Solara threw up.

  Not quietly either.

  Caelan crouched beside her, one hand on her back, rubbing slow circles like this was just another Tuesday.

  A ring of recruits hovered nearby, pretending they weren’t watching.

  “Right,” Caelan said, glancing up at them. “Everyone, take five. She does this sometimes.”

  Lyra was on Solara’s other side, holding her hair back, face twisted with panic and fury at the same time.

  “Well, it’s all your fault, as usual,” Lyra snapped at Caelan.

  Caelan didn’t even blink. “Is it?”

  Lyra pointed at Solara as if she were presenting evidence to a court.

  “Look what you’ve done to her. Knew I shouldn’t have trusted my training to you. It was practically cheating—”

  She caught herself mid-rant and became someone else.

  “Mrs Solara, I’m really sorry…”

  Solara wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and glared at both of them with watery eyes.

  “Will you two shut up?” she muttered. “It’s my power. I know what it does to me. I choose to use it—”

  She took one breath.

  “Oh no—”

  And off she went again.

  Keira stood there with her arms crossed, unimpressed, like she was daring her to make the moment worse.

  “So,” Keira said, “should I step in or what, Sparkles? Or you just gonna fuck around all day?”

  Solara stopped long enough to lift her head.

  The stare she gave Keira made half the recruits take a step back.

  “Three thousand nine hundred and seventy?four,” Solara said. “And no more ‘Whaa Whaa’s until you remember who you’re talking to, Master Sergeant.”

  Keira jabbed a thumb toward Caelan.

  “Eh—hello? My loving big brother—did you maybe fucking forget something?”

  Solara didn’t even look at her.

  “Three thousand nine hundred and seventy?five.”

  Caelan lifted both hands. “You know the rules, sis. We’re keeping you under wraps until tomorrow, so just for now—”

  He didn’t finish.

  “Duper duper awesome kick!”

  Mynxi came flying in from nowhere and smashed into Caelan like a tiny wrecking ball.

  He went back-first into a tree with a solid thud.

  Caelan slid down it, coughed, and wheezed, “Proud of you, little one—ow—Jesus, I think that’s my rib again.”

  Mynxi froze. “Sorry, Dad.”

  Then her eyes lit right back up.

  “Auntie Keira! Did you see it? Can we play now? Can we play hide?and?seekie again?”

  Keira perked up like someone had just handed her a loaded rifle and permission.

  She scooped Mynxi up as she spun her.

  “Ohhh, who’s the cutest?” Keira said. “You want to play with your favourite auntie? Sorry—your Auntie Solara is no fun to play with, and look—ew—she’s doing that thing again.”

  Mynxi gently bonked Keira on the head.

  “Don’t be meanie to Auntie Solara.”

  Caelan lay on the ground, trying to find the energy to peel himself up.

  He was halfway through appreciating the calm sky when the worst possible shadow blocked it out.

  Elyria stood over him, looking down her nose—then turned and clocked Solara, still gagging.

  She pinched the bridge of her nose.

  “So,” Elyria said, “how did you mess it up this time, Cael?”

  Caelan smiled up at her like an innocent man.

  “Why do you always think everything is my fault?”

  Elyria crossed her arms. “Lyra?”

  Lyra, still holding Solara’s hair, answered without looking.

  “Totally his fault.”

  Elyria sighed and grabbed Caelan by the ear.

  “Ow—ow—ow—FUCK,” Caelan yelped as she hauled him up. “How are you so strong? Damn man hands—”

  Elyria let go.

  “FINE. Go talk to your weird girlfriend!”

  Caelan brightened instantly. “Oh, is Linda back? Aww, nice—”

  He froze.

  “Oh shit. Lieutenant. Erm. That slush fund?”

  Elyria’s glow flared as she started patching Solara back together. Solara stood slowly, wiped her mouth again, and looked at Caelan like she was deciding what part of him to remove first.

  “Oh, I forgot,” Solara said. “How much?”

  “Ten kilos a week?” Caelan offered.

  “No,” Solara said flatly. “When you finally prove you can manage it without spending it on utter rubbish, then we can talk.”

  She squinted at him.

  “And why are you even spending so much on flowers anyway?”

  Caelan sulked. “It makes the place feel nice, is all.”

  Solara’s eye twitched.

  Caelan blinked and changed the subject like he always did.

  “Wait—what happened to the Master Chief? I thought you were going to watch him.”

