slammed the door behind her.
The Spies
HAGAR FINALLY SHOWED up outside my door near the end of March. I invited her in and took a seat in the desk chair so she could sit on the bed if she wanted. Though my handler had recovered from her wounds, there was a shadow in her eyes that told me things were far from good wherever she’d been.
“You got your wish.” She raised a hand before I could get too excited. “Not your mother. The dragons didn’t do a very good job hiding their training grounds. If you’re ready, we can be there in half an hour.”
That was good news. I’d never seen the dragons in action, and the idea of going up against them without any information made me very nervous. A peek at their training would go a long way toward putting my mind at ease. Especially with our resident dragon expert along for the ride.
“Let me find
