The Spirit Guardians Book 3: Fated

Chapter 28

Marc wiped the sweat from his forehead as he finished up a morning of training with Cassie. She was sitting on the lawn, catching her breath before she reached for her water bottle.

"So when are you going to graduate me?" Cassie asked curiously. "I think I'm doing pretty well."

Marc narrowed his eyes. "Just because you're doing well doesn't mean I'm going to graduate you right away. There are still a few more things to learn, and you should be practicing your exercises in your free time."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "If I'm practicing weights in my freetime and also meditating and also practicing combat and doing good deeds, there's no way I could practice all ten of my training methods."

"Your other instructors would be upset to know you haven't kept up," Marc warned.

"I'm trying, but between meetings and finishing up training and watching Elijah, there isn't much time for me to continue mastering every form of spiritkeeping."

Marc growled. "Well, I'm probably going to graduate you in September?"

Cassie's eyes lit up in response to this. "Really? So soon?"

"Yes. As much as I hate to admit it, you're improving steadily. Has Conny said anything about the end of your training?"

"No, actually," Cassie stated, hugging her legs close to her chest. "I always thought he was much more of a chill teacher than you, but he doesn't seem intent on letting me end training anytime soon. Which is annoying because I'm this close to fully unlocking my powers."

"You've pretty much already unlocked them when you got enlightened," Marc stated.

"It's hard to notice since I didn't start training until after I got enlightened. Do you notice differences now?"

Marc slowly nodded. He'd grown stronger and had a larger stamina since that day he had gotten enlightened two years ago. He'd seen the effects of enlightenment on the others too. Conny had grown more optimistic, even more so than before, and even Mitsuki appeared more bold after her own.

"I wonder when Lillian will go," Cassie wondered.

"I don't know if she'll be able to. It's getting too dangerous these days," Marc stated.

"But it isn't," Cassie realized. "Why is it that it's been so easy to take bases? Why have the Preservers lessened their patrols? How come they haven't discovered us yet? I think they're planning something."

"Of course they are, but maybe they realize their support is weaker than they thought," Marc suggested, though Cassie's words struck a chord in him. He had also sensed uneasiness knowing that the Preservers were less active these days.

Cassie frowned. "Well, I guess we'll find things out eventually," she said, slowly standing up and wiping bits of grass off her legs. "I'm going to shower. Will you watch Elijah?"

"Yes. How come Lillian hasn't been watching him as often?" Marc wondered.

"Because you wanted him to watch him more, and she deserves some rest."

"She just goes and hangs out with Mitsuki," Marc grumbled.

"Just go babysit," Cassie said, waving her hand.

"You're very polite," Marc teased as he ascended the porch steps.

"You love me," Cassie responded.

I do, Marc thought as he smirked and stepped inside. Cherie had been entertaining the child on the living room floor, clearly taking a break from her work as her stacks of papers laid splayed out on the table.