  Elyria exhaled.

  “He’s finished already.”

  Caelan raised an eyebrow. “How? Didn’t he have like eighty of these things to do?”

  “Well,” Elyria said, “there was one recruit—Corwin—who kept just taking the blows and refused to fight back. When he passed, it was game over.”

  Caelan went quiet.

  Solara wiped her mouth, voice tight.

  “Please tell me… please say he didn’t eliminate anyone.”

  Elyria tapped her chin.

  “Well. After that, he decided to finish quickly. So the last twenty he dealt with in one round. But to answer your question — no. He didn’t. He can hold back. Unlike some people I know.”

  Solara turned her head slowly toward Caelan.

  “He never used to be like this,” she said. “Until you started hanging around him.”

  Elyria and Lyra crossed their arms like it was choreographed.

  “What do you expect,” Elyria said, “when he drinks with possibly the most reckless person in this whole place?”

  Lyra added, deadpan, “And it’s not like he can follow a plan as great as you would create, ma’am. Even going as far as to cheat in the event. No respect.”

  Caelan pointed at Lyra. “Right, I’ll take the cheating bit—”

  Then he pointed at Elyria. “—but the big man? Oh no. Not blaming me for that shit.”

  He huffed.

  “Composed my ass. He kicked my ass the second we met, if you don’t remember.”

  Solara grimaced. “Oh, didn’t you cry? Aw. Fond memories.”

  “And you want more funds after blowing all that money on everyone’s drinks last night? Just you wait. You’ll be paying the books back for months.”

  Caelan stared at her as if she’d just accused him of arson.

  “How the fuck is that my fault? You were—”

  Solara’s glare stopped him dead.

  “It was your sister who swapped the fruit in the juice box for booze,” she said, counting on her fingers. “It was your daughter who handed me the juice box.”

  Another finger.

  “And last but certainly not least—THIS whole over?the?top event is your idea.”

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  She leaned in.

  “And that’s your two for the day, Captain. One more and I’ll show all the recruits what it looks like if I go all out.”

  Keira leaned toward Mynxi and whispered, “Whipped.”

  Mynxi made a tiny whipping noise and flicked her tail, giggling.

  “Dad’s a silly man,” she announced. “Why are you mad all the time, Auntie Solara?”

  Solara opened her mouth.

  “You see, Mynxi—”

  Caelan muttered under his breath, just loud enough for the closest recruit to hear.

  “Because she’s crazy.”

  Solara didn’t even look at him.

  She just waved a hand.

  Something invisible slammed into Caelan and sent him flying again.

  He hit another tree, bounced, and landed in the dirt with a dull thud.

  Mynxi clapped.

  “Yehhh!” she cheered. “Auntie Solara’s better! Are you gonna fight now, Auntie?”

  Caelan groaned, rolled onto his back, and stared up at the sky.

  Then the light changed.

  A shadow fell across him — not sharp, not angry. Familiar.

  He squinted.

  The heavens themselves had opened.

  A familiar face smiled down at him.

  Linda stood there like she’d stepped out of a different world — summer dress, straw hat, calm eyes — and somehow that made her even more dangerous.

  Caelan’s lower lip wobbled.

  “Oh, Linda,” he said, scrambling up and all but falling into her arms. “They’ve been so mean to me. It’s been so hard.”

  Linda patted his back with long-suffering patience.

  “There, there, Caelan,” she said flatly. “It’s alright. I’m back now.”

  She glanced past him, eyes already drifting back toward the ring.

  “I met one of your promising recruits on the way over,” she added. “Honestly, the man stood out.”

  Caelan turned, interest snapping on immediately.

  A man stepped out from the tree line.

  Renn.

  Caelan’s face split into a grin.

  “Aww, Renn, was it?” he said, striding over. “How you doing, lad? How’d it go back there?”

  Renn smiled and offered his hand. Caelan took it.

  “It went great, actually,” Renn said. “Honestly, when I saw who I was up against, I thought I was done for.”

  He gave a small, self-aware laugh.

  “Luckily, he was holding back. I’m guessing.”

  Caelan laughed with him.

  “Trust me,” Caelan said. “You’ve got no idea.”

  He clapped Renn on the shoulder.

  “So I’m taking it you passed then? Good stuff.”

  Caelan tilted his head.

  “Why’re you slumming it all the way over here with us? Thought Garron was running drinks and cards after.”

