<h4>Chapter 218: A Spar?</h4>


    Of course, she had every intention to ept, but thest thing she expected was to be approached by another group—one she assumed had died out orpletely gone into hiding.


    <fn65f8> Follow current nov?ls on find[?]ovel</fn65f8>


    The hunters.


    Vampire hunters, to be precise.


    Aira left her room and headed out, nodding to the guards who greeted her, even as she mentally prepared to meet Varret—the teacher who was supposed to train her how to fight, whom she had only met once before.


    Her steps were steady even as she struggled not to drag them. Thest thing she wanted to do was practice how to wield a sword, but she also knew better than to avoid improving her skills.


    Making her way downstairs, she was still climbing down when she sighted Harriet, who stood by the edge of the steps, just in front of the set of guards that manned the staircase.


    From the way she stood, it was clear that she had been there for a while—and she had no intention of leaving.


    Aira had just gotten there when she saw Harriet instantly raise her head in a way that made it clear she had been waiting for her.


    "I figured you would be in your room resting!" Aira told her, even as she continued walking past the guards, heading in the direction of the hall where she was scheduled to meet Varret.


    "I lost! I’m nothing! You saved my life, which means that my life belongs to you!" Harriet told Aira, who continued walking at the same pace she had been using, even as she listened to Harriet, who followed closely behind her.


    Her clothes mirrored that of Aira’s, with the woolen shirt and pants she wore—even though Aira’s own was clearly made of silk.


    "...And what would you like me to do with it? Use you?" Aira asked, shaking her head with a scoff, aware that if it had been before she got her new ability and physical prowess, she might have considered it.


    "You’re human, and you’re—" Aira began, but Harriet didn’t let her finish as she spoke at the same time.


    "There’s no way you n to remain here. If you’re nning to escape, then you’ll need someone who can get things done!" Harriet said, even as Aira rolled her eyes and continued walking through the corridor.


    "...Rymora is way more trustworthy than you! For all I know, you could still be working for Lady Vivian!" Aira pointed out, not disillusioned enough to suddenly begin trusting an enemy simply because she had saved her life.


    This made Harriet frown with an extremely confused look on her face as she settled her gaze on Aira’s back—who had not once stopped moving since the conversation began.


    "If you’re not going to use me, then why did you save me?" Harriet asked, her tone genuinely confused andced with frustration, edged with clear bitterness.


    "My entire family is dead!" she said through gritted teeth. "I’m worthless to Lady Vivian, and even my presence here is limited."


    But Aira responded in a tonepletely and utterly devoid of any iota of warmth.


    "...Then kill yourself! I only saved you out of pity!" she said, ncing back for a split moment to get her message across.


    "I just didn’t want to get blood on my hands, much less yours. I don’t care about you, and I don’t care what you do—as long as you don’t get in my way!"


    Aira recalled how Harriet had been prepared to kill her, and how, if she hadn’t gained her ability, she would indeed have died.


    What annoyed her even more was the fact that Harriet’s eyes had been cold, killing her with the hope of indirectly hurting Zyren. At this point, Aira couldn’t continue to silently walk ahead. She turned to look at Harriet, who looked stunned, almost like she had been hit face-first with a huge rock.


    "If you can’t prove that there’s a reason for me to keep you by my side, then you’re better off somewhere else—as long as it’s not in my way!" Aira told her before she continued walking, aware that if there was ever a second time she needed to kill Harriet, she wouldn’t hesitate.


    I don’t want blood on my hands, but that doesn’t mean I’m prepared to die!


    The vivid memory of the moment she hadin bleeding on the arena floor was still burned into her mind.


    Aira continued walking toward her destination, relieved that Harriet no longer followed her. She fell back without another word, something Aira was d to see as she quickened her pace.


    It wasn’t until she came across the familiar doors that she stood and took two deep breaths before pushing them open—not surprised to see a lone man already standing in the center of the hall, surrounded by weapons, with a wooden sword in his hand.


    Aira closed the door, aware that the guards had been dismissed to keep the fact that she was learning how to fight a secret—since to most people she was still nothing but the king’s pet, not his Bond.


    "I guess you really doe here every day!" Aira said, having expected that she would have had to send someone to get him.


    "The king ordered it! I’m not foolish enough to go against his orders!" Varret responded, even as Aira simply nodded, directing her gaze at the weapons rack as she spoke again.


    "Should I also pick up a wooden sword?" she asked with curiosity, surprised when he instantly shook his head as he moved toward the weapons rack and picked up a sharp and gleaming de.


    "I witnessed the birth of your new ability—we’ll have no problems with injuries! It will also be a form of training," he told her, something Aira was instantly thankful for, especially since her ability was something she hadn’t figured out how to train.


    "Your strength, as I saw, is also good enough to hold a sword!" he told her, tossing her the shiny de.


    She caught it with ease, still staring at the intricate handle, when she was shocked to see Varret attack with a speed her eyes wouldn’t have been able to follow—if her physical senses hadn’t be stronger.