Chapter 33 Alliance

• "Sometimes the enemy isn't the one smiling at you."
• The note slipped into my hand during sword practice, as subtle as a pickpocket's touch.
• I was concentrating on parrying Master Aldwin's strikes, my blade ringing against his in the rhythmic dance of steel on steel that echoed across the training yard. Sweat beaded on my forehead despite the cool morning air, and my muscles burned from the repetitive motions. The familiar weight of my sword felt good in my hands-honest, straightforward, nothing like the complex games being played in Academy corridors.