"So, how did Calum do in my place?"

"Anna!" I choked around the food I'd just shoveled in my mouth. "You're back!"

She dropped into the seat next to me, practically vibrating with excitement. I felt a rush of happiness. Her energy was infectious, and I'd missed her presence over the last week. Swallowing my mouthful, I leaned over the table to offer her a hug, enjoying the look of surprise crossing her face.

After we parted, she swiped a piece of bacon off my plate. She closed her eyes in bliss as she chewed. When she finished, she reached for another, but I tapped her hand with my fork.

"I'm excited to see you, but that doesn't mean I'm going to share all my bacon. There's plenty more where I got mine." She laughed. "When did you get back?"

"Got in last night. Hate that I missed the overnight trip. It's one of my favorite training exercises."

"That place is spectacular. I can't believe you didn't spill the beans about it before."

"Years of practice keeping that one quiet, but now that you're in the know, we can make the trek up there on the weekends. But really, how did Calum do? I've heard some grumblings."

I laughed. "Kent? Jarod? Bri?"

"Ha, they might have been the most vocal."

"He just proved that we have to be more than our Talents," I answered, unwilling to speak ill of his training methods just because he was enemy number one on my list. "Kent didn't take kindly, and he got a little mouthy. Calum used him to make an example."

"And Jarod and Bri are just backing him up?"

"Yep. Guy code and all that. Bri just likes to stir up trouble where she can, and I'm sure she was less than thrilled to be stuck outdoors all night without any kind of camping materials."

Anna snickered, her pink eyes electric with laughter. "She seems like she prefers glamping over camping."

"Glamping?"

"You know... the people who go camping with their giant rec vehicles and bring satellite tv and air conditioning with them. Glamorous camping."

"Ha, yes, that is Bri. So how was your, erm, trip?"

The color in her eyes blazed brighter than before, but she shook her head. "Can't really discuss the details, but it was good. Very good. Look, I better get out of here before people start talking. Just wanted to say hey and check in with you. It just feels like we haven't had a chance to talk since we moved you over to the dorms."

"I know. I miss our one-on-one sparring sessions."

"Maybe we can sneak some in. Besides, I want to hear all about this development between you and Kent." She winked at me. "He's pretty scrumptious looking."

Groaning, I dropped my fork on my tray. "Anna!"

"I'm just saying that I would take him for a spin if the offer was on the table."

"You're ridiculous. He's your student."

"He won't always be," she replied, stepping away from the table with a little wave and a cheeky grin. Her smile faltered, and she held my gaze intently as she added, "We don't really have a lot of rules about that around here."

I watched her go while mulling over her words. So Calum's reticence had nothing to do with my status as a student. Well, most likely it didn't. I imagined Anna's moral code was a little looser than the other Instructors. She preferred to be called Anna by all of her students, and she mingled regularly with the trainees during bonfires or leisure time.

My appetite gone, I dropped my tray off and wandered out of the commons area. My muscles were stiff from the miles hiked yesterday, but the feeling was welcome. Aches and pains meant I was pushing myself. Getting better. Getting stronger. Still, I was thankful that my training session would take place later in the afternoon. My sparks were more of a fizzle after all the recent physical activity. The big lunch helped, as did the massive amount of calories Chloe and I had consumed while binge watching our favorite television shows.

My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out. It was a message from Chloe. She was going to attend an extra sparring session on the beach. She'd been pretty put out since she'd lost to Kent. A slight vibration alerted me to another message.

Chloe: You gonna join?

Me: No, I still have Talent training with Catherine. You know I'll be wiped after that.

Chloe: Boo. Ok, I'll see you in the dorm.

I slid my phone back into my pocket. Kent was free, but if I was honest, I was a little irritated at him. That left me spending the next few hours alone, which didn't appeal to me the way it once had. The sound of the ocean reached my ears and triggered the familiar tug in my stomach. The swell and crash of the waves calmed and confused me, making me feel alive, powerful, and small all at once. A quick swim might soothe the tension holding me hostage. With nothing else to do, I made my way towards the shore, nearly barreling into a fuming Elaine.

"And just how do you expect me to get it? Calum is in charge of this, and it'll be under so many guards and protections. It would take an entire team to retrieve it. I understand that, but I'm not the one who fu—excuse me!"

"I—I'm sorry. I was just trying to get to the beach."

She ended her call, her green eyes narrowing as she took me in. "Do you make a habit of eavesdropping?"

"Do you make a habit of holding private conversations out in the open?" I clapped back, unwilling to let this woman degrade me again.

"What did you hear?"

"Enough," I lied, unable to refrain from goading her, enjoying the red that spread across her unblemished skin. "I'm sure Calum will be interested in hearing what you're up to."

She stilled. "I don't think you have the hold over him that you think you do. I've heard all about how you throw yourself at him. Pillow talk, you know. I really feel quite embarrassed for you."

"Nice try, but you're not going to distract me from reporting this," I replied calmly, seething on the inside. "I'm sure that will make for interesting pillow talk."

Knowing the grasp on my control was tenuous, I headed back the way I came. I berated myself. She wouldn't know that I had no intention of reporting her. What would I say? Hey, the woman everyone knows I hate was having a sketch conversation on the beach. You should kick her out. Elaine already hated me, and now I'd positioned myself in her cross-hairs.

Later that evening, Chloe was reading a book when I limped in from training. "You ready to go?" she asked, setting the novel to the side.

"You go on ahead. I have to shower first. Catherine was brutal today."

"You do look kind of rough. Remind me to ask you a few questions later," she said with a wink as she hopped off the couch. "I'll save you a seat."

The door swung shut with a hard click, and I mustered up the energy to walk to the bedroom, which was harder than I anticipated. My feet didn't seem to be on the same page as my brain, causing me to stumble across the room, only staying upright by leaning against the wall. I didn't think I'd be able to summon anything tomorrow, and I wondered what the repercussions were for skipping class.

An eternity later, I stood beneath the shower spray. Muscles groaned as they loosened beneath the onslaught of hot water. The bottom of the tub became gritty as I scrubbed my skin with the almond vanilla body scrub, rinsing salt and sand from my skin. By the time I was washing the conditioner from my hair, the water temperature had plummeted.

Shivering, I grabbed the oversized towel hanging on the bathroom door and wrapped myself in its fluffy warmth. Feeling human again, I stepped into my bedroom and paused. The room was dark, but I was certain I'd flipped the light on when I'd come through. Turning my palm upright, I reached for my power, only to be slammed into a wall before I could summon anything.

Head ringing, I tried to push myself up while holding onto my towel. I'd be damned if I was gonna give my assailant a peep show. A soft, whooshing noise alerted me to the fist moving towards my head, and I dropped into an ungraceful roll just in time. Bone contacted drywall in a satisfying crunch, giving me time to scramble for the long t-shirt I'd slept in the night before.

A swift kick to my middle had me cursing my refusal to fight naked as I fell backwards in a tangle of material. Struggling for breath, I missed the next kick aimed at my face, while swinging my leg out to pull the stranger down with me. Training or survival instincts kicked in, and I leapt on top of the person. Altering the muscle in my arms, I resisted the urge to pummel him, instead using my new strength to restrain.

"Who are you?" I screamed, squinting to make out a face in the darkness. I was expecting more struggling, but I forgot I wasn't dealing with a normal person. A powerful force surged forward, pushing me backwards until it pinned me between against the dresser.

Sharp pain blossomed in my side as a rib cracked, but it was nothing compared to the burning in my lungs. The invisible barrier wrapped around my face, cutting off my breath. Consciousness slipped away as a familiar humming started in my body. And like before, everything became bright before I succumbed to the black.