“Kyle says ‘hi.’ I think he likes you.”

When Rayne blushed and ducked her eyes, Xelan wondered if he should’ve kept his assumption to himself. He opened his mouth to say so, when she held up her hands.

“It’s okay. I just don’t see him like that, you know?”

Yup. Xelan had stepped into a beehive of teenage hormones by accident. He dropped his duffel and busied himself with pulling out supplies as he said, “Sure. It’s not really any of my business, anyway.” Gloves. Defense pads. Jump rope. That should do for the night. He peered up at the window facing the backyard. “Should we be worried your parents might see?”

Rayne shook her head. “That’s my room.” She let out a sigh and wrung her hands. “Uhm, Xelan, I need to talk to you about a few things.”

Moonlight cast across the green lawn onto the gray brick of Rayne’s house. When she stepped into it, her skin glowed with the reflection. It was eerie with the concern in her sparkling eyes, so like her ancestor’s.

Xelan tossed her the gloves with a smile, saying, “You can tell me anything, Rayne.”

She fumbled one, trying to catch it, and a bashful smile overtook some of the anxiety. “Well, first, I kinda told a friend about you and the whole invasion thing.” She winced with her confession.

Honestly, when telling a bunch of teenagers the world could end any day now, one must expect a few slip-ups. “Go on.”

Rayne had expected him to reprimand her. He could tell by the way her body let out a sigh of relief. She said, “I was hoping you could train her, too.”

If it were up to Xelan, he would train the entire human race for the invasion, but The Brethren had forbidden him from training the Progeny. So why not? “Sure. Arrange everything, and I’ll turn up.”

Rayne’s beaming smile was contagious, and it felt heartwarming to have this kind of rapport with someone—

She threw her arms around Xelan’s waist and pressed her cheek to his chest. “Thank you.”

How long had it been since his last hug?

Unsure how to proceed, Xelan cautiously squeezed back, but not too hard. He was afraid of hurting her.

Rayne stepped back, ducking her eyes again. She sounded embarrassed as she said, “Sorry. That wasn’t really ‘badass warrior’ of me.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Oh, warriors do hug.” At her hopeful glance, Xelan added, “They often give the best ones. Are you ready for practice? Show me your form. Good.”

With growing confidence, Rayne took her stance and held up her fists. She confessed, “I hope you don’t mind, but I ran the course this morning before school.”

Xelan’s immediate response was a flush of pride, but concern quickly replaced it. “That’s pretty early. Did the girls run with you?”

Rayne looked caught, and she dropped her arms with a sigh. “No. I went out before they were awake. I couldn’t sleep after…” After a shiver, she hugged herself and looked away. Xelan thought he’d need to push, but after a moment, she said, “I dreamt of a black pyre, a throne, and a man—an Icarus—built like a mountain.”

Nox.

How could he invade Rayne’s dreams? Was he here? Xelan nearly cursed he was so angry. The Brethren swore to him they’d monitor conduit activity. He’d ask Lucas tomorrow. Even if Nox was still on Cinder, Xelan would need to investigate a means of dream manipulation. But for now, the lost look in Rayne’s eyes told Xelan his silence had unnerved her.

He knelt on one knee in front of her so she’d meet his eyes. “Did Nox hurt you?”

When Rayne nodded, Xelan’s heart broke. She was so young, and now she was burdened beyond her years. Rayne swallowed loud enough for Xelan to hear before she said, “He told me he would kill me every night to make me strong, and he said to ask you for a nacre.”

Every.

Night.

If not for trying to reassure Rayne, Xelan would let his disgust for the King of Cinder show on his face.

Monster.

“It’s okay, Rayne. I’ll teach you how to defend yourself against him, and you won’t need a nacre. It’s complicated, but I can’t just give you one, and I don’t know if I would if I could.”

She tilted her head to the side, holding back her question.

Xelan put a hand on her shoulder and said, “A nacre will permanently alter your body and change you forever. It’s such an irrevocable conversion of your physical being that it isn’t up to me, anyway. There are channels and permissions. We can’t simply introduce nacres to the human race. Please understand… I intend to make you more than a match for Nox without one, but I’m also prepared to advocate on your behalf should it come to that. Do you understand?”

“I’m not afraid of Nox, and I was happy to have the chance to tell him to his face.”

Xelan’s mouth almost fell open. Brave and determined, Rayne looked the part of a warrior with her chin high and her eyes sharp. He grinned at her. “All right. Then let’s teach you some moves to surprise him tonight—Oh, I’m always a phone call away if you ever need me. Tell me any details you want. Write them down afterward, and maybe we can use them to build strategies.”

Rayne smiled. “Thanks. I’ll do that.” She stepped back and resumed her stance.

The similarities and differences between her and Celindria still surprised Xelan. He returned the expression and held up two pads. “Punch as hard as you can.”

When Rayne complied, he didn’t feel it. Xelan ordered, “Again, and put some muscle behind it.”

The second time was better. “Good. Now jab with your left arm.”

She went to do it, and Xelan smacked her in the head with his pad. “You let your guard down.”

Rayne’s hair clung to the static of the vinyl material as she glared at him.

He ruffled her head a little extra until it made a wild, kinetic mess. “There. Much better.”

Xelan actually felt Rayne’s next punch.

“There’s my badass warrior.”