  Renn waved it off.

  “Well, I figured sitting around drinking all day wouldn’t show my best side.”

  He glanced toward the ring.

  “And honestly, I wanted to see for myself what the legendary Lieutenant actually fights like.”

  He hesitated, smiling faintly.

  “Not the… drunk dancing version.”

  He didn’t get to finish.

  An armoured body came skidding across the ground.

  Face-first.

  It ploughed through dirt and stopped at Renn’s feet.

  The man didn’t move.

  From the ring, Solara’s voice cut through the clearing.

  “NEXT! WHY ARE YOU IN A SLEEPING BAG?”

  Her wooden sword slammed into the circle with a sharp crack.

  Caelan stamped his foot into the dirt.

  “Shit. I want to see this.”

  He grinned, already backing toward the ring.

  “Right. Sorry — can we watch this properly?” he called. “I’ve really pushed her buttons today, so this should be fun. Also, why is she in a sleeping bag? Brilliant.”

  Keira glanced back over her shoulder.

  “Oh, hey, babe,” she called. “How’d the hunt for the flowers go?”

  Mynxi didn’t wait for an answer. She bolted over and launched herself into Caelan’s arms.

  “Did you bring me any new flowers?” she asked, beaming at Linda.

  Linda rested a hand on Mynxi’s head.

  “I already left them in your room,” she said. “These ones are called star?veil thistle. Pale blue. Almost silver. The petals curl inward when it gets dark.”

  Mynxi beamed.

  “So cool. Dad, can I put them in water before we go out tonight?”

  “Sure, little one,” Caelan said, dropping down beside Elyria as she folded her arms. “We’ll do it right after we watch this.”

  He rested his hand on the top of Elyria’s head.

  “And will you cheer up already? Whatever I’ve done to piss you off, I’m sorry.”

  Elyria side?eyed him.

  “That hairline’s becoming a real issue.”

  Caelan recoiled.

  “What’s that, you old hag?”

  “Oh, do you want to go, Mr Captain?” Elyria shot back. “And really — who sells flowers in a war? What the hell, Linda?”

  “Pacifist my ass!” Caelan snapped.

  Solara, standing in the centre of the circle, cleared her throat.

  “I’m sorry,” she said pleasantly. “Am I interrupting something, Captain? Lance Corporal?”

  Both of them immediately looked at the ground.

  “No, Lieutenant,” they said together.

  “Good,” Solara said. “Lyra. Watch those two for me, will you?”

  Lyra shot to her feet.

  “YES, MA’AM!”

  She marched over, planted herself between Caelan and Elyria, and clamped a hand over both their mouths.

  “I’ve got this under control, ma’am,” she said.

  Solara nodded.

  “That’s the spirit. That’s why you’ll make it through this with flying colours. Honestly, out of everyone who’s attended, my hopes for you, Lyra, are—”

  “Will you make out with her later?” Keira shouted.

  Solara’s eye twitched.

  “The Master Chief’s already done, Lieutenant,” Keira went on. “Can’t believe you fell behind schedule, of all people.”

  Solara inhaled.

  “Very good point, Master Sergeant,” she said. “I will endeavour to get us back on track.”

  “Well, there’s no chance of that,” Keira said. “Since you spent all day messing around. And what are you doing just standing there like a spare piece of shit? Sit the fuck down or fuck off over there with the rest of the sacrificial lambs.”

  Renn blinked.

  “Uh. Me?”

  Keira looked up at him.

  “No. The other idiot standing exactly where you are.”

  Renn sat down immediately.

  “Right,” Keira said. “Let’s get this show on the road, Sparkles. I’ve got plans to hang out with Lumi tonight, so in your own time, if you please.”

  “Why, thank you, Master Sergeant,” Solara muttered.

  She turned to the girl still lying on the ground in her sleeping bag, eyes closed like nothing in the world was happening.

  “And you,” Solara said. “Get out of that sleeping bag so we can begin. Why would you come in that is beyond me. If you don’t, I will—”

  “I’m good to go whenever you are, ma’am,” the girl said quietly. “Please don’t worry about me.”

  Solara let out a slow breath.

  “Oh yeah. Great plan, Captain. Let’s just let anyone try. Fine. Done. Don’t come crying for another chance.”

  She raised her sword.

  “Three. Two. One.”

