(Amaia)
"Wind up here and get to your next class. I will see both of you for detention," Alnilam says from behind me before leaving the training ground.
Everyone else keeps staring at me as if they have seen a ghost.
"You were good."
"I have never seen such a training session."
"Superb."
Other than Rahria and a few others from Guild Pegasus who seem jealous and have their noses stuck up, everyone else praises me.
With a smile, I offer them a nod of gratitude.
Two of them do a high five with me before moving on to drop their swords into the box.
"You were amazing, Amaia," Kacir whispers and squeezes my shoulder before moving away, making me smile.
"Whoa! Those are some insane skills with the sword, Lassie." Alnitak wraps his big burly arms around my shoulder and squeezes. My skin deliciously tingles from his touch except my thigh.
The respect in his gaze for me seems to have multiplied.
"I am pretty sure others have similar skills," I answer, dropping my wooden sword into the box too.
"No one matches Alnilam in sword-fighting skills. He has been trained from the age of five and had the most renowned sword master as his teacher. How you stood your ground against him has never been witnessed before, especially by a newbie," Mintaka speaks from behind me. His words make me turn to face him.
There is hardly any difference between the twins but I can easily distinguish between them.
"How can you say?" I ask, standing beside Alnitak and crossing my arms over my chest.
"Because, we used to sneak in to watch him train our seniors. He always had them on the ground in seconds." He snickers. "Not only that but you should see him fighting the enemy. He is a beast. So either he held back for your sake or you are about as good as he is." Mintaka shrugs his large shoulders with a meh expression. His hands are covered in half gloves, revealing his slim, long fingers.
"She is that good. Both of us saw what she could do in the fighting pit against that monster." Alnitak proudly squeezes my shoulder.
We start to leave the training area, and the twins remain by my side.
While Alnitak sticks to me, not caring for anything and having his arm comfortably around my shoulder. Mintaka keeps a slight distance. His evocative oceanic scent has me taking in huge gulps of air as it mingles with Alnitak's earthly one.
Heads turn from wherever we pass.
"You are human but your speed is extraordinary. Who trained you?" Mintaka asks, a doubt I can detect in his voice. I turn to watch him and there is this shade of interest in his gold-infused eyes.
"Alpha Kalistian. I also practised on my own a lot and always spent my free time in training," I answer, trying not to melt between the two.
"No wonder you were chosen. When you are this good then have confidence in yourself. Don't rely on your womanly charms of seduction to get your way," Mintaka chuckles with amusement.
But his words cut deep like an axe had been brought down on my heart.
My body goes stiff and I stop moving.
"Whatever do you mean by the last statement?" I ask sternly, tilting my head towards him and stopping.
Alnitak pauses beside me too.
"Taka!" He growls in annoyance but Mintaka just clicks his tongue.
"Just something I heard about how you got into the academy. I understand if you believe you did what you had to do."
He is a handsome devil but his tongue is vile. Unlike Alnitak, he doesn't care for the feelings of others and doesn't feel anything at all for me.
I know the curse has rendered them incapable of feeling the mate bond but both Alnilam and Alnitak feel something for me. Alnilam denies and hides it while Alnitak tries to get close to me.
But, Mintaka is cold and aloof. Is it because he has been sleeping with Rahria that he can't feel anything for his real mate?
There is an edge of darkness to him, like he borders on some kind of madness and Alnitak tries to keep him on a leash.
"Look, Mintaka. I don't know what you heard but I am here because I deserve to be here. I don't care what you think or others believe but it doesn't suit you to spread false rumours about me. So, be careful before hurling accusations, especially about a girl's character when your own hands are not clean," I retort without holding back.
I don't care if he is my mate. I will not allow anyone to step on me.
That smug smile is wiped right off his face at my words. Instead, a darkness envelops his straw-shaded eyes.
"Watch it, half-pint and stay away from my personal business," he threatens and storms away, fuming.
His hair bounces on his shoulders while the back muscles ripple under his tight uniform. He is perfection in terms of looks but his manners are obnoxious.
"Yeah, attacking someone else's character is fine but talking about him becomes a personal business," I mutter.
"I apologise for his behaviour. Sometimes he doesn't think before speaking."
I turn to face Alnitak and place my hands on my hips. "People living in glass houses shouldn't be throwing stones."
He stiffly nods at me, his lips bunching up. "I understand that you know about him and Rahria. Kacir must have told you. But there is more to the story. He has been through something heartbreaking and not many people know the truth about us…"
Another bell rings, announcing that our next class has begun, and we are running late.
"Come, maybe next time," he says, guiding me towards our lockers so we can extract our textbook and notebooks for the "Chemistry and Biology of Elixirs."
But his words hammer into my brain and I wonder what he means by his last statement.
What could it be about the twins that sets them apart?
In due time, I will peel all the layers and reveal the secrets my mates hold.