We made our way to the training grounds at the back of the estate, the air buzzing with a quiet anticipation. The sun hung high in the sky, casting golden light over the polished marble courtyard where my mother and father had been drilling me for the past week. Now, it was Diana's turn.
I adjusted my grip on the twin daggers strapped to my waist, watching as Diana drew her sword with a smooth, practiced ease. Her emerald eyes gleamed with mischief, and I could already tell she was enjoying this a little too much.
"Try to keep up, Vandren," she teased, rolling her shoulders. "I'd hate to make this too easy."
I huffed, twirling one of my daggers between my fingers. "I should be the one saying that."
She smirked. "Oh? Confident, are we?"
"More like prepared for whatever underhanded tricks you'll pull," I shot back.
Diana let out a laugh, stepping into position. "Oh, Sera. You know me so well."
Before I could fire off a retort, she moved.
[Wind Step]
A sudden gust of air burst beneath her feet, propelling her forward like a golden blur. She closed the distance between us in a blink, her sword slicing through the air toward my shoulder.
[Fire Shield]
Flames erupted around me, acting as a barrier between us. Diana skidded to a halt just before impact, her expression flickering with surprise.
"Didn't think you'd use magic so soon," she remarked, pivoting gracefully to the side. "You really have changed."
I ignored the comment, dropping my stance and launching forward. I spun, angling my daggers for a strike.
[Flame Burst]
A small detonation of fire propelled my movement forward, increasing my speed. Diana barely had time to react before I was already inside her defenses.
She tilted her sword just in time to deflect the blow, but I wasn't done. I followed up with another quick strike, forcing her to backpedal.
[Wind Barrier]
A strong gust of wind spiraled around Diana, knocking me back just enough to give her room to breathe. She grinned, clearly enjoying herself.
"This is fun," she said, exhaling. "You're way sharper than before."
"Because I actually take training seriously?" I arched a brow.
Diana laughed. "Oh, come now. You know me—I prefer to improvise."
And just as she said that, she vanished.
[Wind Step]
Again, she moved with unnatural speed, reappearing at my blind spot. I barely twisted out of the way in time as her blade whistled past my ribs.
That was close.
I gritted my teeth, focusing. If she wanted to play fast, then fine. I could play fast too.
[Ice Veil]
A mist of frost spiraled outward from my daggers, reducing visibility in the area. I heard Diana's movements falter slightly—her vision impaired.
That was my chance.
I lunged through the mist.
[Flame Slash]
A blade of fire streaked toward her. She barely managed to lift her sword in time to parry, but the force behind my attack sent her skidding backward.
She came to a stop, her chest rising and falling slightly heavier than before.
"Okay, okay," she breathed, raising a hand. "I yield."
I blinked. "Wait, what?"
She let out a laugh, brushing a strand of golden hair from her face. "I said, I yield. You win, Sera."
I frowned, lowering my daggers. "You're messing with me."
She grinned, sheathing her sword. "Not at all. I just got what I wanted."
"And what exactly was that?" I asked, suspicious.
Diana stepped closer, closing the space between us, her eyes glinting with amusement.
"You looking at me like that."
I felt my stomach flip.
She leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a soft murmur. "You get so serious when you're fighting. It's kind of… attractive."
My brain short-circuited.
"What—"
Before I could properly react, Diana turned on her heel, already making her way toward the estate.
"Come on," she called over her shoulder, flashing me a dazzling smile. "Let's get cleaned up before we head back to the academy."
I stood there for a long moment, gripping my daggers, trying to process what had just happened.
This woman was going to be the death of me.
And the worst part?
I wasn't entirely sure I minded.
But that didn't mean I was just going to let her get away with that little stunt.
"Diana Stupid Hayes!" I shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at her retreating figure. "You better run!"
Diana glanced over her shoulder, her smirk widening into something positively infuriating. "Oh? Did I fluster you, Sera? You seem a little breathless."
Breathless?! I was fuming!
"That's it! You're dead!" I growled, gripping my daggers and bolting after her.
With a laugh—a laugh!—Diana took off running, her golden hair catching the afternoon sunlight as she sprinted across the courtyard. She was fast, annoyingly fast, using [Wind Step] to give herself an extra boost.
But I wasn't going to let her escape that easily.
[Ice Glide]
A thin layer of frost formed beneath my feet, allowing me to slide across the ground at an unnatural speed. In an instant, I closed the gap between us, reaching out to grab the back of her uniform—
Only for Diana to spin around at the last second, using my own momentum against me.
