Chapter 10
“Iliana won’t be here today.”
Corinne frowned as she and Danai prepared to spar again two days after their first session, this time entering the ring with grassy terrain.
“Is she all right?” Corinne asked. For the first time since she’d met Danai, they looked troubled.
“The last couple of days have been challenging for her at home,” they said. “It’s…well, it’s not my place to share, but some days she keeps more to herself, and I try to give her space.”
Corinne, of all people, could understand that. Her empathy warred with the remaining fragment of distrust she’d harbored since Vera’s visit.
“I hope things get better for her soon,” she said, and she meant it.
“Me too,” Danai said. “All right. What are we covering today?”
Corinne didn’t want to admit it, but training with Danai was pure fun.
When had she last uttered that word, or considered it worth her time?
They spent half the session laughing and exchanging quips, and when Corinne accidentally nicked Danai’s upper arm with her sword, she healed it quickly, trying to ignore Danai’s flabbergasted expression the whole time.
“You can channel your magic into that sword, right?” Danai asked, hopping off the edge of the fence after Corinne had successfully mended their arm. She nodded, and Danai’s eyes sparkled. “Can you show me?”
Corinne knew Danai wouldn’t have asked if Iliana had been present to chastise them, and it made it all the more endearing.
With a smirk, she took a step back and held her sword at her center, blade facing the heavens.
Her magic flashed along her arms with Helaera’s blessing, lighting up the blade in brilliant golden light.
Corinne swung it out to the side, taking off a dummy’s head in an instant, leaving behind only charred edges of straw.
In a breath, her magic receded, and Danai stared at her with wonder in their eyes.
“Incredible,” they said, arms crossed as they shook their head. Corinne sheathed her sword as she fought a smile. “If I’d seen things like that growing up, I might be more inclined to visit the sanctuary every week.”
“Is there a sanctuary in the castle?” Corinne asked, brow furrowing.
Only a priestess or designated Lightguard could lead a service of worship, and she was the first Lightguard to reside in the castle in living memory, as far as she knew.
Danai nodded as they vacated the training grounds, heading inside for lunch. “It’s usually empty, but it’s on the fourth floor in the east wing. Iliana goes there sometimes. Nik, too, to light a candle for his mother.”
Corinne’s heart sank. “Nik’s mother has crossed the horizon of the Goddess?”
“That’s a very beautiful way of describing death,” Danai said with a sad smile. “But yes, she died when Nik was sixteen, about thirteen years ago now. An illness took her.”
“I’m very sorry to hear that,” Corinne said. She was quiet for a moment as they walked. “I…was a Lightguard unable to heal her?”
“They weren’t able to get to Vytanos in time,” Danai said. “It took her swiftly and suddenly.”
“That’s terrible.”
Danai nodded. “And Lightguards, I hear many of you are orphans?”
Corinne kept her face impassive. “Many, yes. Myself included.” Before Danai could offer condolences or ask questions, Corinne gave them a bracing smile. “Most come to the monastery as very young children. They are my family.”
“Leaving them had to be difficult for you.”
As they arrived at the dining hall, Danai’s eyes were full of understanding when Corinne looked at them.
“They are always with me,” Corinne said, forcing her smile to stay in place as she opened the doors. “As the Goddess is.”
“Say that again!”
Corinne and Danai froze the moment they entered the dining hall. Four tables down, two guards stood almost nose to nose, one of whom was Iliana. She grabbed the front of the other guard’s tunic, a man who was a head taller than she was, her face incensed. He shoved her away, sneering.
“I said mud-dwelling beggars,” he spat, and Iliana lunged at him.
The room erupted, servants scattering, some guards watching with interest, a few cheering. Danai raced forward, and Corinne followed, pushing around bodies to reach Iliana and the guard she’d tackled.
They were on the floor between two tables, Iliana straddling the other guard and delivering a heavy punch to his face.
Danai shoved several onlookers out of their way and dove for Iliana, hauling her off the man.
