Page 6 of Secrets and Shadows

“As you can see,” I say, circling her, “my magic guides my body. I don’t have to think through every move because my powers are doing it for me. I can focus on you—my opponent.” I leap out of the way of another blast. “Your magic will be more effective if you learn how to work with your body.”

She strikes again, her focus sharp. I evade it, but this time, she follows me like a predator hunting its prey. Her determination is obvious, and I can see the hunger to prove herself in her eyes.

“Is that all you’ve got?” I ask, pushing her to think faster on her feet. “Come on, don’t hold back.”

She hesitates for a second, her eyes locked on mine, then surges forward with a burst of energy, a purple haze trailing behind her. This time, I don’t block the attack—partly because I don’t want to risk hurting her.

Lilith crashes into me with full force, sending us both to the ground. We roll twice before I end up on top of her, pinningher wrists above her head with my magic. Almost instinctively, I wrap my hand around them, just to be sure.

“Another lesson,” I tell her, my eyes glued to hers. “As a beginner, focus on long-range attacks. It’ll take time before you master close combat with your magic. In situations like this, you’ll need your Shadow to cover your back. You never know what might sneak up behind you.”

Lilith’s pupils are blown, her chest rising and falling against mine. Her soft breasts brush against me with every harsh pant. Only then am I aware that I’m still on top of her and my rapidly awakening dick is pressed firmly between her thighs.

Shit.

I quickly stand, needing to put some distance between us. The links around her wrists vanish, and she accepts the hand I offer her to help her get back to her feet.

“Well, it was worth a shot,” she says, her voice carrying a hint of frustration. “My dad always said the key to winning is keeping your opponent guessing, making them question every move. But understood. Lesson learned—coordination is crucial.”

As she strides past me, heading back to her position, I can’t help but admire the ease in her movements, the quiet strength she carries with her. She’s got grace, and despite the small setback, she walks with a confidence that makes you forget she’s still a student.

I follow her lead, turning my attention back to the rest of the class. They’re frozen in place, staring at us like they’ve seen a ghost or something.

I clap my hands together sharply, the sound echoing across the training courtyard. “All right, that’s enough gawking. Let’s see what the rest of you are made of.”

The students snap out of their daze, quickly refocusing on their partners. A few still glance toward Lilith, clearly impressed,and I can’t blame them. She’s already raised the bar, and now they’re all feeling the pressure.

As they get back to work, I keep an eye on them, but my thoughts keep drifting back to Lilith. There’s something about her—something raw, untapped. And I have a feeling she’s only getting started.

Three

LILITH

“Holy shit.”

Tony’s words pretty much sum up the whirlwind still going on in my head. Adrenaline is pumping through my veins, leaving every part of my body buzzing with energy.

I’m still a bit shaky from our first self-defense class as I make my way down the hallway to the next. I notice a few curious glances in my direction, but I do my best to ignore them.

My first class went… well? At least, Ithinkit did. Does tackling the ridiculously hot instructor count as “going well”? I have no idea. I wish I could text Natalie for her take—she’d definitely have some thoughts. Especially if she knew howinsanelyattractive he is.

“I know, right?” I mutter as Tony and I walk down the hall overlooking the academy’s garden. The plants look like they’ve been slowly withering away, but there’s still a haunting kind of beauty to the place. Morbid, but beautiful.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Tony says, still beaming. “Where did you learn to move like that? That wasn’t in any of our basic practitioner training…”

I raise an eyebrow at him, clutching my book a little tighter. Not everyone has a dad who spent half their life making sure they were prepared for moments like this it seems. Now I’m silently grateful for all those years of relentless training.

From the day I was born, my dad believed I was destined for something bigger—and he was determined to prepare me for it. But after that sparring session, it’s clear I still have a lot to learn.

“He went easy on me,” I say, downplaying it. “It was probably beginner’s luck, anyway. You did great too, though.”

Tony sighs, shaking his head. “I had an asthma attack in the middle of practice, Lilith.” His voice is full of exasperation, and rightfully so—it was a bad one. He could barely breathe, and Simon had to call in the academy’s healer to ease his symptoms.

I try to lighten the mood. “It wasn’tthatbad,” I say, though my tone lacks confidence.

Tony gives me a look, the kind that says,Please, stop lying.“They had to carry me out of there.”

“Okay, so it was bad,” I admit, chuckling. “But it could’ve happened to any of us—anyone with asthma, I mean. Besides, you looked kinda cute while they carried you away.”

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