Chapter 30
The training grounds were a cacophony of sound and movement. Now that everyone had been assigned to their battalions, things were moving a lot smoother. All groups continued to do thirty minutes of instruction in each other section to ensure they were well-rounded, and the second half of the day was dedicated to specialized training.
Jai had to admit that everyone seemed to be in decent spirits. It helped that more soldiers from the outlying provinces had started to arrive, along with some other civilians, ready to fight. The untrained went through a condensed version of the gauntlet and were sorted into their battalions like everyone else.
“Brisk morning,” King Elias observed as he joined Jai overlooking the main training area. Groups of soldiers marched and sparred in the empty field. The sound of metal clashing on metal rang out, breaking through the cool morning air. It was nearing the end of the autumn tide; winter would blanket these lands soon. If it weren’t for the constant physical exertion, the cold would have seeped deep into their bones days ago. Even so, Erick had requested Irefeld’s matriarchs to weave some heavier blankets, hats, and gloves to have on hand in case winter decided to rear its ugly head early. The last thing they needed was to lose able-bodied fighters to frostbite.
“Indeed,” Jai agreed. “Your men seem to be faring better.”
The king chuckled. “You should have witnessed them when we crossed the border. There was not a leaf nor branch unmarred by their stomach contents.”
Jai allowed himself a laugh at the Braexian’s expense. Braexmirth’s soldiers were used to living high up in the mountains where the air was thin, so coming to Stelonbriar had forced them down to ocean level. The result was high altitude de-acclimation syndrome. The Braexians just called it “the drop.”
“How many do we have?” the king asked, his gaze panning over the large expanse of farmland. Jai knew that he was, of course, referring to how many lives they would be risking in the coming weeks.
“Just over four thousand.”
“Will it be enough?” he asked.
“It will have to be.”
* * *
Enara wavedoff a cloud of smoke and shook her head at Baz. “Did you even listen to the instructions Ikei gave us?” She rolled her eyes and beckoned him to come closer so she could wipe the black residue off his face. The twins had taken all the group leaders aside to show them how to use the smoke bombs their brothers had delivered from Braexmirth. The small onyx orbs looked harmless, but when thrown with enough force, the chemical reaction of the powders inside caused a powerful explosion.
Baz looked at the twelve-inch-wide crater in the ground at his feet then gave Enara a sheepish look. “It was an honest mistake!”
“You almost blew your foot off!”
“I didn’t mean to step on it. It was an accident,” Baz replied.
Enara made another sound of annoyance as she finished wiping off his face. “Tell that to them!” She swept her arms around them at all the eyes that were staring in his direction. “What happens next time you’re in the middle of it and that spot is one of us?”
Baz hung his head in defeat. “It really was an accident,” he said quietly.
Enara scrubbed her hands down her face, immediately feeling like a piece of shit for berating him. “Hey,” she said softly, cupping his cheek, “I’m sorry.”
“No,” he responded more firmly. “I need to do better, be better. I don’t want it to be my fault that anyone gets hurt.”
Enara shook her head. She hated it when he beat himself up. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I knew it was an accident. I just … It’s all starting to get to me.”
Baz pulled her to him, wrapping her tightly in his arms. “We all feel the weight of what’s coming. We just have to make sure we focus on fighting the enemy and not each other.”
Enara sniffled against his shoulder, allowing herself a moment to feel all the emotions she had been holding in for weeks. Baz said nothing as she cried silently against him before she pushed off his chest and wiped a tear away.
“I’m sorry,” she repeated.
He wiped away the final tear and kissed the apple of her cheek. “Everything will be okay.”
“You can’t know that,” she whispered.
“No,” he replied. “But I believe it.”
* * *
Jai watchedBaz and Enara embrace from across the field and wondered idly what Adaryn was doing at that moment. Apart from sharing a tent and their daily rituals, they had barely laid eyes on each other.
Adaryn would wake early to help Mrs. Ferndale get breakfast started, and he would sneak into the kitchens to share a quick breakfast with her before starting training. They would sit down in the mess tent for lunch, asking about each other’s days before separating again until dinner. He would leave her to join King Elias and Duke Erick to discuss strategy before turning in for the evening. Then they would come together before sleep in a tangle of teeth, tongues, and limbs, not caring if their moans were heard across the barren fields.
