After our six-month training had ended, Lord Darius entered me into the spring obstacle course. The scent of cherry blossoms wafted through the air as I jumped over hurdles, crawled under wires, scaled up cliff faces, and ran until my thighs burned.

I'd raced through the manicured castle grounds until I reached the convoluted garden maze with massive hedgerows. Keeping my eye on the goal, I ignored the annoyed cursing of my fellow trainees and ran until I reached the final stretch.

The morning sun scorched my skin and sweat poured from my forehead, burning my eyes before it coursed down my flushed cheeks. Lord Darius stood at the finish line, clad in his black cape and dark leather armor with his timepiece in hand.

Behind me, I could hear Alex's frantic footfalls. The Gatál warrior hated losing regardless of whether we were playing Strategy or running in a race. If I beat him--the scrawny 'beanpole' no less--I knew his fury would consume him.

No way, Alex. Not this time. Victory is mine!

Lord Hesse will have no choice but to support me now.

The goal beckoned towards me, and it bolstered my determination. Never in six months of pain, sweat, and tears had first place been within my grasp, and I refused to waste my chance.

Mustering every last ounce of energy, I pushed my legs to the limit until they burned like a raging fire. Euphoria coursed through my veins as I crossed the finish line and scored my personal best.

I finished a full five seconds before Alex.

With a whoop of jubilation, I jumped and fist pumped the air. "I did it!"

"You did indeed, Helena," Lord Darius said. I swore I could hear a smile in his voice.

I jogged over towards my mentor. "You were right--endurance is my best physical ability."

He placed his cold black leather gloves on my tender, sunburned shoulders. "I'm proud of you," he whispered. "You've come a long way, little spitfire. Lord Hesse will show mercy to such a strong fighter like you."

A lithe frame gave me the advantage when it came to running, but I still couldn't aim at targets to save my life. If it weren't for my decent healing and endurance skills, Lord Darius probably would have given up on me ages ago.

I finally won something!

My buff Gatál comrade rested his palms on his quads as he fought to catch his breath under the piercing glare of the sun. Sweat poured down his forehead and his back, so he grabbed a glass of water from a nearby table and tipped it over his head. When he ran a hand through his dark, wet hair, I looked away with a blush.

Alex was strictly off-limits because he was dating Lena, but I was only human. He had dark-brown eyes and gorgeous olive skin from all his outdoor training and running.

When Alex gave me an evil glare, I rolled my eyes. Couldn't he congratulate me just once? Either Lena, Axa, or Alex had won every competition we'd ever hosted since I'd arrived eighteen months ago.

"Fuck, yeah! Hels, you did it!" Axa shouted from the sidelines as she ran towards me. "Damn, I'm glad I got to play healer--I'd hate to have to run in this heat. It's not normal for early Spring."

Axa had barely said those words when someone fainted from heat exhaustion on the track. "Gotta run! We'll talk later!"

"Do you need help?"

"No, relax and enjoy your win!"

She grabbed her kit and rushed towards the fallen racer.

My mentor whipped his head towards Alex and strode in his direction. "You're slow today," Lord Darius said in a gruff voice to Alex. "Explain yourself."

Alex clenched his fists. "I was only a few seconds behind Helena, and she usually comes in second."

"Do you want to become a Shadow Rider?" Lord Darius asked in an ominous rumble.

"Yes, my Lord," Alex growled.

The Shadow Rider circled his protégé. "Do you want to become a great warrior?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Do you want to fight for freedom and justice in the Empire?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Then you have to be strong ... fast ... tough." Lord Darius curled his fingers until his hand looked like a claw. "Tap into your anger to fuel your willpower. Channel your pain to help you focus."

The Shadow Rider's advice made my skin crawl--he never taught me that way. Then again, I'd made him promise me not to turn me into one of the terrifying guards of evil.

Why did Alex want to become a Shadow Rider? They only brought pain and suffering to others.

"Whatever I do, it's never enough for you!" Alex roared.

"Channel that feeling," Lord Darius replied. "Always push to achieve more."

Alex stormed away from the Shadow Rider with squared shoulders. Leaning against a wooden gate, the disappointed warrior gazed out towards the distant mountains, and I felt a pang of guilt. I walked towards him and gave him a reassuring squeeze on the arm, which he ripped away from me.

"It's just one race," I said.

"One race," he said with a scoff. When he turned to face me, he was livid. "Whenever you win, it makes the rest of us look bad."

"You get first place in everything else. Just allow me this one chance to shine." I lowered my voice to the barest whisper. "Please, Alex. Trust me. My life depends on this win."

"Do you have any idea how much pressure he puts on the rest of us?" Alex shook his head. "All you have to do is show up, run a bit, and play mad scientist in a lab. It's fucking ridiculous."

"That's not true."

"Lena and Axa have to hold back when they practice with you, you know," Alex said through clenched teeth. "That might kill them one day because they'll never reach their full potential."

Oh, gods! Is that true?

My stomach twisted in knots at the thought. "You're just saying that because you're angry. He pushes all of us because he's trying to make us stronger."

"Sure, you get loads of pressure. 'Read this book. Heal this idiot. Run a bit faster.' Fuck off, Helena!"

"I have pressure," I whispered. "I have magic I can't use because it makes me ill. One day, the Gatál Crown is going to give up on me, and they'll kill me. So, I understand pressure."

Alex clenched the wooden fence so tight that one of the supporting beams snapped in half. Both of us looked down at it in wonder.

"Maybe Lord Darius is right," he said with a sneer. "Maybe all I have to do is channel my anger."

