Chapter 15 #2
“Almost.” I took an elastic from my rucksack then gathered my hair in my hands, tying it into a quick braid so that it wouldn't be in the way while we were training. A few strands fell free into my face, but I let them be.
“Okay. Ready.” I looked up towards Sebastian who was standing rigid, his eyes roaming my torso. He fumbled across the mat, trying to act nonchalant about the fact that I caught him watching me. My teeth clamped my lip to suppress my grin.
“Do you want to start with battle training or wielding?” he asked, running a hand through his hair, rustling it.
I was tempted to start with power wielding, but it would drain my energy too fast. “Training.”
Sebastian nodded and reached down to the sheath hanging against his thigh. He pulled out a dagger, and passed it to me. I gripped it firmly, turning it in various angles to admire it.
The blade was crafted from a polished silver so bright that I could see both of our reflections in it. The hilt was carved from diamond and had sapphires arranged in spirals within the stone. I flipped the dagger around in my hands. “This is beautiful.”
“It was my mother’s. I inherited it when she died,” Sebastian said, hanging his head just enough that I noticed.
I was stunned that he would let me use something so sentimental to him. I didn't feel worthy of even holding something that belonged to Queen Cicily. I tried to hand it back to him, but he shook his head.
“Why are you giving me this, anyways?”
“We are going to practice with weapons during our sessions. You won't do much of that in combat training until next year, but it's just as important to know how to fight with weapons as it is your hands.”
I gestured to his chest plate. “That explains the armor.”
“Yeah. I don't particularly want to be stabbed tonight.”
“You probably should have worn the rest of it then. Your arms and legs are fair game.”
“Should I get a healer in here before we start?”
“That would be wise. I don’t have the best aim yet,” I taunted, waving the dagger in the air.
“I can handle being stabbed in the leg. Just try to avoid any major organs.” Sebastian laughed.
“No promises.”
I wasn't thrilled with the idea of stabbing the man I was newly infatuated with in the chest, but we got right to work regardless.
“I want you to practice your offensive tactics. Try to hit me in the armor,” he emphasized the word, “and I’ll try to disarm you.”
I took my stance on one side of the mat, steadying my legs and bending my arms at waist level. I held the dagger tightly in my palm, angling it towards him. Sebastian did the same on the other side and waited for me to make the first move.
I held a tight breath of air in my lungs and lunged towards him, pointing the blade out. Before I could get anywhere near his armor, his wrist locked around mine. He tightened his grip, and the knife fell from my grasp.
“You didn't even give me a chance.” My nose crinkled with my complaint.
Releasing me, Sebastian picked up the dagger and handed it back. “There are no chances in real combat.”
“This isn't real combat.”
“Do you want it to be?” He smirked and resumed his combatant posture.
“No,” I whined, backing up and spreading my feet apart.
Sebastian stared into my eyes intently, waiting for my next attack. I hid my arms behind my back, switching which hand held the blade as I charged at him again.
He noticed my attempt to throw him off and stepped out of my way.
His body twisted, his chest pressing against my back as he grabbed me.
He held me to him with both arms, then slammed our bodies down on the mat.
He was much gentler than Sawyer had been, but the impact still caused me to release the dagger.
“Oldest trick in the book.” His words lingered tauntingly into my ear.
“Damn it,” I groaned as he lifted his weight off of me and jumped to his feet. I rolled to my back and sat up, scowling at him. “You aren't going to make this easy for me, are you?”
“What's the fun in that?”
“We aren't doing this because it's fun.”
His eyes narrowed on me. “Oh trust me, I know. Battles aren't fun. They're messy. Bloody. They reek like death.” He smiled smugly then spun to return to his place on the mat. “But training for them doesn't have to be that way.”
With his back to me, I jumped to my feet, holding my blade out.
I ran at him, slamming my body into his from behind, causing him to jolt forward.
I wrapped one arm around his side to hold him still, then lifted my dagger, preparing to stab it in his back.
But he was too fast and too strong. He turned his torso so sharply that it tore my arm from his waist and left us standing face-to-face.
I lowered the dagger and stared at him with disappointment on my face. His lips curved up, and I creased my forehead in frustration.
“No wonder you're a head soldier.” When it came to combat, Sebastian was really talented.