Adaryn was insatiable, and Jai was only too happy to concede to her in any way she wanted. Once, before dinner, she had ordered him to take her out back of the mess tent, their bodies crashing together passionately on the hard ground. He then returned to his seat by Erick and King Elias while she began filling serving trays with her hair slightly mussed and cheeks pinked.
If nothing else good came of this war, he would at least enjoy the fact that he could be with the woman he loved out in the open for all to see. Court etiquette had lost its place among the rubble that was now his kingdom.
War brought out a different side of people. The side that begged for blood to be spilled and for all those to relish in their dark desires as though they would die tomorrow. Because they might.
Jai adjusted his trousers, which had gotten uncomfortably tight due to his racy thoughts. He decided to check in on Soren and the old man, Kristoff, to see how they were liking their new bows.
He could hear the swoosh and thump of the arrows as they hit their mark, and he gave Soren a friendly wave when she noticed him approaching.
“How’s it going?” she asked, trotting over to him. Her armor chinked lightly as she moved.
“Decent day. Only a few minor injuries from the younger crowd. Warwick dislocated his shoulder, but Evelyn managed to replace it without much trouble.”
“Oof,” Soren replied, grimacing.
“He’s all right. Unfortunately, that means we are down another staff fighter. I’m glad we have Enara to pick up the slack.”
“Yeah.” Soren smiled fondly. Enara was definitely a woman to be reckoned with.
“Honestly, it’s been hard to find people to spar with her,” Jai said, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I’m not surprised. You should have seen the practice dummies back home.” A shadow fell over Soren’s eyes at the mention of Vreburn. Even though she knew her home was safe, it was hard to imagine what she would go back to if they survived the war.
Jai’s thick brows furrowed in concern at her expression.
“I can only imagine how well it’s going for the ones who do challenge her,” Soren said, trying to brighten the mood.
“Oh, you missed out on a few good takedowns, for sure,” Jai said, his eyes brightening. “Ori thought he could best her, and she had him on his back in less than thirty seconds.”
“Go, Enara!” Soren whooped.
“Hey, I have an idea,” Jai said, playing with the dark hairs on his chin.
Soren gave him a skeptical look. “I’m listening.”
“Why don’t we have a mini tournament? Maybe boost morale with some sort of prize.”
Soren couldn’t help the grin that spread across her features and crinkled the corners of her eyes.
“I’m listening.”
* * *
The crowd cheeredas Baz grappled one of the Braexian’s and threw him out of the circular ring carved into the ash-covered ground. He was coated in the black dust and breathing heavily.
Enara couldn’t help but appreciate the way his large muscles strained against his tight training shirt. The leather molded to his skin in a way that made her want to take him right there in the training ring.
After Baz was named the winner of that round, the Braexian stormed off, kicking up a cloud of soot in the process and sending a few of the onlookers into a coughing fit.
“Someone’s a sore loser,” Enara said under her breath as she watched the mountainous man stalk off.
“He’ll be all right,” Callan replied from beside her. His arms were wrapped around Saoirse, who was looking at her with wild eyes.
“Be glad you weren’t the one to take him out,” she said, smirking. “That would have been a real temper tantrum.”
“Why?” Enara asked. “Because I am a woman?”
“No,” she replied, her smile getting larger. “Because Braexian men prefer to dominate those they wish to bed.”
Enara looked at her, open-mouthed, unsure of how to respond to the comment.
“Julian was hoping he could win your affections by defeating Baztien,” Callan explained.
Enara’s mouth started working again as Baz returned to her side after finishing his victory lap.
“Then what? Did he think I would just leave Baz in the dust and jump into bed with him?” she asked incredulously.
“I mean, basically, yeah,” Saoirse replied, suppressing a giggle.
“Braexians do many things to display our affections toward our intended. Fighting just happens to be one of them.”
Enara huffed her annoyance in the direction of the beastly man who was talking with knife hands at a group of his brothers and sisters who seemed to be laughing at his expense.
Baz followed her gaze and asked, “So, do you mean to tell me that I was just part of a literal cock fight?”
Enara pressed her lips together and smacked his shoulder while Saoirse and Callan burst out laughing.
