Dominicus jolted, staggering for a second before his glare snapped to me, eyes flashing in the moonlight as his free hand drifted to his sword. “Have you lost your mind?!”

  I laughed—sharp, biting, and loud enough to crack the night open. “Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing! You’re a shit teacher, throwing me ass over teakettle into the deep end with nothing but some bullshit pointers while a level five wolf tried to eat me.”

  Shaking my head, I turned on my heel and stormed back toward the camp, barely registering Dominicus’s footsteps trailing behind me over the heat of my anger. “If that’s how Fate trained you, then I’m amazed you lived. And, quite frankly, I hope they never take another Chosen again, because clearly, they don’t have the common sense to properly look after mortals.”

  Dominicus grunted, displeased but not drawing his sword, so I figured he wasn’t too offended. “After an initial period of growing pains, I excelled with this method. You haven’t even truly tried it, and you’re already disowning it as a possibility.”

  Henry stood near the fire, his hand resting uneasily on his sword. Behind him, Time hovered, his gaze locked on Dominicus with a hard scowl. Something told me that if he had anything throwable nearby, he’d be lobbing it at the bat beastfolk without hesitation.

  The mental image cooled the worst of my anger, and I scoffed as I spun back to face Dominicus. “Just because you survived the Spartan-style ‘do or die’ training doesn’t mean it’s a good method. I’ll learn from Henry—at least I doubt he’d take such a massively stupid approach to teaching. I might gain levels slower, but I’ll also end up with fewer injuries. More than a worthwhile trade-off, if you ask me.”

  Dominicus frowned, his frustration cooling into something like confusion. “Why are you angry? You wanted to excel, and you’ve gained a level.”

  I threw the dagger at his feet, barely resisting the urge to launch it at his head. “Levels only matter if you’re not dead. And frankly, I’m starting to think my companion was right about trusting you with my training.”

  He jerked back like I’d slapped him. “I wouldn’t have let you die—”

  I rolled my eyes. “That thing’s teeth were dangerously close to my neck at least once, and I didn’t see you stepping in. You sure as hell threw some pointers from the sidelines, though, so good for you. If that’s your teaching method, keep it to yourself.”

  I turned away before he could argue, making a beeline for the others. Henry sighed, removing his hand from his sword with a grimace. “He’s a capable warrior, but I had doubts about his ability to teach—especially given your different weapon types. Teaching is an entirely separate skill, one that only comes with experience.”

  I grunted. “Doesn’t matter. I lived. And I’ll be training with you and Thomas from now on.”

  Henry nodded without complaint, and Time wordlessly grasped my arm, guiding me back toward the fire.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Are you injured? His voice brushed against my mind, soft but insistent.

  I grimaced and gave the faintest shake of my head. No. But you can get your ‘I told you so’ out of the way whenever you want. That was a damn disaster.

  Even putting aside the reckless training method, Dominicus hadn’t actually helped me improve with a staff—what I’d expected him to teach me in the first place. And I had zero interest in wielding a dagger.

  The blood on my hand had long since chilled, but it still felt hot.

  For a moment, I wasn’t here. I was back in my office, slumped against the wall, drowning in my own blood. It had been everywhere—the floor, my clothes, my hand—

  Something brushed against my fingers, jolting me out of the memory. I almost lashed out before my brain caught up.

  Time was wiping the blood from my hand with a cloth, his touch firm but careful.

  I went still, watching him work, bracing for the scorn I fully expected. But after a long, silent moment, it never came. Instead, his voice curled through my mind, unexpectedly gentle.

  There is no need to drive that point home further. Your experience with the wolf was enough.

  When my hand was clean, he tossed the cloth aside and studied me, the usual ancient weight settling in his gaze. “Are you alright?”

  He wasn’t asking about physical injuries.

  I swallowed around the lump still lodged in my throat and forced a nod. “Fine. Better after I sleep this mess off.”

  Hopefully, that meant no nightmares. But knowing my luck, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

  Time lingered for another beat, then let the matter drop with a slow nod. “Then you should rest. We have a few hours of darkness left before we depart, and you will need your energy for training tomorrow with Henry. His methods will doubtlessly be more rationally paced for our level of expertise. But neglecting to rest beforehand would be unwise.”

  Somehow, that—the reminder of an actually competent teacher—helped settle the last remnants of unease still lingering in my chest.

  Just because Dominicus’s method wasn’t right for me didn’t mean all training had to be like that. I didn’t have to throw myself into dangerous situations or relive disturbing memories just to grow stronger.

  The path ahead wouldn’t be easy. But I wouldn’t be walking on a road of shattered glass.

  As I settled back onto my bedroll, voices drifted across the fire. Henry’s tone was low and sharp with reprimand.

  “You put him against a level five to start?”

  Dominicus didn’t respond.

  Just as I started to drift off, the soft shift of movement caught my attention. Cracking an eye open, I saw Time had moved, leaning against the tree closest to me.

  His glare was still pinned to Dominicus, burning with a new fire. He waved a hand without looking away. “Go to sleep. I will follow soon.”

  A soft hum left me in acknowledgment as I let my eyes slip shut, an odd warmth curling in my chest at the quiet, unwavering protectiveness rolling off him in waves.

  Maybe it was just fueled by his dislike of Dominicus.

  But for once, I didn’t really care.

  It had been a long time since someone gave a damn about my well-being. Physical or mental.

  Tonight, Time had been concerned for both. And that was… nice.

  Definitely nice.