Chapter 336 Protection (2/2)

Ah, let's have fun I got it ' Regis cleared his throat before yelling like a professional fight announcer I the retired promotion keeps Arthur Leywin on the ropes! Can Ashber's Striker flip this e to roll zag path towards my opponent as I moved between his bombardment

Just as I reached it, the air in front ofaround the edges of another -past Darrin's blast while using my aether-covered arhtning strike of ht crusade to blockascendant slid back fro ht through its

One of the children screamed in sheer excitement, but Darrin's attention was ondown is said deadpan

Darrin let his guard down, concern in his eyes as he looked at et you - "

I raised a hand that was already healing and her eyes widened as the flesh returned to her naturally pale coh he was still frowning, Darrin took a few steps back and indicated that he was ready once ed into theand heard only the gust of wind Darrin could land two or three punches per second, assu his best, which I wasn't sure if he was yet, and I felt a real thrill of defiance as I spun, dived, and dodged, avoiding hit after hit

"Your speed is a," yelled Darrin - who looked like a shadow boxer, kicking and punching into nothingness - fro to pull ht for days without resting in the Relicto aether into my muscles, nerves, and tendons, I ti within the blow cloud and appeared within ar but stare, jaw dropped, as I ran the blade of my hand across his chest With the aether condensed and le point on ing to his skin and ripped a single clean line through his shi+rt without even touching his skin

Too late, Darrin raised his arered back away froht away Darrin recovered himself and examined the reh"

“What!” Ade from behind the barrier “That attack didn't even hit! You can't give up now "

"Yes," Pen said, sto behind the older boy, her arirl fro her squeak in surprise

"Adem is upset that he lost his bet to Mr Alaric," Briar said, standing behind everyone else with his ar red

Alaric crossed the training court toward us, a wide grin under his beard “You really should teach your ainst e and infinitely wiser "

"Infinitely wiser," Adem replied irritably

"Are you okay, Uncle Darrin?" Pen asked in her s, teary eyes

I let out a good-hu" He dipped his fingers into the hole he'd ripped in his shi+rt and irl "You see? Not a scratch Never forget Pen, your uncle was the leader of the Bloodless"

Aderoaned at the sa I've ever seen!" the blond boy, Ketil, exclaimed "How did you ht?" her sister asked, her eyes glued to the ground

"No," Alaric said, walking along from where he had been in Burst Step to where ere now, his old face creased thoughtfully

Darrin frowned at my hands until he noticed , but don't let that intimidate you," he told Katla and Ketil "You don't have to be able to do what Grey or I can do to be successful ascenders, but you can be as good as us if you work hard"

Katla and Ketil shared a skeptical look on this Briar lifted her chin and looked around fiercely, as if to tell us that one day she would be just as good

"Well, I'et that food?"

The housekeeper bowed politely and wrapped an ar Pen in the other "Come on kids, can you help me set the table?"

Unlike before, on the balcony, the blond twins seeazes of astonished excitement faded, as they murmured, "Yes, ma'am"

"Can't I ask Grey so as Sorrel reat I wanna-"

"Adem," Darrin said quietly, and the boy's o help with dinner"

Behind hih, but when Darrin cleared his throat, she turned and followed the others I couldn't help but notice when Briar paused at the door, giving

When the group was carried off the training floor, Alaric tugged at the tattered part of Darrin's shi+rt The blond man pulled his hand away playfully, but Alaric frowned seriously

"That attack could have killed you," he said quietly

"I know" Darrin clutched his neck and led the way out of the room Over his shoulder, he said, "It was as if my mana had melted where the attack touched "

Darrin led us up the stairs to a surprisingly s room with a table for four

He pulled an ornate bottle of a Alaric on the back "I've been saving this just for you"

Oldpresents on his birthday, and he flung hi off the wax seal around the cork

I slid into the chair across from Alaric and looked around Aside from a couple of cabinets and shelves, there was also a tall, narrow bookcase in one corner, laden with leather-bound books Next to the shelf, atook upthe hills

"What was that move you used back there, Grey?" Darrin asked conversationally, turning his chair so he could rest his forearainst those ht? It was quite i it up close and personally like that ell, it was so coh and rubbed the back of my neck "It wouldn'tabout theht?"

"It's true," Darrin nodded "I alances don't es

"It's because your runes aren't much to look at in the first place," Alaric said as he took a generous sip fro up prying any more about my runes, “I had the children eat with Sorrel in theroom We have some more serious ed ato me "Grey, what is your plan now?"

"Now that I have more or less finished my preliminary promotion, I plan to return to the Relictombs on my own," I replied "In there at least, I only have to worry about theto kill htfully “Do you plan to stay within the deepest levels of the Relictombs indefinitely? Because the first and second floors of the Relictombs are under constant surveillance, which h power " "Like the Granbehl?" I asked in a challenging tone "If they try "

Alaric held up a reassuring hand “Look, I'e very loud and clear I doubt they are stupid enough to attempt another attack on you directly "

"But that doesn't mean they don't tell their friends by blood names and their mothers about you," Darrin continued "And that's without even taking into account theto be compensated"

"And they have a pretty curvy carrot to hang in front of you once they find you," Alaric added with a wave of his eyebrows

"Curvy indeed," Regis agreed

"If you mean Caera Denoir, I hope you don't think the two of us e of genuine annoyance entwining uised herself and tracked ardless," Darrin interrupted "Froathered between you and Alaric, it seems you want the freedoht of all the resources available that could help Alacrya, as well as the possibility of returning to Dicathen to see my family "Yes That would be ideal"

"Well So we are on the sae,” Darrin said There was a moment of silence as the two forain before he continued "Okay, the next part ht noould be to have some kind of sponsor or promoter "

I bowed my head "I do not understand"

"It's okay" Alaric stepped forward “What you need is protection Political protection, not fighting We know that you can take care of your little self The problem is, there are only a few institutions - a few people outside of Scythes and the Vritra themselves - that would offer you the kind of ih Blood Denoir frouy in the admissions office of the Central Acadeo to school? You don't expect me to"

Alaric scowled at ht fro ti every seven words" He paused, pinning aze, but I fell silent "Yes, the same Central Academy"

"So what, do you expectfrom every word

"No boy, I hope you teach ," Alaric announced, a gleam of amusement in his eyes