Eleanor's POV
My body was a map of fresh pains. Every breath pulled at a new ache in my ribs, my shoulders, my back. The sleek, grey training outfit was scuffed and torn, dotted with open patches where Morgana's energy had left an impact, leaving angry red welts on my skin.
I pushed myself up from the floor again, the muscles in my legs trembling. I looked up at her. Mrs. Mere. She stood across the vast, absorptive chamber, not a hair out of place, her expression one of cool, detached assessment. She hadn't given me a single break in what felt like hours.
She didn't wait for me to find my balance. Her hand reached out, and another bolt of searing red and black energy crackled toward me. I threw myself to the side, the heat of it singing the air where my head had been a second before. I hit the ground hard, rolling clumsily back to my feet.
"Take it easy!" I gasped, the words scraping out of my raw throat. "You haven't given me a second to breathe!"
