63. Rorax
Two days after returning to the castle, and two days before the next trial was scheduled to start, Rorax found herself standing in the courtyard, her jaw twitching as Isgra’s ass hit the ground with a string of loud curses. Again.
Captain Lamonte was attempting to teach Isgra how to use a round, wooden shield to block an oncoming spear while still managing to swing the shield and slam her opponent.
Rorax had seen Volla struggle with the exact sequences, and she’d had the very same elbow dip when trying to flip an opponent on his or her back. Rorax knew exactly what Isgra needed to change to help her.
It set her teeth on edge.
Isgra didn’t deserve her help, her guidance. But she would have instantly helped Volla to her feet, telling her where she went wrong.
The same way Volla would have helped Rorax.
Rorax rolled her jaw as Isgra hit the mat again, seething up at Captain Lamonte like a hissing cat. “This is a fucking waste of time. We don’t even need that sequence.”
Rorax had to bite her tongue to keep the snort back. Rorax didn’t normally carry a shield during her missions, but when one was available, it was rare if she didn’t use the technique at least once a fight.
Lamonte just shrugged down to Isgra, who hadn’t yet moved to get off her ass. “The Guardian laid out yer training programs, no’ me.”
Isgra got up again but did the same thing seconds later.
Jia, who was standing next to Rorax, pressed her lips together and tried not to not to smirk at Isgra’s grumbling.
Isgra pushed up onto her feet, but she stayed bent over, clasping her hands on her knees. She was breathing like a dragon. And Rorax knew, she knew, she shouldn’t say anything to Isgra. But she had to try. For Volla.
Rorax took a hesitant step forward. “Isgra listen, Volla used to struggle with the exact same move. If you let me, I’ll show you how our trainer at the time taught her to fix it—”
Isgra’s cheeks turned pink, and she straightened up quickly, her hands clenched. “Do not ever compare me with that bitch again.” Then she sucker-punched Rorax in the face.
Rorax jerked back, but Isgra’s fist still smashed against her lips and teeth, splitting Rorax’s upper lip open and sending blood down her chin.
Rorax stepped away as blood started to fill her mouth.
Instinctively, Rorax reached up to grab a knife out of her hair. The second she pulled the knife out, hands like iron manacles clamped down around her wrists and wretched her back. Rorax turned her head around to see Ayres holding her arms back just as he jerked her away again from Isgra.
Jia and Cannon filled the spots in her peripheral vision as they flanked her and Ayres on either side. No one else in the courtyard moved, but Rorax felt heavy gazes on her.
“Rorax, if you throw that fucking knife and you kill her, you die,” Ayres growled low in her ear, gripping her fist still clamped around the hilt of the knife. “If she needs to die today, give the word. But you can’t kill her.”
Something warm lit in her heart at his words, even as she bared her bloody teeth at Isgra. “What the fuck is your problem.”
“My problem is that you and that whore—” she seethed, pointing to Jia with a shaking finger, “—keep looking at me with puppy-dog eyes, and I’m done. It’s pathetic.”
Ayres’s hand wrapped tighter around her own, but Rorax kept her mouth closed.
Isgra looked over the blood on Rorax’s face with smug satisfaction, her eyes still hungry for violence. “Do not ever mention that filthy name to me again. She was honor-less, worthless; everything she ever did she fucked up. Her death was the best thing that happened to me and my family. They were smart to have sold her to the House of Ice the moment she was born.”
Rorax’s hand twitched, and Ayres gripped tighter around her wrists.
Rorax decided right then she would be happy to trade her first-born child for the opportunity to wrap her bare hands around Isgra’s neck, to squeeze every drop of life out of her. It would be incredibly satisfying.
Rorax’s chest radiated with anger; her jaw clenched so hard her teeth threatened to crack. If Ayres had not been actively restraining her, she would have plunged her knife into Isgra’s chest and carved out her heart.
She spit blood into the dirt between them before smiling wide at Isgra. Isgra flinched slightly and took a step away from Rorax, seeing the blood that coated the enamel of her teeth.
Rorax could only hope she looked as unhinged as she felt.
“Volla was better than you. At everything. The gods chose the wrong sister when they chose you for the Choosing.” Rorax cocked her head, watching smugly as Isgra’s face paled. The blow felt good, but it wasn’t enough. “Enjoy the next few weeks of your life, Isgra, before you either get killed or I kill you. Either way, you won’t be leaving here alive. I promise.”
Isgra swallowed hard, but her eyes started to glitter dangerously. “You don’t know anything about my sister. She abandoned us. Left us.”
“You just said your family, the Torviks, sold her,” Rorax bit out.
“She was strong, had training, she could have come back,” Isgra hissed. “But she didn’t. Our older brother Fiske died in the war and my parents fell apart, and I . . .” Her throat worked furiously. “I was left alone to grieve, to pick up the pieces. She never came back.”
Something uncomfortable and hot rolled through Rorax. Volla had talked about inviting her older brother to her wedding not three months ago. “Isgra, Volla didn’t even know your brother was dead.”