  The wooden blade cracked into the ground where the girl had been lying.

  A small boom rolled through the clearing.

  Solara stood motionless above the sleeping bag.

  “Oi, Dad,” Mynxi said. “Did you see it? Did you see it?”

  Caelan didn’t answer, eyes wide, as Lyra kept her hand firmly over his mouth.

  Renn frowned. “What’s going on? Why did she stop?”

  “Look closer,” Keira said, watching intently.

  Solara tried to move.

  “…When did you get time to—”

  The sleeping bag slowly began to unzip.

  The girl stood up slowly, her hair messy, in oversized pyjamas, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

  “I owe this to the man you fought earlier,” she said softly. “If he hadn’t given me time to set this up, we’d be having a very different situation right now.”

  She met Solara’s eyes.

  “But don’t worry. I won’t harm you, Lieutenant.”

  She pulled one finger.

  Solara’s wooden sword shattered into fragments that clattered to the ground.

  Solara’s teeth clenched.

  “How are you doing this?”

  She couldn’t move.

  The girl walked slowly around her.

  “My name’s Katie,” she said. “I know I don’t look like much. But I’ve got my ways of surviving. People never expect much from someone who’s sleeping.”

  Solara glanced around, testing invisible restraints.

  “You know Lumi might bite your hand off to find out how you made threads this fine,” she said.

  Katie smiled faintly.

  “Family secret,” she said. “Passed down from my father’s side.”

  Her hand tightened.

  Solara’s feet lifted an inch off the ground.

  She drifted toward the edge of the ring like someone had picked her up by the collar.

  Solara’s eyes flicked once.

  “Master Sergeant,” she barked.

  Keira was already moving.

  She grabbed another wooden sword from the pile, snapped it up, and threw it.

  It flew across the clearing.

  Solara caught it between two fingers.

  It felt like it weighed nothing.

  Solara’s grin was ugly.

  She twisted the blade once, and the air snapped.

  Katie yelped as the threads around Solara shivered — then pulled back.

  “No, no, no—wait!” Katie squeaked as she got yanked up, feet lifting off the ground.

  Solara stepped forward.

  The new sword swung in a tight circle.

  The pressure hit Katie like a wave.

  Her body whipped sideways.

  Then the other way.

  Katie zoomed across the ring like she’d been tied to a cart and kicked down a hill.

  “Please stop!” she cried. “I’m gonna be sick—”

  Solara laughed, loud and feral.

  “Get in line, little one!” she shouted. “Hahahaha!”

  Lyra watched in horror.

  “The Lieutenant is scary when she’s annoyed,” Lyra muttered, then snapped her head toward Caelan and Elyria. “See? It’s you two arguing again that does this—ow, don’t—”

  Caelan and Elyria both leaned in and licked Lyra’s hands at the same time.

  Lyra jerked back like she’d been hit.

  “Gross!”

  Caelan wiped his mouth, completely unbothered.

  “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much out of this,” he said, watching Katie ping around the ring, “but it’s an eye opener. Different ways people adapt in this place.”

  Elyria looked away in a huff.

  “Or you’re just saying that because you want to get in that sleeping bag with her.”

  Caelan’s head snapped toward her.

  “What?”

  Mynxi looked up at Caelan.

  “Dad,” she whispered loudly, “why is Ely always angry at you?”

  Caelan smiled and patted her head.

  “It’s just because she’s an old lady, little one.”

  Elyria turned slowly.

  Her eyes went dark with thunder.

  “What did you say?”

  Mynxi blinked.

  “Is that why she has white hair, Dad?”

  Caelan nodded, delighted.

  “Oh, you’re such a clever little girl, aren’t you?”

  Elyria grabbed Caelan by the front of his jacket.

  Behind them, Katie was still getting flung around the ring on her own threads while Solara chased the motion like it had offended her personally.

  Solara slammed her sword down in a different direction.

  “Won’t hurt me, huh?” Solara shouted.

  Elyria shook Caelan once.

  “Master Sergeant!” Elyria barked. “Pass me one of those swords, will you? I’m going to beat your brother within an inch of his life!”

  Lyra flailed, trying to wedge herself between them.

  “Please calm down—”

  Keira didn’t even look up.

  “Love you, bitch,” she said to Elyria, “but I’m not selling him out like that.”

  Elyria’s hand came down and smacked the top of Caelan’s head.

