Silence fell over the chamber, and Kalden took in Akari’s words. She’d been quiet these past few minutes, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. He’d known she was plotting something, but he’d been too distracted to ask what.

  All eyes turned to their new teacher. Whispers flew back and forth like mana, and the crowd’s excitement was thick enough to taste. Kalden had never seen a teacher duel a student—at least not in a way that mattered. Even if they traded some techniques in the ring, the fight’s outcome was never in question.

  “I’m sorry.” Trask put on a show of annoyance to mask his shock. “What’s your name?”

  “Akari Zeller.”

  Kalden watched Trask carefully, noting every twitch of his fingers and flicker of his eyes. The man showed no hint of recognition. Either he hadn’t heard of Akari until this moment, or he was an excellent actor.

  “Well, Miss Zeller, we’re not dueling yet. And when we do, you’ll spar with someone more your speed.”

  “So you refuse?” Akari almost sounded hopeful. But why? Why would she challenge him if she didn’t want to fight?

  The answer struck Kalden an instant later. He and Akari had aced their admissions tests, but that wasn’t enough to become third-years. They also needed Elend’s letter of recommendation. And with Elend out of the picture . . .

  But there was another way to climb through the Artegium ranks.

  You had to duel a teacher and win.

  Kalden cycled battle mana to his head, forming an image of the rules in his mind’s eye. He’d skimmed these before, but he hadn’t dwelled on them for too long. There hadn’t been a reason until this moment.

  Any combat student could challenge their teacher to a duel. The teacher could delay the duel for up to a week, but a refusal counted as an instant win for the student. That was all; it never said the teacher had to know the stakes.

  Trask probably didn’t know these rules by heart, but he’d heard the earnest hope in Akari’s voice. He knew refusing her challenge would be a mistake, even if he didn’t know why.

  “Fine,” the man said in a clipped voice. “No weapons, armor, or items”

  “Sure.” Akari sounded amused, but Kalden knew it was an act. “You wanna pick the zone, too? Get an edge over the girl half your age?”

  Trask spun on his heel, stalking over to the control panel without comment. Akari had challenged him, so it was technically his right to pick the zone as well as the terms. Kalden doubted he would toss away that right just because she’d attacked his pride.

  “Let me guess,” Kalden said as their group walked over to the arena. “You didn’t research this guy yet?”

  “Didn’t want to tip him off,” Akari said in a low voice.

  Fair enough. Delaying this duel would give Trask more time to puzzle things out. Better to build off the momentum of their argument and pretend this was a snap decision on her part.

  “Besides”—Akari winked at him as she headed down the stairs. “You’re way better at research than me.”

  Kalden cycled mana to his belt pouch and stretched out his right hand. A second later, his laptop emerged from the pocket dimension. Arturo did the same beside him, and they headed over to the catwalks to watch.

  The circular arena was thirty yards in diameter with plain, padded floors. Akari and Trask took their places in the center and exchanged shallow bows.

  ‘Okay,’ Kalden said through their bond. ‘Evan Trask . . . looks like he’s an ice artist.’

  ‘Typical,’ she replied.

  Kalden ignored that comment as he scrolled through the various webpages. He understood Akari’s issues with law enforcement, but assumptions wouldn’t help her win this fight. ‘Thirty-three years old . . . graduated KU in 863. He spent two years as a professional duelist before he joined the KCPD.’

  Akari stayed quiet this time, but he felt a wave of uncertainty through their bond.

  ‘He reached Artisan in his third year,’ Kalden continued. ‘Then he learned a Ritual technique that freezes the air around him. Probably like Dansin Roth’s technique.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Akari said. ‘I’ll watch out for that.’

  Tori Raizen stood by the control panel that overlooked the dueling ring. Normally, the teacher or his assistants stood up there, but Trask must have chosen Tori for the task. She pressed some buttons once the two contestants were in place, then the sigils came to life.

  The arena grew dark. Dream mana warped the air, coalescing into a maze of narrow hallways. The floor moved like a treadmill beneath the contestants’ feet, carrying them to random parts of the arena.

  “The Shadow Labyrinth,” Zukan said in his gravelly voice.

  “Yeah . . .” Kalden let out a long sigh. This was, without a doubt, the most hated zone on record. The atmosphere was like a dark basement. Dull steel walls lined the corridors, and their surfaces twisted the light at odd angles.

  Even the audience hated this zone. The view was flat and dull, with no eye-catching scenery or obstacles. The walls were semi-transparent for the spectators, but that just added to the confusion.