“I don’t trust a word that comes out of your filthy fucking mouth.” Isgra spit on the tiles at Rorax’s feet and took a threatening step towards her. “I’ve heard some interesting rumors about you, Rorax. Rumor is you’re fucking both the prince and his lieutenant, at the same time. A little bird told me the only reason the House of Death chose you to be their Contestar was because you’re nothing but an whore.”
The huge hand moved from Rorax’s wrist, and clapped around her shoulder, dragging her back a few more steps as Ayres shoved her behind him. The look he gave Isgra sent chills down Rorax’s spine when she peeled her gaze from Isgra to the hulking form restraining her.
The promise of death sat naked in his silver eyes, the muscles in his jaw jumping, as he bent down to get in her face said threatened, “Say one more word, Torvik, and I promise, you will regret it.”
Rorax must have broken Isgra’s self-preservation when she broke Isgra’s nose the last time, because Isgra narrowed her eyes up at Ayres and sneered, nasty and spiteful. “Was it really that good, Lieutenant? I’ve heard rumors about your conquests, and I have a hard time believing that scum—” she pointed to Rorax “—is really that talented.”
Ayres growled, low and furious, and it sent chills running down Rorax’s back. In all the months of training with Ayres she had never once heard him make a sound like that. Not even after she had stabbed him, and not even when they’d almost died infiltrating the castle.
“Ayres,” Rorax warned, but he let go of Rorax and stepped towards Isgra, so he was only feet away from her. His whole body trembled with the effort to keep his temper in check.
“Ayres, step back.” Rorax reached out and feathered her fingertips down his arm before gripping his trembling wrist. Isgra was an idiot, but she didn’t deserve to die. Not yet at least.
She tried to pull him back, but he took another step towards Isgra, pulling Rorax forward. The energy in the courtyard crackled with danger.
Rorax glanced over her shoulder to see everyone staring at them. The livid expression on Lamonte’s face made it seem he wouldn’t mind watching Isgra die today. In fact, no one looked worried on the Contestar’s behalf. The look on Kiniera’s face made it clear that if Ayres didn’t kill her, Kiniera might.
Ayres took another step closer to Isgra. “Torvik, if you so much as give Rorax another frown I will tear your head off your shoulders. You might not have a twin sister or a brother anymore, but you have another sister and two parents that are very much alive.” He gave her a violent look that sent another shiver across Rorax’s shoulders.
Isgra sucked in a breath, and all the blood seemed to drain from her face as her gaze flickered to Rorax, and then back to Ayres.
There was a beat of heavy silence before Isgra turned tail and hustled back into the keep without another word.
Even when people in the courtyard started reluctantly milling around again, and Lamonte called for the next Contestar pair to step into the ring, Rorax still felt eyes burning into her.
Ayres’s chest was heaving, and his fists were still clenched at his sides. He was so angry she could swear the evening air seemed to be steaming off his back.
But her? She wasn’t angry anymore. Isgra wasn’t worth it. No, she was still mentally processing Lieutenant Jackass defending her. She liked it.
Her knees felt a little weak and her heart a little heavy. She had never expected anyone from the House of Death to ever stand up for her.
“Ayres?” Rorax asked, her voice quiet and a little shaky.
He didn’t answer, just slowly turned his head to the side to stare down at her, still angry.
Rorax rubbed her thumb over her ring, trying to blink away her tears. “Thank you,” she croaked. “And I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to . . . That was nasty.” She looked away from him, wanting to say something else, but her chin trembled. She didn’t trust herself to speak.
“Ror, don’t,” Ayres ground out as he slowly wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders. He pulled her into him, forcing her to stumble face-first into his chest.
His other arm came to the back of her head and gently pressed her face a little closer to his chest. After a moment she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist, too.
She didn’t know what was happening. Lieutenant Jackass was hugging her.
Her grief for the loss of her best friend and her commander she’d held at bay suddenly felt heavy, like an unbearable weight she could no longer carry on her own. So, she leaned into Ayres a little more.
K??n help her, it felt good to know Ayres thought she was worth defending. To know Ayres thought she might have some potential, that she had enough goodness, kindness, and value in her worth defending, despite knowing the worst thing she had ever done.
Damn. She was going to cry.
Rorax breathed in his clean scent and his strength, then bit the inside of her cheek hard and pulled away from him.
Ayres stared down at her, his eyes searching her face. Whatever he found there made a shadow cross over his face. “Are you okay?”
She wiped her eyes before any more tears could escape and offered him a watery smile. “Yes . . .” she paused. “I will be.”
His dark gaze traced her face, and a little zing of electricity danced down and coiled around her nipples like it had in the stables two days ago before they’d been interrupted. She stepped out of his reach before she decided to run her hands over his chest or say anything she shouldn’t. “Thank you again . . . Ayres.”
He blinked down at her, like his actions surprised even him. Or maybe it was because she had finally used his first name. “You’re welcome.”