Changing Fates: A Sons of Satrina Novel (The Sons of Satrina Book 3) (17 page)

“But Rhian and Cala have the mark.” She had told Lana all about the pair. Lana was in full agreement that Rhian sound like a complete bitch and it was all Ash could do to stop her from coming to the academy and giving Rhian a piece of her mind. Lana really was the best friend ever.

“That’s different. They’re struggling with it for some reason. You’re not. You’re just pushing yourself too hard. Those boys aren’t any better than you and you know it.”

Ash sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, resting her head against the wall. Lana knew how much the abduction by the enemy, the Lamia Mortuorum, had knocked her confidence and took each and every opportunity she could get to play cheerleader. And, bless her for doing that. Aisline needed reassurance on occasion, especially from someone who knew each aspect of her personality and life.

“Thanks, Lana.”

“You don’t need to thank me. You’ve got this. And, now that we’ve got that out of the way, how is that big tattooed hunk you’re dating?”

Lana had almost fainted when Ash had sent her a picture of Jackson. Not that she could blame her. Jackson was way beyond hot.

“You already asked that! I’ve told you, he’s training like the rest of us. There’s not much more to say.”

“There’s always more to say than that.”

“Like what?”

“Describe his sweaty muscles to me again.” Lana chuckled.

“Lana!”

It often threw Ash whenever Lana mentioned about the two of them ‘dating’. Not that she knew how to describe what was going on between them, but ‘dating’ certainly wasn’t it. They were together, but they’d never been on one single official date. There just wasn’t any time for anything like that, or anywhere that they could actually go. They had to grab their moments where and when they could. The training schedule was too demanding and they were both often too exhausted to do anything more than chill out in front of the television together.

“If Jackson’s being a bore and training twenty four seven, what about that super hunk, the shifter? Have you given him my number yet?”

Ash burst out laughing. “I didn’t think you were serious!”

“I wasn’t, but it’s a fun idea.” Lana giggled.

“So, what’s going on with you? Anything new?”

Lana was her connection to the world that she’d grown up in and she didn’t waste a minute before she launched into all the news and gossip, telling Ash everything that was going on. As usual, Lana stayed away from talking about Aisline’s family and kept the conversation light and entertaining. It was just what she needed to help her relax and feel connected with the outside world. No matter how much she loved this new life and loved the training to become a warrior and someone important, sometimes it felt stifling and it was good to know that life was continuing outside those walls.

After another half an hour of conversation, gossip and girly giggling, they had to hang up, promising to talk again soon. Ash smiled to herself as she walked away from the phone. It was like just by hearing her friend’s voice that she helped to put everything in her life into perspective. Those talks with Lana helped to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground. It was so easy to be consumed by the training schedule and the preparations for her future, it was easy to forget that there was more to life than that. Family. Friends. They were the reason that they were working so hard. These were the people that they were going to be protecting in the future. It made it all seem so much more real.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear that had come loose from her ponytail, she decided to head back up to her bedroom to finish the latest ‘Black Dagger Brotherhood’ book that she’d picked up. She didn’t have the strength or energy to make small talk with anyone and certainly didn’t want to sit through the guys playing on their games. Plus, those were some mighty fine warriors and were badass to the extreme. If only they had some of those guys here at the academy, she’d be a very happy bunny.

Heading back down the corridor, she paused when she heard strained voices coming from inside one of the offices. The door was slightly ajar and it was easy to hear what was being said, and who was talking. Master Warriors Kelton and Verynai.

She knew that she shouldn’t be standing there, listening into a private conversation, but when she heard Trey’s name, she couldn’t help herself.

“At least he’s back here now.”

“But, where’s he been? That’s what I want to know.”

“Who knows? The kid won’t say.”

“Well, we need to get it out of him. He was missing. We’ve had men out on the streets looking for him when they could have been elsewhere actually doing the jobs that I needed doing.”

“He knows all that and he’s still not saying.”

“You know what? I would have been surprised at any of them pulling a stunt like this, but Trey? I would never have expected him to do something like this in a million years. He’s devoted to the training and the warrior-ship. I can’t think what could have derailed him like this.”