  Lyra tried to catch it, but her fingers got bitten instead.

  “Elyria, that’s my hand—you’re biting—”

  Elyria didn’t stop.

  Keira leaned toward Linda, grinning.

  “So how long have you two been at it this time?”

  Linda covered her mouth like she was laughing. Quietly.

  Keira answered for her anyway.

  “Oh no, this is a new one,” Keira said. “Only started last night. We’ll see where it goes.”

  Renn stared at all of them like he’d walked into the wrong war.

  “How do you get anything done around here?” he asked. “It’s a complete mess.”

  Keira shrugged.

  “Oh, we don’t get much of anything done, really,” she said. “That’s why we need the manpower. We’re a complete mess at the best of times.”

  Lyra pointed angrily with her bitten hand.

  “Well, if you all maybe listened to your Lieutenant once in a while—ow! Elyria, stop—”

  Solara stopped dead.

  Katie hung in the middle of the circle, dangling, panting, looking seconds away from vomiting.

  Solara had a fistful of threads in one hand.

  “WHILE YOU TWO GIVE IT A DAY,” Solara shouted without looking, “CAPTAIN — GO HELP THE MASTER CHIEF. LANCE CORPORAL — STOP BITING THE RECRUITS!”

  Caelan sighed like a man finally allowed to do something useful.

  “Finally.”

  He jumped to his feet.

  “Right. Coming, little one?”

  Mynxi yawned.

  “Can I go for a nap first, Dad?”

  Caelan lifted her onto his shoulders.

  “Okey dokey,” he said. “Nap, lunch, then we go to Whaa Whaa’s.”

  Mynxi threw her hands up.

  “Can we bring a game this time?”

  “Hell yes,” Caelan said.

  He glanced at Linda. “You coming, Linda?”

  Linda stood calmly.

  “Well, it would be the perfect time for me to replace the flowers in the inn,” she said, perfectly calm. “And don’t you worry, Mynxi. I’m going to win for sure this time.”

  She looked at Caelan.

  “And please don’t forget my payment this time, Caelan.”

  Mynxi cackled.

  “Nope! No one beats super Mynxi! Not even dad!”

  Caelan sighed quietly.

  “Yeah… there goes my good drinking money again.”

  He glanced sideways at Linda as they started walking.

  “So, did you find the fields you were looking for?”

  Linda nodded.

  “Yes. Three fields full,” she said. “Only twenty zones north-east. Easy find for harvest.”

  Keira cracked her back and stood.

  “I could do with a drink,” she said. “More boring than watching paint dry. Peace, bitches.”

  “MASTER SERGEANT!” Solara snapped.

  Keira froze.

  “Sit right there,” Solara said. “You’re not leaving my sight. Not after your actions over the last few days.”

  Keira scowled and sat back down.

  “Yes, Lieutenant.”

  She muttered under her breath as Caelan, Mynxi and Linda headed back toward Virelith.

  Lyra and Elyria drifted back toward Solara at the edge of the ring.

  Lyra was still buzzing.

  “Wow,” she said. “That was such a great show, ma’am. How you turned the tables so quickly— inspirational.”

  Solara didn’t answer.

  Her eyes tracked Caelan walking away with Linda.

  Then she leaned slightly toward Elyria.

  “What’s his deal with Linda?” she asked quietly.

  Elyria’s face didn’t change.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “Caelan plus flowers doesn’t add up to me.”

  She looked toward the tree line.

  “You focus on the trials. I’ll look into it.”

  Katie coughed.

  She was still dangling.

  “Please let me down,” she croaked.

  Solara blinked.

  “Oh. Sorry.”

  She let go.

  Katie hit the dirt with a thump.

  Solara pointed at Keira.

  “Yeah, you pass,” she said. “Take a seat with the Master Sergeant.”

  Katie nodded weakly and started wobbling toward her sleeping bag.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” she said. “You won’t regret—”

  She didn’t finish.

  Katie turned and threw up right there in the ring.

  Elyria sighed.

  “Yeah. I’m on it,” she muttered, already stepping forward. “Why don’t you all throw up? Doesn’t smell or anything. And yeah, let’s spam healing while hungover. Brilliant.”

  She glanced down.

  “…It’s on my boots.”

  Keira laughed like a madwoman.

  Solara exhaled, tired and furious.

  “Knew I’d end up doing everything myself…”

  She lifted her hand.

  “NEXT!”