Chapter 66 – Ayer
AYER
Lethal.
The Rose Princess is positively lethal.
I stand at the edge of the training ring with my arms folded across my chest, watching Rowan circle Theo the way a wolf would its prey.
She had already wiped the floor with Wyatt before she’d even had breakfast. He’s young, still learning. But Hayes was a surprise.
Rowan might look tiny and delicate, but what she lacks in brute strength, she makes up tenfold in speed and agility.
And she’s smart. Always three or four moves ahead of her opponent at all times, anticipating every attack and counterattack; her ability to read even the slightest hint of body language is a skill even I can admire.
She plays with my best fighters like a cat with a mouse. And gods help the poor bastard standing across from her once she decides to stop playing nice.
“I think she enjoys this too much,” Wyatt mutters beside me, rubbing at his jaw. Rowan landed a wicked kick to it earlier, knocking him out cold.
“You say that like you weren’t the one running your mouth a couple hours ago,” Hayes smirks next to me.
Wyatt scowls. “I thought she was bluffing.”
The corner of my mouth ticks up as I keep my eyes on the Sitari princess in the ring in front of me. Her skin is flushed, sweat dampening the loose strands of hair that usually fall into her face.
She’s been at it for hours. Starting with a workout and warm-ups with me before begrudgingly stopping for breakfast, where she challenged Wyatt one-on-one.
Poor guy didn’t know what he was getting into.
She catches my gaze, her mouth twitching up into an unassuming smirk. Not a friendly smirk. I’ve learned to fear the expression she’s currently wearing.
Trouble is what it is.
Across the ring, Theo grins like he’s been handed an early Solstice gift.
“Oh, this should be fun.” I can hear the grin on Hayes’ face.
“It’ll be something,” I mutter, regretting not working Theo’s blood into my rune spell. Unlike me, Rowan can hurt him. And judging by that look on her pretty face, she’s going to hurt him.
After seeing her take down man after man in my command, I have to ask myself if it’s wise to unleash the little menace on my best friend.
But the way Theo’s swaggering around the ring with all the confidence of a prince of his position…
with that cocky-as-hell smile on his face… I can’t say he’s not asking for it.
The fading sunlight above glints off of his golden hair while he rolls his shoulders back lazily, nonchalantly sizing up his opponent.
“Careful, Princess. I’d hate to bruise that royal ego of yours.”
Rowan arches a brow. “I’d hate to bruise yours,” she says sweetly—too sweetly. Her head tilts to the side as she lets her eyes roam over him. “It seems fragile.”
Wyatt snorts loudly.
Theo presses a hand to his chest in mock offense. “Princess, you wound me. Ayer, you hear this disrespect?”
Rowan just shrugs casually, her stance relaxed, playing into Theo’s attempts to disarm her. Though when her eyes flick to mine, I see the mischief there. Theo may finally have met his match. The corner of my lip ticks higher.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I shouldn’t be worried. Theo and I trained together; I know what he’s capable of—yet still I find myself shifting on my feet, my attention sharpening despite myself.
Theo makes the first move, of course.
Rowan dodges him easily, going on the defensive.
Theo attacks again, but pulls his punch.
First mistake.
Rowan’s eyes sharpen. She saw it too.
I sigh, having just watched Wyatt and Hayes do the same.
Rowan continues on the defensive, allowing Theo to have control of the fight, even letting him land a few hits on her.
Theo grins, pressing harder, thinking he has her on the edge, not realizing she was only toying with him.
Her eyes find mine just before she flips the switch and goes on the offensive. She moves fast and efficiently. Her strikes don’t carry the same brute force as ours, but she knows exactly where to hit. Ribs. Knees. Throat. Pressure points. And never the same place twice.
Soon, Theo’s scrambling to stay on his feet.
Wyatt and Hayes cheer the princess on from the sidelines, happy to watch Theo get served for once. Moons know his ego needed the check.
Rowan’s relentless; once she went on the offensive, she didn’t yield. No hesitation. No mercy. Moving fast and hard, she doesn’t even allow Theo to get in a full breath.
The prince’s cheeks burn red with exertion, frustration dancing in his blue eyes. Having been his sparring partner for years, I already know what his next move is. But then again, so does Rowan.
Theo launches himself at her, wrapping his arms around her middle and heaving her off the ground, with every intention of slamming her back onto it.
