SWORD ACADEMY

Beckett has taken to sitting by my best bitch any time we're at the Oculus, and I'm totally on board this train. Chugga, Chugga Beckett! WOO! WOO!

The guy fits the bill for everything I could want for Ainsley. He smiles with all the damn teeth, she smiles back at him with all the damn teeth, and best of all, he doesn't give a shit about her sparks. I like the way he looks at her as a person. Not a spark snack. Not his property. Not some other bullshit to claim ownership of. He looks at her. Only her.

She's still sleep sharing with Captain CuntWaffle, but she'll put a stop to that just as soon as she tames her sparks. It seems that might be soon with the amount of practise she's been putting in.

"Hey GT!" Frank whoops from down the table line.

"Hey what?" I growl, despising his pet name for me. Gradient Taint. Really?

Fiona gives him a pleading look, and he frowns at her, conflicted, but he hates displeasing her in any capacity, so the bumbledick flies to a different flower.

"Hey Grady." He coughs a little over the discomfort of saying my actual name. Fiona pats his hand reassuringly on the table. "Can you skip Stadium training this afternoon and help me move Fiona's stuff up to my room?"

"Our room," Fiona clonks.

He beams at her and gives her a sloppy kiss on the mouth. She clackles.

Frank and Fiona went directly from what if to what next in their relationship. She's spending all her nights with him anyway. Moving in seems a logical course of action, even if it's a little quick in my asshole opinion.

"I'll help the fuck out of you adorable cunts," Ainsley clips, excited to participate.

"You can't," Luke spumes from lower down the table. I'd forgotten he was there, which is usually for the best. His constantly dismal expression is a real bag of blue balls. "You need to fucking train."

Ainsley leans her head forward so she can see him, narrowing her scopes as she catches his gaze. "You don't know shit about what I need, White Horse, and you don't get to tell me what to fucking do. You or any other controlling scut."

Beckett bends himself forward between them, blocking her view. "How about you spend the afternoon training, and I'll reward you for it by taking you to my favourite place this evening?"

She grins, instantly forgetting about Luke who stares on with such dark, fiery eyes I almost forget he's a Light Water Wielder.

"Deal," she holsters.

"We have great news!" Witley gusts, tugging Cam along behind her.

Everyone looks relieved. The only time Ainsley engages with Luke is when she's roaring at him, throwing shit at him, or trying to make him bleed with her glorious Pamplona bull horns. He never responds or reacts, just takes it in stride like he deserves every second of it. And he does after the asshole ultimatum he gave her. Self-inflicted bag of blue balls.

She swears she isn't going to bed pissed though, and she'd never lie to me, but if she's staying true to that, she must be waking up pissed instead. Having Beckett around helps. She's different with him. Softer. More pliant. It's because he isn't being a pushy prick, so she has no reason to behave defensively. Luke has not learned that lesson. I doubt the spunkbucket ever will.

"I tamed my air and fire sparks!" Cam puffs with joy, waving her naked wrist in proof of her claim.

"Congratulations!" Elaina and Nick boom in unison, standing and wrapping the two of them in their arms.