  Despite these facts, Elend had insisted his team train here.

  “One day,” he’d said, “you’ll meet some crazy bastard who actually likes this zone. When that day comes, you don’t want to be caught with your pants down.”

  That day was finally here. And even if Trask didn’t like the zone, it was still a smart choice on his part. Akari had a short stature and a slender frame; artists like her usually favored weapons and long-range attacks.

  Now, he’d taken both those things in one fell swoop.

  ‘This should go without saying,’ Kalden sent through their bond. ‘But no Aeon techniques.’ A blade of Angelic mana could make quick work of most Artisans, and her crystal soul could absorb Trask’s techniques. Still, this secret was too big to show off in a school duel.

  ‘Of course not,’ she replied at once.

  ‘Or blades,’ Kalden finished.

  ‘No blades?’ Akari echoed. ‘I always use blades!’

  ‘I meant blades like mine.’

  She sent him a mental groan.’ You know what’s at stake here, right?’

  ‘We can’t spill our secrets on the first day of class.’

  ‘I need that library access,’ she retorted. ‘What else are we gonna save this for?’

  Kalden rubbed at his temple ‘Just try not to be too obvious about it, okay?’ The arena would still record Akari’s techniques, but that knowledge was restricted, even from the teachers.

  “Prepare,” an automated voice said.

  Normally, the contestants would use this time to check their weapons and armor. But since they didn’t have any, they stood in silence for the better part of thirty seconds. More whispers passed between his classmates as they placed their bets.

  ‘What’s your strategy?’ Kalden asked Akari.

  ‘You saw him waltz in here. He’s stiff as a rod—likes to be in control.’

  In other words, Akari planned to create as much chaos as possible.

  ‘You’re stereotyping,’ Kalden told her. ‘Duelists deceive each other all the time, and ice can turn to water or vapor in a heartbeat.’

  ‘Fine. You got a better idea?’

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Kalden closed his eyes for several seconds, sinking deeper into their soulbond. He saw the world through Akari’s eyes and felt the misty air on her skin. A perfect silence pressed against her eardrums as if she were deep underground.

  This might not be necessary, but his aspect liked to know the terrain at an intimate level. That was the most important part of any battle, aside from knowing your enemy. Kalden sent Akari a vague impression of his plans as he watched more videos of Trask’s previous duels. They would need a strong opening, but nothing too reckless.

  The preparation phase ended, and an automated voice began the countdown. The sound filled the chamber, and the numbers flashed in the air above the contestants’ heads.

  “Fight!” the automated voice said.

  Akari sprang into motion. ‘Which way is he?’

  ‘On your ten,’ Kalden said. ‘Two thirds across.’

  Akari reached the first junction and turned left.

  ‘Wait.’ Kalden cycled his battle mana and mapped the maze in his mind’s eye. ‘Take a right instead. You can flank him that way.’

  Akari stopped dead in her tracks and spun around.

  Kalden resisted the urge to put his face in his palm. ‘You could try to look less suspicious.’

  ‘How do I look?’ she asked with a hint of annoyance.

  ‘Like you’re getting telepathic advice from the audience.’

  ‘Oh. Oops . . .’

  ‘Trask might accuse you of cheating when he loses,’ Kalden said. ‘Best not to fuel that fire.’ It didn’t help that all duels were recorded. Trask couldn’t see Akari right now, but he would definitely watch the footage later on.

  Kalden continued passing Akari directions as she crept through the maze. Every so often, she would make a half-finished portal technique in the walls. Their positions looked random, but this was part of their long-term plan.

  Meanwhile, Trask left his own mana trail as he stalked through the halls. His trail was even more subtle than Akari’s. In fact, Kalden might have missed it if not for his Artisan senses.

  ‘You seeing this?’ he asked Akari when she caught up with the trail. Kalden also relayed this to Arturo, just in case it was relevant for their research.

  ‘Yeah,’ she replied. ‘Technique slippage?’

  ‘I don’t see any techniques,’ Kalden said. ‘But that’s too much mana to be a mistake. You don’t feel cold, do you?’

  ‘The whole place is cold. How close is he?’

  ‘Take a left at this junction. He’s three paces away from there.’

  Akari tip-toed toward the corner, and her bare feet didn’t make a sound on the hard metal floor.