With an elegant twirl, she sidestepped and caught me in her arms, dipping me backward like we were in some kind of ridiculous ballroom dance.
"Whoa there, princess." Her voice was low, teasing, and entirely too close. "Careful, or you might just fall for me."
I froze.
Not because of my magic.
Not because I'd lost the chase.
But because Diana Hayes was holding me like we were in the middle of some dramatic love story, her arm secure around my waist, her emerald eyes locked onto mine with a gaze so intense it made my breath hitch.
I wanted to be mad. I really did.
But I was too busy drowning in the way she was looking at me.
And worse?
She knew it.
Her lips curled upward, leaning in ever so slightly. "What's wrong, Sera? You were so eager to catch me. Now that you have me, what are you going to do?"
I swallowed hard, my hands gripping the fabric of her uniform, my face burning hotter than my own flames.
"Let. Go." I managed to grit out, forcing my voice to sound steadier than I felt.
Diana tilted her head, pretending to consider. "Hmm… I could let you go."
Her fingers brushed against the small of my back, sending shivers up my spine.
"Or… I could keep you right where you are."
I was going to kill her.
Right after I figured out how to breathe again.
"You have three seconds," I warned, my voice definitely not shaking. "Three. Two—"
Diana laughed but finally loosened her hold, standing me back upright. I stumbled slightly, still thrown off balance, but she caught my wrist before I could step back completely.
"Relax, Sera," she murmured, her voice softer this time. "I was just having a little fun."
"Your definition of fun is going to be the death of me," I grumbled, finally pulling away, trying to ignore the way my heart was still hammering in my chest.
Diana chuckled, crossing her arms. "I did tell you to keep up, didn't I?"
I shot her a glare, but it was weak at best. "Next time, I'll throw you into the fountain."
"Looking forward to it, love." She winked.
Love?!
I whirled around before she could see the absolutely betrayal my own body was committing against me, my face burning.
I was never going to survive this woman.
And apparently, neither was our house.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and my mother's sharp, unimpressed voice cut through the air.
"What," Eleanor Vandren said, arms crossed, her piercing blue eyes narrowing, "is this mess?"
"Eh?" I blinked, turning around—and immediately regretted it.
Oh.
Oh.
The training ground was a disaster.
Shards of ice were scattered across the grass, frost creeping up the edges of the stone pathway. Leaves—courtesy of Diana's wind magic—were strewn everywhere, a chaotic whirlwind of green littering not just the courtyard but inside the house as well.
Somehow, an entire chair was flipped upside down in the doorway, half of it frozen solid. A table had been knocked over, one of its legs now encased in ice, and a few unfortunate potted plants had been completely uprooted, their soil now mingling with the mess of leaves, ice, and—was that a broken vase?!
I gulped.
Diana, standing beside me, let out a low whistle. "Wow. That is quite the mess."
I slowly turned to glare at her. "This. Is. Your. Fault."
She had the audacity to grin. "Correction, our fault. I distinctly remember you trying to skewer me with ice daggers—"
"I wouldn't have had to if you didn't—" I sucked in a breath, forcing myself to not engage in another argument when we were literally standing in front of my very unimpressed mother.
I turned back to Eleanor, trying to put on my best daughter-who-definitely-has-not-been-destroying-property smile. "Haha… We, um, got a little too into training?"
My mother stared at me. Then at Diana. Then at the absolute wreckage we had caused.
Silence.
Then, she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Do I even want to know how this happened?"
Diana nudged me with her elbow, whispering, "Should we tell her about the part where you wanted to throw me into the fountain?"
"Shut up."
Eleanor shot us both a look, clearly not in the mood for our antics. "I don't care how it happened," she said, rubbing her temple. "But you will be cleaning it up."
Diana nudged me again, smirking. "We? I think Sera should be the one cleaning since she's the one who—"
I stomped on her foot.
She yelped. "Hey!"
Eleanor's patience was thinning fast. "Both of you. Now."
Diana sighed dramatically, throwing an arm around my shoulders. "Guess we're in this together, love."
I shoved her off, already feeling the headache coming. "I hate you."
"No, you don't."
I did. I really, really did.
And yet, as I begrudgingly started cleaning the mess with Diana's very unhelpful commentary, I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe—just maybe—I didn't mind this kind of chaos after all.