Baz reached forward and booped Enara’s nose with his pointer finger, leaving behind a dot of black residue. She finally broke, and he was rewarded with a full belly laugh. The sound brought joy to his ears, and he used his sleeve to wipe off her nose before following it up with a kiss.
“Hey, save it for later. You’re up, Enara,” Soren yelled from across the circle where she stood with Jai, Adaryn, and Rook.
Soren had yielded in the third round to a wiry teenager from Irefeld. Enara knew she probably could have bested him, but Soren likely wanted to give him the confidence boost. It must have worked, considering he went on to win two more rounds after that, using his long limbs and speed to defeat two larger men.
Rook had looked furious the entire time Soren had been in the ring, and Enara could see his hand flexing around his rapier. She had also noticed how his whole body seemed to relax anytime Soren was in his presence. To her surprise, she had grown to find him somewhat tolerable. He had even won Baz over, though it irked her to no end that he made jokes at her lover’s expense.
She shook her head, returning her attention to the task at hand, and entered the ring.
* * *
It was over quickly.She had managed to trip the female archer to the ground and grappled her into an arm lock. The archer had fought valiantly but ended up tapping out.
Rook fought next, taking out his opponent with ease. Then Baztien lost to a woman from Estelar named Astrid. She was in her early thirties and took him by surprise, dodging as his arm swung for her ribs and used her own arm and his forward momentum to flip him onto his back, winding him. He popped to his feet quickly, but she burst forward in an onslaught that he didn’t see coming. He landed hard on his hindquarters in the dust. He let her help him to his feet and shook her hand before saying, “Good fight.”
They were down to the final four, which included one guard from Irefeld and the elder twin, Ikei, Enara, and Rook. Enara defeated the guard, but she had earned herself a bruised rib and a slight twinge in her left ankle.
She watched on as Rook and Ikei entered the ring, dying to know which one of them she would be fighting. The speed at which they moved was mind-blowing, reminding her of when Rook had fought off the beast, Corvus, in Thorncrest. She felt a twinge of sympathy for him as she remembered what he had looked like after losing against his mentor.
She heard Soren gasp as Ikei landed a punch and two swift kicks to Rook’s chest and upper thigh.
Enara had to admit she was impressed with how well he was faring this far into the game. She had not been surprised when Ikei had made it to the top of the ranks after witnessing his fighting skills back in Edras Mora. His brother had only been defeated two rounds before by the same woman who had taken out Baz.
It was a long fight, and both men were limping by the end of it.
Rook had noticed that Ikei was favoring his leg and made it his new target, finally knocking him out of the ring. They shook hands, and he gave Enara a devilish smile that said, “You’re next.”
Rook was offered a fifteen-minute reprieve before entering the ring, which he refused.
Furious that he thought she needed to be given an advantage, she stormed right up to him to give him a piece of her mind.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” she growled.
“Only what is fair,” he responded calmly.
“I don’t need help or pity to claim king of the ring. Or in my case, queen,” she pointed out.
“I was not trying to offend you,” Rook said quietly. “I have an unfair advantage already, in case you forgot.”
Enara’s eyes went wide, and then she mentally smacked her hand against her forehead. “You heal,” she hissed. She scanned the crowd, trying to decide if she should call him out, but the strategic side of her warned that it would not be a good idea to share his secret.
“The worse the injury, the longer the healing time,” he continued in his lowered voice. “But if you want to make it more interesting”—he raised his tone so everyone could hear—“we could use blades. Give this crowd a real show.”
“Is that a joke?”
“Not at all,” he said, his eyes glinting with mischief. “First to draw blood wins. Sound fair?”
“Fine,” she replied, turning to grab Coraxis from Baz’s hands. “Don’t worry,” she said, assuaging his unspoken concern.
When her focus was back on the ring, Rook stood waiting, his rapier in hand. Normally, he brandished two, but Soren held the other tightly in her fist, her knuckles turning white with the effort.
“Let’s do this,” Enara snarled as Jai entered the ring.
It was decided that Jai, Duke Erick, and the king would not be allowed to fight in case of accidental injury. The leaders needed to remain in top shape with sound minds to lead them into battle, so they settled for cheering on the mayhem.
“The rules are as follows,” Jai started, and the crowd went silent as he spoke. “First to draw blood wins it all.”