  She reached Trask a second later, and she opened the fight with four quick portals. The first one appeared directly above her opponent’s head, while the second snapped into place beneath his feet. Two more portals sprang up in the walls on either side. Akari bound all four in a complex web, then she fired a volley of sharpened Missiles, striking her target from every direction.

  It was a strong opening, but Trask dodged and blocked every technique. He even corrected his footwork at the last second before he fell into the floor.

  How? His reaction time couldn’t be that fast.

  They exchanged several more techniques, and It took Kalden a second to realize the problem. Trask hadn’t reacted with impossible speed; Akari had been too slow on the draw.

  Trask Cloaked his legs and rushed toward her, but he might as well have struck empty air. Space warped between the contestants, and his fist slammed into the nearest wall.

  Akari threw a punch to her left, and it trailed blue light as she Cloaked it with her mana. Space warped again, and the fist slammed into Trask’s stomach. He was still recovering from the blow when she formed another portal by her foot. Her foot slammed into Trask’s jaw an instant later, and he staggered into the wall.

  It seemed to be going well, but something felt wrong here.

  Trask had dodged Akari’s opening and fallen for her weaker attacks. He must be luring her into a false sense of security. What’s more, he seemed to be stretching out the fight—setting up for his Ritual technique, no doubt.

  “Shit,” Arturo muttered from his spot beside Kalden. “Think I found something, shoko”

  “What’s up?” Kalden leaned toward his teammate, but he didn’t take his eyes off the fight.

  “Trask might have a mental component to his aspect.”

  “He might?”

  Arturo nodded. “That’s the vapor you saw behind him. It works slow at first, then you’re thinking through syrup before you know it.”

  Damnit. That explained Akari’s opening blunders. He’d never heard of someone combining knowledge and ice mana, but it made perfect sense for a police detective.

  Trask launched a frozen spear from his palm, aiming for Akari’s stomach. She tried to shift her body aside, but she moved a split second too slow. The mana cut through her oblique, and a burst of white light exploded from the gap. As always, this light was the arena’s version of blood.

  ’Retreat,’ he said to Akari. ‘Now.’

  No sooner had he sent the message than a portal opened in the wall behind Akari. She leapt backward and appeared at the start of the maze. Trask tried to follow her, but the portal snapped shut like a closed maw.

  ‘It’s a mind freeze technique,’ Kalden explained. ‘He’s slowing your reaction times.’

  Akari made a growling sound in his mind. ‘I knew something felt wrong.’

  ‘He’s in pursuit,’ Kalden said. ‘Take a left.’ She did so, and Kalden continued. ‘How’s the injury?’

  ‘I can still fight.’ Akari pressed a hand to the cut, but she didn’t wince.

  ‘He’s in the portal web,’ Kalden said. ‘Can you finish him off?’

  Her thoughts strained to feel the portals, then she shook her head. ‘Can’t keep it all straight.’

  No surprise there. Spacetime required a lot of mental calculations—almost like doing advanced math in your mind. Any lapse in clarity could ruin the whole technique.

  ‘Can you send me some battle mana?’ she asked.

  ‘Negative,’ Kalden said. ‘That might make things worse.’

  ‘Fine, then switch with me.’

  ‘Now?’

  ‘Hell yes. I’m not losing to this guy. Besides, no one has to know.’

  ‘Still—two against one? Seems a little unfair.’

  ‘No such thing as a fair fight,’ she retorted. ‘You gonna help me or not?’

  Since when did Akari quote Elend? She was right, though. This looked like a school game, but battlefields took on many forms. Moonfire and Raizen had struck a blow at Elend today, and that made this an act of war.

  ‘Okay,’ Kalden said. ‘On three?’

  They counted down together, then Kalden shoved his own senses aside, immersing himself in Akari’s mind and body. They’d been experimenting with this technique all summer, ever since they first became Aeons. He and Akari could share mana, but that was easier said than done. Their aspects and fighting styles took years to master, and even simple techniques were beyond them at this point.

  Akari could form sharper blades than before, but she couldn’t do much with Kalden’s battle mana. Likewise, Kalden could open and close portals, but he couldn’t form a spacetime technique from scratch.

  Fortunately, swapping senses was far easier than learning new techniques. And they’d spent all months pushing their bond to its limits.

  Strangely enough, this had been Glim’s idea. She knew the theory behind the technique, but she couldn’t actually do it with Elend. She also refused to explain why.

  Kalden sank deeper into his trance. Once again, he saw the dark labyrinth through Akari’s eyes. He felt the pain in her side, the icy air on her skin, and the scents of rusted metal in her nostrils.

