MAGE CHRONICLES: THE BEGINNING

69. The Calm Before the Storm.

After everyone is done fangirling, Keon starts us on training and boy is he hardcore. The stars were beginning to disappear from everyone's eyes the moment he started putting us through paces.

I don't think I've sweated this much in...ever. I had discarded my t-shirt remaining with my sports bra because somehow the heat was making it even past my mage allergy.

"Ok, from the top now, then we call it a day."

We all groan but move to do as we are told.

Personally, I was riding on a high, it had been so long since I was in such a setting since Ian kicked me off the team. We go through the routine Keon came up with in half an hour and I'm not too jealous to admit it was brilliant.

When the music stops, he gives one nod and we all let our breaths out collectively. The man was a hard ass, so approval from him was everything. He turns away to go shut off the music and we collapse on the floor not bothering to move to the couches.

"I'm planning a comeback and if this is how my team would be after every performance, I have my work cut out for me," he ignores the excitement he'd just stirred and moves towards me scooping me up from the floor.

"We are going to take a shower, clean this place up and meet us in the cafeteria."

"We?" I ask but get ignored.

"You," he points at Andrei, "Bring the kid."

Andrei grabs Blue and follows without question, I stay silent enjoying the ride since my legs were practically jelly. I had done too much too fast, but I wasn't complaining.

"Yes mate, we." Keon answers belatedly.

I wish he had stayed with his answer because now my body was getting ideas.

We enter my room and he deposits me in the shower turning it on before he steps out shutting the door on my drenched face.

"Tease," I grumble peeling off the clothes that were now stuck on me.

"If I get in there, we won't be going anywhere for a while, so quit complaining and shower, I'm going next door to take mine. Andrei is coming with me, I don't trust him either," he adds as an afterthought.

                                                                                      ******

"Mahi, do you have any plans for your birthday?" Aarya asks as we lounge at the school park. Yes, we had a park, which I had somehow missed it during the tour, it had a lake and everything.

The guys had all left after our dinner at the cafeteria, off to do whatever it is they did in their free time. Blue had gone down for his long overdue nap and the pixies were staying with him.

My two friends had cajoled me into having a lazy evening in the park and so far, I was loving it.

"Not really, I don't celebrate it, I was going to nap the whole day, wait maybe not the whole day since we have to go practice for the competition."

"Boring," Damon taunts.

"Oh, you didn't know? That's my middle name."

"Come on let's at least go into the city, we'll show you around."

That did sound enticing.

"My dad mentioned a dinner at the palace, so there's that."

"Can we come," he asks.

"Of course, you're my only friends here, apart from my family and the guys."

"Speaking of—-" Aarya is cut off by a loud wail that resonates through the air, piercing and chilling.