“There isn’t a team in the Free States who won’t want a unicorn, Unicorn.” Silt shrugged her wide shoulders. “You’re going to have your pick.”
“I’d like to stay here in Los Angeles,” said Kayleigh, looking out at the endless waters of the Pacific. “Maybe join the older Paladin’s Defenders. What about you, Damian?”
“Not sure,” I admitted. “Graduation’s a long way away. I’m more worried about making it out of this semester in one piece.”
“I’m going home,” said Silt.
“Back to Texas?” Evelyn frowned. “Why?”
It was a good question. Texas was part-Badlands, part-South, and entirely unpleasant.
Silt shrugged again. “I’ve got unfinished business in Brownsville.”
Evelyn wrinkled her nose in thought. “By the time we graduate, I might be able to get you there in one hop.”
“That would be helpful. Fuck knows walking would suck.” Silt patted her roommate’s knee. “I knew there was a reason I was keeping you around.”
I must have winced or something as I shifted position yet again, because when I looked up, Shane was eyeing me worriedly. “Are you sure you’re okay? I know Nikolai wanted us to taper down the healings even further, but maybe…”
“I’m fine.” I shrugged, and then instantly wished I could go back in time to reconsider that gesture. Fucking hell. Everything hurt. “Nothing some ice, alcohol, and black-market stim-weed wouldn’t fix.”
Vibe looked only slightly less miserable than I felt. The Empath had been keeping even closer than usual over the past two weeks. Even out there in the clearing, her fingertips brushed against the exposed skin of my wrist. “I’m just glad to get a break from feeling everyone else’s pain. My own bruises suck badly enough.”
Silt, who’d been matched up in her most recent bout against Prince—still chubby, despite Nikolai’s best efforts—and come through without a scratch, met my eyes and grinned. “Did we learn a little lesson yesterday about being careful what we wish for?”
“Do you think I wanted to fight Orca?” I’d heard the comments a handful of guys—normals, one and all—made when Nadia walked past. Wouldn’t mind getting taken down by her and Damn, five rounds wouldn’t be enough, if you get what I’m saying. Fucking morons. There’s nothing sexy about getting your ass handed to you. The gorgeous Stalwart was stronger, faster, and more skilled than I was. The only advantage I had was my reach, and she’d gotten past that in about ten seconds.
She hit even harder than Paladin.
If I’d had any choice in the matter, I’d have been the one fighting Prince. Or maybe Shane. He was the closest thing to a friend I had at the Academy, but he still couldn’t fight worth shit. Unfortunately, Nikolai was still choosing the pairings. In the past two weeks, I’d been matched up against the best fighters in our class. Alan Jackson. The Viking. El Bosque. Ishmae. And last but far from least, Orca.
“You might want to steer clear of Nadia for a bit,” murmured Kayleigh. “From what I was sensing, she’s super pissed off at you.”
“Wait, she’s pissed at me? I didn’t even hit her once!”
“Exactly,” said Silt. “Three months ago, you fought an epic, twenty-minute battle with Paladin, going full-Walker at the very end. Then yesterday, you let her win in a matter of seconds? That’s not the way into a Stalwart’s pants, Skeletor.”
“I didn’t let her win, any more than I did Alan-fucking-Jackson!” I protested. “Also, you’ve got to stop with this whole full-Walker thing. The arena’s dampeners are clearly working or you’d be burying opponents in the dirt instead of just breaking their noses.”
“And jaws.”
“You broke Prince’s jaw?”
Silt shrugged. “They healed it afterward.”
“Damn.” I was pretty sure I didn’t want to face the stocky Earthshaker in the Pit either, dampeners or not. “Anyway, everything I’ve read about Crows says our powers are external, not internal. We raise Walkers… we don’t become them.”
On the bench next to Silt, Evelyn had gone pale. I kicked myself for letting Silt goad me. Wormhole still wasn’t totally comfortable with my presence, and this topic was a fantastic fucking way to wipe out any progress I’d made.
“So how do you explain what happened with Paladin?” pressed Silt.
“First, he beat my face in, then I got angry, and then he beat my face in again?” I shrugged. “Everything after that can be blamed on the concussion.”
“He did have one,” admitted Shane, “although I’m not sure that explains—”
“There you have it,” I said, cutting off the ginger. “Concussion-induced mania. It’s a thing.”
There was a moment of silence as everyone digested that possibility. Then, a slow smile spread across Silt’s brown face. “So Nadia should’ve hit you harder if she wanted a real fight? Is that what you’re saying?”
I frowned at the corner I’d backed myself into. “That wasn’t my point. Just tell her she kicked my ass fair and square.”
“And that you want a rematch on Monday?” Silt nodded, her dirt eyes sparkling. “Got it.”
CHAPTER 30
The sleek Stalwart was still on my mind an hour or two later, as I lay on my bed, tabbing through my latest reading assignment. As much as I hated to admit it, the fight with Orca had gone differently than the one with Paladin, and it hadn’t been just a matter of fighting styles. I’d done my best against Nadia, just as I had against every other opponent over the past few weeks, but I’d also been aware that it was only a training exercise. I’d kept my temper, I’d tried to utilize what Nikolai had taught us, and when she’d put me down, I’d stayed down.
I was certain I hadn’t used my powers in the fight against Paladin. Hell, I’d been at the Academy for three months, and I still didn’t know how to use my powers. But maybe Orca had a point. Anger had gotten me through thirteen years at Mama Rawlins’. It had gotten me through a good portion of the fight with Paladin. The combat techniques we were learning from Nikolai and Jessica were cool, but we were all
