Chapter 25
I blamed my exhaustion on the hangover, but it didn’t matter. Clearly, I was the only one so heavily affected, as Jace smirked over the barrier.
“C’mon, Malissa and Rubi,” he called, a smile directed at me. “This is just a balance exercise. Ride toward each other, cross blades once. That’s it.”
Malissa stood atop her tyger, opposite Flame and me. I was trying with a sword again, though I wasn’t any better. Still, it felt more useful than using my ribbons against her short twin blades.
The princess was a warrior. Jace gave her the respect her position deserved but the others still whispered the word yin behind her back, even though Malissa was deadly and precise.
We were the two female yin tyger riders. I’d hoped we might become friends eventually. But she still hated me. I wondered about her relationship with Blake—it was probably something more than friendship, I thought with a pang.
Ready? I asked, petting Flame’s fur.
Always.
There was one thing I was unexpectedly, undeniably good at. When it came to riding our tygers at full speed—standing up, balancing on their backs, leaping through hoops as they charged across the training field—I excelled.
Everyone else lurched and stumbled, their tygers jolting beneath them. Even the strongest warriors like Blake struggled to keep their footing. Ire, with his great mass, fell spectacularly several times, cursing as he hit the dirt.
But me?
The moment I stood on Flame’s back, it felt effortless.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that Flame and I could mentally coordinate every second of every move.
I sang to her as I rode. And she hummed back. I wasn’t just balancing. It was like I was dancing with her, flowing with the powerful rhythm of her stride, her instincts meshing seamlessly with mine.
That was probably why Malissa’s eyes flashed as she struggled to balance on Venom’s back. It might have been the reason she hurled her blade at me instead of clashing with mine, as we’d been ordered.
Pain right below my shoulder. A hot burst of blood. Flame roaring. I tumbled off her and slammed into the ground.
“Blazing hell!” I cried out, my voice echoing in the space. Flame spun back and crouched over me.
Rubi?
I’m fine. It just hurt. At least she didn’t hit anything major.
Flame growled once more, then turned and knocked into Venom, with more force than I’d seen.
The movement easily jostled Malissa off her tyger, sending her sliding in the sand after landing on her shoulder.
Venom, for a brief moment, seemed to consider charging, but Flame was tygress queen.
One rumbling growl had every single tyger in the training field alert and focused.
It was Kingsolver, though, who jumped into the fray, sidling up to Flame.
He was protective, like her second-in-command.
The two of them slowly stalked forward and cornered Venom.
Jace and Blake had already hopped the barrier, palms raised toward the still-growling tygers.
Blake looked toward me, penetrating blue eyes fixed on the blood pooling over my arm where Malissa’s knife was still stuck. He looked furious. Steeling myself, I pulled it out, keeping my gaze locked on his.
His boot moved in my direction, but Jace pushed past him, rushing toward me.
“Rubi?” he shouted. “Holy Guan Yu—are you all right?”
“I’m okay,” I said. “I swear, it was just—”
“Morningtail,” Malissa spat, eyes flaming as she stood and darted away from the others. “Get your tygress away from Venom. Now.”
I took Jace’s hand, allowing him to help me up. The Azures had finished their training by now, slowly pouring into this side of the arena, which usually was my signal that it was time for dinner.
“Malissa.” Blake’s face was white with anger. “You were completely out of line. You could have—”
“It’s all right. I can handle this.” I smirked, turning the bloody blade toward myself and handing it to her. “Seems you misplaced something.”
“Rubi,” she snapped. “Venom.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t bloody me and Flame won’t attack. We’re on the same team, Princess.”
For a moment, I wondered if she might hit me. She looked ready to—but her eyes drifted nervously to the furious Ambush Master. He was clearly angry with her now, but if push came to shove, would he protect his princess and possible future fiancée? Or—
Stop it. Flame rumbled and looked back at me, ears twitching. Oh, you cannot be serious. You like him?
Let Venom go, I said back, shaking my head to clear the dangerous thoughts of the Twin Blade just feet away.
Kingsolver and Flame backed off. Venom sprang free, snarling, before Flame padded to my side.
She could’ve ended you. Flame’s glowing eyes locked on Malissa, who edged back.
But she didn’t. And she never misses, I thought dryly. It’s shallow.
Flame dipped her head and gave the wound a slow, deliberate lick. By the grace of Kuan Yin, relief. I sighed. Gasps rippled through the crowd as the skin closed clean.
“So that’s how you survived the Arena,” Jace murmured.
Malissa tensed. Blake grabbed her shoulder and gave a sharp shake of his head. She stilled.
“Training is over,” Blake ordered.
Calla and Quinn took that as their sign to join the ring, running over to check on me. They peppered me with questions and inspected the now-healed wound, but I barely heard a word, too busy watching the icy gaze of someone I definitely shouldn’t be upset over.
Snap out of it, I commanded myself.
Blake took one last look at me, eyes lingering on the blood on my shoulder, before he turned and followed Malissa out of the ring, Kingsolver reluctantly following behind.
—
I was upset by the fight with Malissa. I was upset by my feelings for the Ambush Master. And I was confused.
When I turned the corner toward the halls by my rooms, an arm reached out and gently caught my shoulder.
“Where are you going?”
Blake. The gods hate me, truly.
“I told you—meals are in the dining hall.”
“I’m not breaking the rules by not going,” I said, surly. “I don’t intend to eat at all.”
I tried to scoot around him, but he sidestepped me, keeping me cornered.
His brow furrowed, the lines of his sensual mouth turning down. “Rubi?”
“Stop it, Axefire,” I snapped, hating the concern I could hear in his voice. I lowered my own and looked around, slightly paranoid. “I don’t need coddling.”
“What happened with Malissa today—it shouldn’t have happened at all. I should have—”
“Save it. There’s only so much you can do, and she is your princess.” I shrugged. “That is your duty.”
“You are my duty,” he said. Blake’s frown deepened. “You are Flame’s chosen rider. One of my warriors. Therefore, I take responsibility for you, and for Malissa’s actions.”
I hated the sadness I felt at his duty-bound words. What had I expected? For him to kiss my wounds and tuck me into bed?
Nodding, I stepped back again. I whispered, “Can I go now?”
There was a long silence then, his body hovering over mine, so close I could feel his warmth despite not touching him. His hand rose slightly, almost like he might touch the area where my wound had been beneath my leathers.
But then he let out a resigned breath and stepped aside, head tilted down and eyes closed as if in pain.
I didn’t look back as I walked to my rooms, ignoring the pull toward him.