“What’s the prize?” an onlooker called out.
They had yet to announce what the winner would earn. There had been so much pent-up energy amongst the warriors that just the thought of a reward had them all signing up for the mini tournament.
“The winner,” he continued with a dramatic flourish, “will get to enjoy a hot bath and … will switch accommodations with me for the next three days.”
Oohs and ahhs sounded from the crowd.
It was amazing how something like a war could put things in perspective. Before the recent attacks, a bath and a larger, more comfortable bed would have been a disappointing prize when now both things were highly coveted.
“Maybe I should let you win,” Rook said, crinkling his nose in disgust. “I’d be doing us all a favor—I can smell you from here.”
Enara knew he was goading her, but she couldn’t stop herself from giving him a smart reply. “At least, when I get laid tonight, it won’t be because I had to kidnap my partner.”
The comment effectively shut him up, and Enara let her lips curl into a satisfied smirk as she readied herself.
“On that note,” Jai said, awkwardly gesturing his hands toward the ring, “let the fight commence!”
Enara and Rook circled the ring, sizing each other up. For a moment, it seemed as though they would never start until Enara got impatient and began swinging. She had paid close attention to his fights, looking for signs of weakness, and couldn’t find any obvious openings, but as she dodged a blow, she caught a glance of Soren across the ring.
Her best friend stood with her hand over her mouth, watching the fight unfold, and Enara knew how to beat him.
As their weapons clashed, she muttered under her breath to him, “You will break her.”
The comment threw off his concentration long enough for her to land a sharp elbow under his chin, followed by a swift kick to his forearm, causing him to lose his grip on his sword. The weapon went clattering to the ground, and Enara used the length of her staff to send it skittering to the other side of the ring.
She stood between Rook and his weapon, and the look he gave her could have leveled all of Entheas. His chest was heaving, and his breath turned white in the cool air. Evening had fallen quickly over the last few bouts, bathing them in silver light.
It was Rook’s turn to make the first move. Knowing he was at a disadvantage, he wanted to be in control of his trajectory. He managed to fake her out since he was faster than her, but as he darted toward his weapon, Enara spun and swung out with the tip of her blade, catching his boot.
Rook let out a loud oomph as the air rushed from his lungs upon impact but was on his feet again, trying to inch his way back to his weapon. He caught Soren’s eye and gave her a wink before turning back to Enara.
Soren had debated if she wanted to stop the fight between her best friend and her lover but ultimately decided it was about time they had it out. That didn’t stop her from gasping loudly every time their bodies clashed or Enara’s blade just missed a sliver of Rook’s flesh.
In a surprising turn of events, Rook managed to land enough blows to make Enara drop Coraxis. She had not been so lucky as him in the fact that her weapon landed in the black earth at his feet, but she knew something he did not.
Touch it, she thought, willing him to attempt to use the enchanted weapon against her.
She exaggerated her injuries and pretended to struggle to get to her feet. Her face was etched with false pain while, inside, she smiled widely as he reached his bare hand toward her bladed staff. His long, white fingers grabbed the weapon eagerly, and she waited for him to cry out in pain, but the sound never came.
Her eyes widened as he strode toward her with purpose, and she stood as still as the great trees of Eldrin as he lifted the weapon and placed a featherlight nick on her right hand.
Her eyes flicked to Soren, and then to Baz, who seemed to finally catch on to what had just happened.
“I believe you dropped this,” Rook said, holding the weapon out to her.
She grasped it lightly, as though it were now a foreign being, no longer designed just for her. Then she followed Rook’s movements as he retrieved his sword and returned to the center of the ring to be congratulated by Jai.
The blood pumping in her ears was so loud it nearly drowned out the cheers of the crowd as Jai raised Rook’s hand in the air.
Soren and Baz were immediately by her side as her mind tried to process the discovery she had just made. Somehow, impossibly, her and Rook were both able to wield her weapon, which could only mean one thing.
The thought was so jarring that a wave of nausea threatened to turn her body into a convulsing mess. She was not ready to speak the words out loud just yet, but they rested on the edge of her tongue, begging to be released.
The words repeated over and over in her mind, screaming against the edges of her skull until she felt it might crack in half.
Rook and I share the same blood.