“Trey is a good kid.”

“But, where the hell’s he been then? We really don’t need this shit on top of everything else. As if I haven’t got enough to deal with.”

“How are you doing, man? Any word on Kayleigh yet?”

That was when Aisline got moving. As much as she wanted to stay and find out what was happening with their search for Kayleigh, she knew that this particular conversation was supposed to be private between the two warriors. She’d heard more than she was supposed to already.

Trey. Where had he been? Ash was relieved to hear that he was back at the academy and couldn’t wait to catch up with him in the morning to find out what had been going on. It wasn’t like Trey to mess about like this, the warriors were right about that.

For now, her body was starting to feel like lead again as she slowly climbed up the stairs. It took nearly all of her energy to change into a clean pair of pyjamas and get into bed. It almost seemed like too much effort to hold the book up in front of her and all too soon, her eyes were drooping and blissful sleep claimed her.

Chapter Thirteen

They all shivered. The days were getting colder with the wind sweeping over the vast lands that surrounded the mansion. Winter was dragging on longer than any of the weather forecasters could have predicted. Days and weeks were moulding into one long agonising training session, punctuated by periods of sleep. It was all getting too much, but the trainees wouldn’t give up or give in.

“I can’t feel my fingers.”

“I’m going to look like a smurf if we stay out here any longer.”

Aisline’s fingers felt like they were turning into ice cubes. It was beyond freezing. She knew that they would all warm up as soon as they started the session and the blood started pumping around her body, but while they were still stood waiting around for instructions, she could feel her toes starting to go numb.

Who came up with the stupid idea to train outside today of all days when the weather was the worst it had been in weeks? Kelton’s, of course. It may be icy cold with snow drifting down from the sky, but that wasn’t enough to disrupt his training plans.

It was a gorgeous sight, Ash had to admit that. When she was a kid, there was nothing she loved more than a snow filled day of fun. It always looked so pretty and magical, she didn’t understand anyone who didn’t love snow. Days full of snowmen, snow-angels and snowball fights. Warm hot chocolate. Just the thought of it made her mouth water. What she wouldn’t give right now for a cup of steaming hot chocolate.

“What’s going on today?” Caleb asked.

The rest of them looked at each other. “Another one of Kelton’s surprises.”

It was too cold for this. They were all shivering and complaining as they waited for the session to get started.

“Listen up!” Kelton bellowed. “Get moving, get warmed up. This isn’t going to be a walk in the park and you need to be ready.” He was wearing only shorts and a tee-shirt, and unlike the rest of them, he wasn’t even wearing a hoodie. The man was a goddamn machine.

Ash started jogging on the spot and stretching her arms, desperate to get warm. She knew she had to stretch and warm up well so her muscles didn’t cramp in the cold. Brushing snowflakes from her eyelashes, she rolled her eyes at Caleb. This was ridiculous. How Kelton thought they were going to cope with this bitterly cold training session, she didn’t know.

“This is total madness.” Caleb whispered to her.

Nodding briefly, Aisline didn’t have time to reply. Kelton had moved over closer to the group, making sure they were all moving and glaring at anyone who spoke.

After what felt like a ridiculously long time, the trainees weren’t feeling quite as cold as they had been and Kelton quickly gathered them all in a small huddle. “Each of you must complete five circuits of the agility course. The last five members to complete their laps will have two more added.”

The trainees all looked at one another. Sure, they had warmed up, but that was asking way too much of them. Caleb, Ash, Jackson, Trey and Dylan all grouped together, looking concerned. Five laps of the circuit was ambitious in normal circumstances, but in this weather? It was too much to ask for. Kelton was asking for them to break a bone or something. It was crazy. It was going to be virtually impossible to do.

Ash glanced around at the boys and sighed. At least they would be able to pull together to get through this. Perhaps that had been what Kelton had wanted from this, his reckoning behind the insane idea? Team work? After all, being part of the Sons of Satrina was all about working in a team. Who knew?

“Go, go, go! Move it!”

