Devvyn breathed in and out slowly, pacing his breaths. His lungs burned, his chest tight, but he forced his legs to keep moving. He risked a glance over his shoulder, jogging backward for a moment as he wheezed, "Are you sure we can't stop now?"
"Absolutely not." Aela wagged a finger at him without missing a step. "We had a bet."
Devvyn groaned, swinging back around. What demon had possessed him to challenge Aela to a run? The girl was half his size but had the stamina of a horse. Even he, who'd survived Mawfiends and firestorms, couldn't keep up.
They'd gone from the Azure's shore to the train station and were now pounding the road home. Since they hadn't managed to get their hands on an Echo, Aela had gone ahead with her plan: entering the Gauntlet Trials. She'd convinced Gaur to help train her, and he'd agreed—though today he'd been summoned by Captain Winnow to give another account of the Emerald Basin. So instead of sword drills, it was jogging. Endless, merciless jogging.