He flashed me a loathsome glare from under his eyelashes, and I backed away from him. "What? What do you mean?" My heart leaped in my throat as he strode towards me. "No, Alex, stop!"

"What in Hades, Alex?" Lena roared as she crossed the finish line.

Like the goddess of fury, she ran towards us. Lena grabbed him by the wrist, pulled him towards her, and punched him. "Get the fuck away!"

With a gasp, I took my chance and ran away from the crazed warrior. When I approached the Shadow Rider, he cast a cursory glance in my direction before watching Lena and Alex. 

"Thanks for the support, Lord Darius."

"You could hold your own," he replied as he squared his shoulders. "You're a strong woman."

Lena's eyes flashed red. "Why are you being such an asshole to Helena? She's like a sister to me."

"All she can do is heal and run," Alex replied, still massaging his jaw. He gave her such a passionate stare that I had to look away. "Why the fuck does Lord Darius favor her?"

"Give her a break, Alex. She has special powers or whatever," Lena said.

"How do you know?" he growled. "Have you ever seen them?"

"Never mind about Helena." Her reptilian pupils dilated as she reached for Alex's hand and entwined it with hers as she drew nearer to him. "I have my own kind of special power."

Alex scoffed as he cast me another disparaging scowl. "Yeah, the power to distract me."

"Hey, it's a thing." Lena turned his face towards her. "Come on, Alex, let's practice."

His eyes darkened as he watched her lick her lips. "Lena ..."

She bounce-stepped and playfully punched the air around Alex, and he stared at her, wide-eyed. "Less leering. More fighting."

Alex curled his lip and tackled Lena to the ground, and they began to grapple. I didn't know how in Hades he managed it--Lena was built like an oak wardrobe.

Once during our sparring sessions, I'd tried to lift her, and it felt like trying to move a mountain. I couldn't even get a grip on her, and she didn't budge an inch. She'd just laughed at my feeble attempt.

Snarling and growling, they both wrestled until Lena pinned him to the ground and straddled him. "Who's the best initiate, Alex?" she asked as her eyes flared red.

"Not sure, but I like you sitting on top of me," he replied with a cheeky grin. His voice sounded husky. "You should do it more often."

"I asked you a question, dumb-ass!"

I tried to stifle a snicker, but Lena heard me. She cast me a wicked glare, her eyes glowing bright red, and my laughter faded instantly.

My heart thudded, and my palms began to sweat. Oh, no. This is bad.

That split second of distraction gave Alex the opportunity he needed to throw her to the ground, and my heart leaped in my throat. If Alex didn't back down, I knew we'd have a real problem.

"Concede defeat, Lena," he roared.

The Dragonborn withdrew her fighting stick and pressed it to his throat, and her eyes glowed a sinister shade of red. "If this were a real fight on the battlefield, you'd be dead already."

"Please, you have to do something, Lord Darius," I said.

"They must learn to come to terms with their feelings and desires on their own."

"Feelings and desires?" I watched as Alex batted the Dragonborn away and resumed the fight. "They're going to kill each other! Look at her eyes. She's going to morph."

Lord Darius shook his head and covered my mouth with his hand, shushing me. "No, this is different, Helena. She isn't morphing. Her eyes have turned red because of The Fire."

"The Fire?"

His cold metal helmet grazed the overheated crook of my neck, and I shivered at the coldness. A part of me wondered how he could be so cold if he was standing in the stifling sun all day.

"An inner passion," he whispered in my ear.

"What do you mean?" I whispered.

"Axa, explain what The Fire is to Helena," Lord Darius commanded as he walked away to chastise the trainees who finished last in the race.

With a groan, Axa came over and stood beside me. "What? Your parents never taught you?"

"I grew up with Halcíans--they don't get The Fire," I explained. "At least, they never said anything about it."

"Ohh, that makes sense," Axa replied. "Halcíans don't feel it. When a Gatál or a Dragonborn feels desire, it burns deep inside them. If it's suppressed, it can manifest as aggression."

I furrowed my brow. "What happens to Halcíans?"

"They fall in love and experience all sorts of odd physiological reactions. Their stomachs and hearts flutter--that kind of thing."

"Do Alex and Marlena have The Fire?" I asked.

Axa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Oh, yes. Alex is almost eighteen, so it comes from him the most. Marlena's a few months younger, so her fire isn't quite as strong yet."

"How can you tell?" I asked, astonished.

"Every Gatál who has turned eighteen can smell The Fire. It smells like smoldering embers. It prevents two Gatál from loving the same man or woman, but poor Alex can't tell just yet."

When Alex saw Lena's eyes flare red, he stopped dead in his tracks. The Dragonborn backed him against a tree trunk, and she pressed a wooden combat stick against his throat. "Yield, Alex."

"Fine! I'm more powerful, but you have better combat skills," he croaked. "Agreed?"

"Hmph," Lena said with a shrug, "I can live with that." She lowered her combat stick, and her eyes dimmed to their normal silvery shade. "Just promise me you won't hurt Helena, and I'll let you live."

With a self-satisfied smirk, Alex drew Lena close, and I looked away to give them privacy.

"Will I feel The Fire one day too, Axa?" I whispered.

"One day, yes," Axa replied. "Perhaps you won't find your mate right away, but when you do, you will know. The Fire burns like blazing lava in your veins. It feels like nothing else."

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A/N: Thanks for reading this chapter! If you liked it, please vote and/or comment. :D I also appreciate your constructive criticism and other feedback.

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