Sera's POV
Two days melted into the crisp air of early autumn, and with every passing dawn, my muscles grew sharper, my stance firmer.
We were in the open clearing behind the old armory, the damp grass giving way under the soles of my boots as Olivia and I circled each other. Even though I knew she was still holding back, I was actually holding my own today. I was blocking her punches with clean, crisp lifts of my forearms, and my counter-swings had lost their stiff, awkward arc.
I was nowhere near confident enough to win a hand-to-hand fight against a seasoned warrior, but feeling my body react—feeling my instincts awaken—gave me something I hadn't felt in a very long time. It gave me hope.
For a fleeting second, as I bounced on the balls of my feet, a familiar pang of bitterness tug