The trainees all sprinted through the snow to the course. It was hard going. Ice and snow made every surface slippery and dangerous, the metal of part of the frame freezing cold to the touch. Each and every one of them fell or slipped at one point or another, but they had each other’s back to get through it. It was a wonder that no one suffered any serious injury.

Just as that thought flitted through Aisline’s mind, one of the trainees slipped from the frame, the snow cushioning their fall. Everyone paused for a moment, making sure they weren’t seriously hurt, watching as the warriors rushed over to help them up and cart them off to the doctor to be checked out.

“I told you this was a stupid idea.” Aisline muttered.

“Yeah, but Kelton isn’t going to call if off so we might as well keep going.” Jackson replied, hauling himself up the rope ladder.

“Just be careful.” Caleb warned, letting Ash go in front of him so he could keep an eye on her. It was nothing to do with being sexist, it was simply him being a friend and she knew that.

Aisline hated every single second of it. The snow was falling hard and harder, sticking to her clothes and soaking her through to the skin. It was miserable. Under the usual gruelling training circumstance, Ash sometimes struggled but she usually enjoyed it. She enjoyed the sense of achievement that she felt, relishing the burn and the feeling that she was doing something important with her life. This was pure torture. It felt like she was relying on the boys most of the time to get around the course, slowing them down and feeling like a burden. She felt like a broken cog in a well-oiled machine.

Luckily, they finished ahead of the others, thanks to the guys she was with and Kelton congratulated them all. Even that didn’t make her feel much better. All she wanted to do was curl up in her bed and hope that the warmth of her duvet would chase away the icy chills that invaded every single part of her body.

“That was horrendous.”

“But you did it.” Kelton surprised her by stepping up behind her, his tone was warm. Lately, all they’d heard from him was harsh words and barked orders so it was a bit of a shock to hear the old Kelton for once.

Kelton shockingly sent them inside as soon as they’d finished the course, directing them to the gym. They all groaned. After that torturous session, they’d been hoping that they were done for the day. Obviously Kelton had other plans. They didn’t think they had it in them to carry on with training, all feeling shaky with the exertion and ready to drop.

Walking into through the main reception area, Jackson shook his head like a dog, shaking droplets of melted snow on the pristine floor. “I can’t believe that he really had us doing that.”

“I must admit, I was surprised. It was dangerous. It’s a wonder no one was seriously hurt.” Trey commented. “But, I did enjoy it.”

“Yeah, it was different. But, I won’t want to do it again in a hurry.”

Ash glanced over at them both. It was unlike Jackson or Trey to complain about any aspect of the training routine. They were the model students, striving to be the best that they could be. Now, Denver, the class clown, had complained the whole time they were out there. He was never going to change. He was always going to be an ass. Denver had his own little group that stayed out of Aisline’s way and she’d seen them struggling to get through the course. She was all for teamwork, but she was happy to see Denver struggling.

“It was pure hell.” She agreed as she swiped at the snow that had layered on her shoulders, glad that she wasn’t the only one who had hated it.

“If I never see snow again, it’ll be too soon.” Dylan shivered, rubbing his hands together.

They walked together in silence towards the gym they usually worked out in. They were too cold and too exhausted to speak, even to bitch and complain how hard it had been. They didn’t need to say the words. Each of them had struggled through it in their own way and all they wanted now was to get warm and get prepared for whatever Kelton had planned on doing next.

Aisline’s eyes widened when she walked through the door. She’d been expecting more training, more torture, not this. It was like walking into a small piece of heaven after the hell they’d just been put through. The smell had her salivating.

“Come in! Come in!”

Someone had cranked the heating up in the room and Professor Fieldman greeted each of them at the door with warm blankets. Gratefully, Ash took one and wrapped it around her shoulders. She heard the murmur of appreciation from the other guys behind her. That’s when the smell hit her again. The lure of the blankets had distracted her for a moment, but now she breathed in deeply. Hot chocolate. Topped with cream. And tiny marshmallows dotted in the cream. Some of the members of the kitchen crew were waiting for them with trays filled with steaming cups of coffee and plates of biscuits. Ash couldn’t believe her eyes.

