The rain was coming down in buckets, as it had all week, and the bleak weather wasn’t helping my outlook. Though the sun was setting much later than when we’d arrived—nightly sunset was well after nine p. m. now—the sky never seemed to get bright. It just morphed through shades of white and gray. “If this is the Dimming you told me about, well, it sucks. ”
Ronan ignored me, scanning the floor by my chair. There was nothing but my bag, a small stack of books, and my kickedoff boots. “Where’s your wet suit?”
“But it’s raining. ”
“Good. Then the water won’t bother you so much. ” He gathered books to reshelve them. “The final challenge is a week away, and you must be prepared. ”
“Why do I need to practice anything?” I shifted to watch him, flopping my head against the back of the chair. “I seem toto have a knack for getting girls killed all by my lonesome. ”
“You won,” he snarled, knowing what was on my mind. I’d been in a funk since Claire’s death, and I sensed Ronan was beginning to tire of my mood. “Would you rather you’d been the one to die?”
“Of course not. ” I glared at him. “Forgive me if it takes a while to get used to the fact that killing my fellow students is part of the curriculum. ”
“It is. Wake up to it. ”
“But it was just sparring practice,” I protested, feeling myself getting riled again. “And somebody switched the blades. Shouldn’t there be an investigation or something? Some sort of consequences—detention, at least?”
Though I didn’t need to dust for prints when it was obvious who’d been the brains behind it. Lilac. My only surprise was that she’d allow someone else to take me down when she was so keen to.
Ronan shrugged. “Actually, the Initiates thought switching the practice blades was a clever bit of strategy. ”
My jaw dropped. “Clever? They thought that little bloodbath was clever?”
“I told you, Annelise. It’s win by any means. And this is the last I’ll speak of it. ” He strode to me, holding out his hand. “Now get up. ”
I sighed. He was right—I was here, and I’d best get used to the fact that all that compelling training with Priti would have some very real-world applications. But it didn’t mean I needed to swim, not today and in the rain. Our competition would take place in a ring, not the pool.
I stared at his outstretched hand, fighting the urge to clasp it tight. His grip would be warm and strong. “Seriously, Ronan. Can’t we take a day off? Please? Swimming is the last thing I can bear at the moment. How’s swim going to help me, anyway? Combat challenges take place in a ring. ”
“Combat challenges can take many forms, and I’d have you be prepared for all of them. ” He leaned down and snatched my arm, tugging to me standing. “There are no days off. Now come. ”
“I’m up, I’m up. Man, you’re being harsh. ” I pulled away from him with exaggerated annoyance. “How, exactly, will swimming help me? Unless you plan on holding my head under and putting me out of my misery. Which isn’t a bad idea, actually. ”
“Annelise. ” His voice was stern, and it made me look at him. “Getyour other boot on,” he said more gently. “I have some ideas. ”
Apparently his ideas involved me treading water in a freezing cove while holding my hands over my head.
“I thought you said this would help me be a better fighter. ” I sank below the surface of the water and scissor-kicked back up. Coughing, I wiped my face against my arm. Though I’d become a decent swimmer, I still couldn’t stand the feel of water on my face.
Ronan stood in waist-high water not too far from me. He could’ve stayed on the beach—I don’t know why he didn’t—but I appreciated the gesture of support nonetheless. “You need to build core strength. ” He nodded at my arms. “Arm strength will help with your throwing stars. ”
“Not if I’m too sore to lift them. You’re killing me. ” My shoulders burned. My neck ached. “I can barely hit the target anyway. What good will strong arms do me?”
“You are capable of hitting the target. You simply need to learn how to keep a consistently calm mind. ”
“I’m drowning in here. Spare me the Zen crap. ” Gradually, my elbows slipped closer to the surface. Water splashed in my face, and I spat it out. “Seriously, Ronan. Can I be done now?”
He turned his back on me, diving away. I didn’t get why anyone would choose to swim in this water. His head bobbed back up, and he slicked the hair from his chiseled face. I imagined it was what he might look like emerging from a hot tub.
I scowled even harder.
“You’re done,” he shouted, kicking away from me on his back. “Get out. Go run. I want five laps along the beach. ”
I was cranky and sandy and totally beat by the time Ronan and I walked back to where he’d parked. But I’d had a lot of time to think. “So, if I win, I get to go off-island with Master Alcántara. ”
Ronan opened the van’s rear doors. “Yes. ”
Snagging a towel, I scrubbed my face hard, erasing the memory of water splashing into my eyes and up my nose. “What’s his deal, anyway?”