But instead of fighting his hold, she leaps into it.
Clever.
She twists around his body before he can lock down the hold properly, using his own weight against him. A second later, Theo’s eating dirt.
I fold my arms tighter to hide the smile threatening to break free.
Wyatt’s already laughing.
“I thought you said you were good?” Rowan laughs, holding out a hand to her latest victim.
“And here I thought you were a proper princess.” Theo laughs, taking her hand and letting her haul him up.
She grins, letting her head fall back with her laugh.
That smile.
“Admire the rose,” she says lightly, her gaze trailing to meet mine, “but beware the thorns.”
This time, Rowan turns toward me instead. “Well?” she asks. “What about you, Captain?”
The entire training yard goes quiet.
I stare at her.
Rowan just shifts on her hips, crossing her arms like she didn’t just challenge me in front of everyone. The rune on her wrist glints in the fading light.
She can’t hurt me.
But suddenly, I’m not entirely convinced she wouldn’t find a way around it out of pure spite.
“You want to spar with me?” I ask slowly.
She nods just as slowly. “I do.”
I step into the ring. She straightens, and while the guys joke and laugh at my back, her attention is wholly focused on me.
“Careful, Princess,” I murmur as I circle her slowly. “Don’t go getting cocky now.”
“Stop hesitating.”
I lunge.
She dodges me easily, twisting sideways before dropping down, trying to hook my leg.
She’s quick—but not quick enough.
I catch her wrist, yanking her flush against me.
She hisses.
“Don’t go easy on me now,” I mutter near her ear.
“Maybe I just wanted you close.”
Wait, what?
My head jerks right to look at her, my grip loosening for a half a second as I pull back.
Mistake.
Rowan stomps down hard on my boot.
The rune burns hot across her wrist, just under my palm, and I release her. It’s more irritation than punishment. Not enough to stop her, just enough to warn her.
Rowan’s eyes widen in surprise. “Oh,” she says with a hint of delight. “So minor violence is acceptable.”
“You can do that?” Wyatt asks, sounding just as shocked as I feel.
Rowan grins wickedly back at me. “Apparently.”
We circle again.
This time she makes the first move, going on the attack now that she knows she can hit me so long as she’s not trying to kill me. I easily block her attacks.
Her fist flies toward my ribs.
I block easily.
She pivots immediately, driving a kick toward my knee.
Blocked again.
Another strike.
Another.
Again.
Again.
Each attack comes faster than the last.
She’s testing the rune.
Testing me.
And gods, she’s good.
The rune allows her to hit me now, at least while sparring, but I feel the hesitation in some of her harder blows. Tiny flickers where the magic pulls against her intent.
Still, Rowan adapts.
She aims low suddenly, and I block that too.
A growl of frustration slips from her throat.
“There it is,” I hum, a smirk playing on my lips.
“There what is?” she snaps, her eyes narrowing.
“That temper.”
Her green eyes flash molten gold at the edges.
She attacks hard, managing to drive me back two steps before I redirect her momentum, nearly sending her to the ground, but she recovers at the last second.
“You’re holding back,” she accuses, her breaths coming hard.
“So are you.”
She huffs a laugh. “I’m trying not to violate your precious rune.”
“And what a good girl you are for that.”
She makes her first mistake, lunging for me, but I’m ready.
I catch her, shoving her back against the wall. She doesn’t have a chance to recover before I’m on her, trapping both wrists this time and forcing them over her head, pinning them there.
She struggles in my hold and I smile, caging her in with my body.
“Yield,” I order as she continues to fight.
Rowan goes completely still, her eyes darting up to meet mine. “Or what?”
I tighten my grip instinctively as her gaze drops from my eyes to my mouth, and heat coils low in my stomach as a few ideas come to mind.
“Ayer,” she breathes, slowly lifting up on her toes, leaning in closer, “you’re forgetting one thing.”
“What’s that?” I ask, my eyes dropping to her mouth.
“I wanted you close.”
I see the smile, but it’s too late. Rowan drives her knee upward with brutal efficiency, right into my crotch.
I curse, staggering backward, allowing Rowan to slip free. Theo cackles at my back as she breezes by.
I straighten slowly, glaring murder at her while the pain slowly ebbs away. “You fight dirty.”
“I did tell you…” She grins when I narrow my eyes. “Watch out for the thorns.”