Cressida's pov Coach Gilbert was back and the substitute Aldric was gone.He walked into the rink with his scarred eyebrow raised and his clipboard tucked under his arm and his face carved from stone. The team had been running drills without him for weeks and the chaos had scattered them and the rhythm was off. But he was here now and his voice was loud and his presence was steady."Line up," he said.The players scrambled."Faster."They scrambled faster."I said line up."They lined up and the ice was cold and the blades were sharp and the silence was thick.Coach Gilbert walked down the line and his eyes were sharp and his jaw was tight. He stopped in front of each player and studied them and his expression did not change."Volkov. You are slower than I remember.""I am rusty, Coach.""Rusty is not an excuse. Rusty is a condition. Fix it."Niko nodded and his jaw was tight."Ashcroft."I straightened and my heart was pounding."You are still standing.""I am still standing, Coach.
Read more