Closing her eyes, she wrapped her hands around the boiling hot cup, relishing the intense heat chasing the chills from her aching bones. Moving across the room, Ash moved to sit down on one of the benches that lined the room. Trey followed, sitting next to her and grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“Can you believe this?” Ash quirked her eyebrows at him. She would never have expected this in a million years. It almost made it worth going through that torture to get to this point.

“Nope. I’m sure we’re all just dreaming and Kelton will have us running laps any minute now.”

Ash took a long sip of her hot chocolate and was transported by to her childhood once more. It tasted just like it used to when she and her father would go to their favourite diner when she was a kid. It was the same diner she had worked in when she got older. She really missed the place now that she came to think of it. The diner held a lot of good memories for her and she knew that she was going to have to take Jackson there one day. Their strawberry milkshakes were to die for. She remembered going there when she was a kid, the snow would be freezing outside, but she and her father would be warm inside the diner, with their hot chocolates that were topped with enough cream that you had to eat it with a spoon.

It was perfect. This was the perfect thing, bringing back a memory that warmed her almost as much as the hot chocolate she had wrapped her hands around.

They all froze when Kelton walked into the room. The trainees all assumed that their brief reprieve was over and done with, until he grabbed his own mug and blanket and sat down on the end of the bench with a sigh. Noticing that he had their undivided attention, he sat forward.

“You all did very well today. I know that you hated every second of it and probably thought that I did it just to torture you all,” the trainees laughed nervously, “But, there was a legitimate reason behind this particular training exercise.”

Kelton waited for the kitchen staff to leave as the tail end of the trainees filed into the room before standing up to address the room. “What we do isn’t easy. It’s not a nine-to-five kind of job.  We don’t get holidays or time off. We go out there in all weather. It’s all well and good being at your physical peak, but if you can’t handle the elements, you will fail.”

There was silence in the gym. It sunk in and made sense to them all.

“What I do, I do to make you stronger. To make you better. We want the best warriors out there on the streets. We need the best to protect the world from the Lamia Mortuorum.” He paused to let his words sink in. “When I push you, it’s because I know that you can give more. You’ve done me proud today. All that hard work is really starting to pay off. You should be proud of yourselves.”

“Kelton?” Warrior Dixon walked into the room.

The warriors spoke quietly together and Kelton’s face remained impassive, giving the trainees no clue to as to what they were talking about.

“Thank you. I’ll be with you in a moment.” Kelton said to Dixon, shaking his hand.

He turned to the class, but his eyes were glazed over and he was looking through them rather than at them. Kelton stopped pacing around the room for a moment to pick up his cup, draining the last of the stomach warming liquid. “You’ve all impressed me with how well you’ve come in the last few months. Your training has gone up a level and your commitment is admirable. I think hard work should be rewarded.”

The guys looked at one another, wondering what Kelton meant by that. None of them were sure. They were a little nervous, thinking about what his version of a ‘reward’ could be.

“You are all done for today and you all have a free day tomorrow! Enjoy your time off and spend it wisely.”

The trainees broke into conversation. Ash turned to grin at Jackson, who looked just as shocked and happy as she was. This was the last thing they’d expected Kelton to do.

“Go and shower and get changed. We’re done for the day here. And once again, well done to you all. You’ve all worked really hard and deserve this.” He nodded at them all before quickly leaving the room.

Ash laughed as everyone around her exploded into conversation. This was the best thing that they could have wished for after that hell they’d just been put through.

“Don’t plan anything.” Jackson whispered to her. “I’ve already got the day mapped out for us. Leave it with me.”

Ash raised her eyebrows in question, but Jackson shook his head and grinned at her. Normally, she didn’t like surprises, but she knew that whatever Jackson had up his sleeve would be fun.

Kelton hadn’t planned on this unscheduled day off for the trainees, but after what they’d been through, they deserved it. He’d been treating them harshly lately and needed some time to battle up for the next wave of training.

But more importantly, he’d found Kayleigh.