  But this time, Akari’s body responded to his commands. So did her mana.

  ‘Behind you!’ she snapped.

  He whipped around just as Trask rounded the corner. Ribbons of ice shot out from the man’s hand, and they closed in like flying snakes.

  Kalden reacted on pure instinct, forming a pair of blades in his hands. These weren’t his best blades, but they came dangerously close.

  Mana flashed through the darkness as he cut the ice techniques to mist. Two more blades shot out from his hands, but Trask deflected them as he closed the distance.

  Kalden cycled battle mana as they fought, sharpening his senses, letting him predict his opponent’s moves before they happened. This wouldn’t erase the damage from Trask’s mental technique, but it might balance it out.

  His opponent threw a punch as he closed the distance, and Kalden barely blocked it in time.

  He loved Akari’s body, but he did not like sitting behind the wheel. Facing Trask in close combat was like facing a giant, and Akari’s muscles felt downright frail compared to his. Not that he’d ever say that to her face. Or think it too loudly.

  Worst of all, Kalden didn’t have enough experience to play to Akari’s strengths. He couldn’t do backflips in midair, slide between Missiles, or dive through a ten-inch wide portal. He couldn’t even make a proper portal in the first place.

  ‘Retreat!’ Akari said.

  Kalden Cloaked his legs and leapt into the nearest side corridor.

  Ice filled the air behind him, crystalizing on the walls and ceiling.

  Damnit. That was way too close. He’d gotten tunnel vision, but she’d seen the Ritual technique building from the sidelines.

  ‘Thanks,’ Akari said. ‘I’ve got this now.’

  Kalden ran deeper into the maze, and they went through another mental countdown. Finally, he dropped the trance, and his surroundings changed once again.

  This wasn’t as jarring as their first swap, but Kalden wouldn’t call it smooth. The chamber’s light was almost blinding after his time in the dark arena. His heart rate sped up to match his thoughts. His muscles tensed, and mana surged through his channels, threatening to burst free from his hands.

  “Well, well . . . ” Arturo glanced over his shoulder, and a wide grin split his face “Look who decided to come back.”

  Kalden suppressed a wince. “What gave it away?”

  “Akari slouches,” Zukan said. “And she mutters under her breath when she talks to you.”

  Arturo nodded along. “She also gropes your muscles when she thinks no one’s looking.”

  Kalden groaned. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

  “Wish I were, shoko.” Arturo squeezed his own chest for reference.

  Wonderful. They’d need to work on their tells.

  Akari lured Trask back to her web. Once he was in range, she opened a portal in the floor and unleashed a volley of sharpened Missiles from both hands. She poured all her remaining mana into the opening, betting it all on one final attack.

  More portals opened all around the corridor, snapping into existence on the floor, walls, and ceiling. Bright lines of mana crisscrossed all around the maze as her Missiles flew from one hole to the next.

  Trask tried to block and dodge, but there were too many attacks, and they came from too many angles. On top of that, Akari adjusted the web on the fly, forming new connections, aiming for his blind spots.

  One Missile struck his left leg, and he lost his balance. Five more closed in as he fell, and he died in a cloud of white mist.

  “Victory,” the automated voice said through the arena’s speakers. “Akari Zeller.”

  Akari stepped across the maze and offered Trask a hand. He accepted it, and she helped him to his feet. A few words passed between them, but they didn’t look hostile. That was good; they didn’t need more enemies on campus.

  With that done, Akari yanked off her second-year insignia and headed for the staircase. ‘So,’ her voice said in Kalden’s mind. ‘You gonna challenge him now, or what?’

  ‘I think I’ll take a less dramatic route,’ Kalden said. ‘Approach him in private and explain who I am.’

  ‘What if he refuses?’

  ‘That’s the plan,” Kalden said.

  ‘But he might deny it later.’

  ‘I’ll bring Arturo and Zukan as witnesses. Arturo can probably record the whole thing.’

  “Oh.” Akari approached the team, looking slightly embarrassed. But the look was gone a second later, replaced with a shrug and a smirk. “Where’s the fun in that?”

  Then she reached out and plucked the second-year insignia from Kalden’s uniform. “Either way, you won’t need this anymore.”

  Web of Secrets Book 1 is now available for ebook, paperback, and Kindle Unlimited:

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  Book 2 (Web of Dreams) is also available for pre-order:

  https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0DX13PV7V

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