We spent another hour practicing. Only once did I come remotely close to hitting Sebastian's armor with my dagger, but he deflected the move before I could complete it.
We concluded the session when my movements began to get heavy-handed. The extent of our training left us both dripping sweat and breathing heavily by the end of it.
“I thought I was getting better at combat, but apparently not,” I panted.
“You are doing really well. Big improvement from the first day of combat class,” Sebastian teased.
“Not funny,” I shot back as I let my body collapse onto the mat where I drank from my canteen, taking deep breaths between each sip to try and regulate my breathing.
Sebastian sat down next to me, not nearly as breathless. “Tomorrow we can switch positions and you can try some more defensive techniques.”
“Will I get to wear armor?” I asked.
“No need to.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t miss,” he deadpanned.
I brushed a few sweat-coated strands of hair away from my eyes and nodded. “Can't wait,” I said sarcastically. I was already exhausted. Wielding practice after this was going to completely drain me. The king wanting us to do this every day seemed excessive, but as usual, I didn't get a say.
I took another sip from my flask, and I couldn't stop my eyes from ogling at Sebastian as he stood up. He unclasped the buckles of his armor then lifted the chest plate over his head. The metal made a loud clash as he threw it down on the mat.
“I can’t imagine that's very comfortable.”
He shrugged. “You get used to it.”
Sebastian lifted the edge of his shirt, using it to wipe the sweat on his forehead. The ridges of his abdomen flexed and heat rose inside of me as I admired his physique.
Fuck.
I choked on my water. To muffle my cough, I turned my head and wiped my mouth, trying to rid myself of dirty thoughts.
“You good?”
I bobbed my head, my eyes watering. “Yeah. I just… I…too much water.”
His shadow darkened the light around me. “Ready to try your luck at wielding?” he asked, not waiting for my answer before stalking out of the arena with his cloak draped around his shoulders.
With red cheeks, I pushed myself up from the mat, running after him and throwing my own cloak on. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” He led me outside, past the academy, and along a path that I'd never been on before.
The only light left in the sky was from stars that twinkled over us. A gust of frigid air made me shiver, and I wrapped my cloak tightly around myself to preserve heat.
The further we got from the academy, the more the starlight fizzled away under the network of branches above us. It was eventually so dark that I couldn't see much beyond my hands. I fumbled my steps, almost falling.
“I can't see anything.”
My heart jumped when Sebastian reached his hand behind him. He slowed his pace to match mine, taking my hand and guiding me through the darkness.
“Can I ask you something?” I inquired in an attempt to distract my mind from hyper fixating on his skin against my palm.
“Sure.”
“Why did you ask to be reassigned?”
A deep sigh filled the silence of the wilderness. “Because sometimes I’m just as stubborn as you.”
“I’m not stubborn.”
“Oh, yes, you are.” Sebastian's hand squeezed mine a few times. “And sometimes I just do things out of frustration.”
“Maybe you should try writing, too. It helps to prevent making rash decisions.”
“Yeah, maybe I should.” He released a huff of laughter, and I shivered in his grasp as we took a turn.
“Sorry. I know it's cold, but we’re almost there.”
“Where is there?” My teeth chattered as I spoke.
“I find it easier to wield when I'm in a location that relaxes me.” A faint glow of moonlight illuminated his face just enough for me to make out his features. “For me, the castle archives do the trick. For you, however, I think this is much more fitting.”
Sebastian dropped my hand to push apart a thick field of dune grass, ushering me through. I instantly forgot about the cold air when I stepped into the hidden oasis.
Before me was a beach of golden sand—the most beautiful piece of earth I had ever stepped foot upon.
The ocean raged beyond the shore, the glow of the cosmos bouncing off of the water.
Shells glazed the sand, adding a prism of color to the already stunning ambiance.
The entire coastline was hidden by an array of grass and shrubs, concealing it away from the rest of the world.
“Sebastian…” I started, but had no words to describe this. I wandered towards the edge of the water, gazing into it and being reminded of the night I discovered my stones.
“Amazing, isn't it?” Sebastian appeared beside me. The starlight made his features even more alluring, and I found the air gone from my lungs.
I drew in a deep breath, exhaling slowly to gain control of myself. I had to stop. If I kept thinking about him like this then I’d truly fall for him. And I couldn't allow that. The next few years would be miserable if I ruined things by letting my feelings get in the way.