Corinne jumped in to restrain the guard as he shot to his feet and made to attack Iliana.
She grabbed his upper arms and immediately received an elbow to the ribs, dislodging her hold on him.
Stars burst in her vision. Her shock turned to anger in an instant, and her magic surged within, easing her pain.
Just before the guard reached Iliana and Danai, Corinne grabbed hold of his arm, yanking him back. He started to throw a punch at her, but Corinne dodged and used his momentum to send him to the ground, his arm pinned behind his back.
“You won’t like how this ends if you try to attack me again,” Corinne hissed in his ear.
The guard squirmed for a moment, rage blazing in his eyes as blood ran heavily from his now-broken nose. Iliana spit on the ground at his feet, still held firm by Danai but no longer struggling to break their hold.
“Fuck you, Antin,” Iliana growled.
“ENOUGH!”
Corinne’s head snapped up at the furious bellow. Captain Ekhana appeared at the end of the tables, disapproval painted across his face.
“Antin, Calais, you’re both working double time for a week starting today,” Captain Ekhana said.
“Captain, he insulted my family—”
“I don’t care if he cursed your entire bloodline to the fifth gate of hell, Calais,” Captain Ekhana said, turning to Iliana and Danai. “Brawling in the dining hall? You disgrace yourselves.”
Iliana held her tongue, but Corinne could tell she wanted to argue.
“And as for you, Antin,” the captain said.
Corinne released him, her markings disappearing as she reined her magic in.
He lifted himself from the floor, wiping blood from his nose onto his sleeve as he scowled at Captain Ekhana.
“Insult a fellow guard’s family again and I’ll send you packing back to your rich aunt in the city. ”
A murmur rumbled through the crowd around them.
Captain Ekhana turned to leave. “As you were!” he barked to the room at large, and guards and servants who hadn’t finished eating returned to their places at the tables, while others quickly vacated the room.
Corinne waited until Antin stalked off with two other guards before turning back to Danai and Iliana. They spoke low to one another, Danai patting Iliana’s shoulder as Corinne approached, trying to ignore the stares of those surrounding her.
Iliana gave her a sheepish smile. “Thanks, Corinne,” she said. “Are you hurt?”
Corinne shook her head. “I’m fine. You?”
Iliana grimaced. “My hand hurts like hell, but I suppose I deserve that.”
“I can fix that,” Corinne said. She glanced around at all the eyes still on the three of them. “Preferably not here, though.”
“Come on,” Danai said, beckoning to them.
Danai led Corinne and Iliana out of the dining hall and down a quick series of short hallways Corinne didn’t recognize.
They stopped at an innocuous wooden door, glancing around before opening it and gesturing for Corinne and Iliana to enter.
It was a small storage room, shelves stacked high with cleaning supplies and a few gardening tools.
An empty table stood below the only window in the room.
Danai hoisted themself onto it and patted the empty space on their right for Iliana. She joined them with a sigh.
“How did you know about this place?” she asked, lifting her hand as Corinne held out her own.
“Nik found it.”
“Why would Nik need a— oh, Goddess, never mind,” Iliana groaned. “You two are worse than teenagers in love.”
Danai’s answering laughter faded as Corinne’s magic illuminated her hands and arms. Iliana’s eyes grew as large as serving plates as the light funneled into her hand, the angry red marks on her knuckles fading as they healed.
It took longer than Corinne expected—there was a small fracture in one of the delicate bones of Iliana’s hand. No wonder it had hurt.
She’d been reckless, impulsive in a way that drew the attention of the entire dining hall. Corinne breathed a little easier despite the situation—it seemed less and less likely that any of her three new friends here would be working with the Nightrenders.
When her healing was complete, Iliana sighed in relief, then sniffled as Corinne’s magic faded.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice thick.
Corinne met her tear-filled amber eyes, and she froze. She hadn’t expected Iliana to cry.
“I didn’t mean to drag you two into my foolishness.”
Danai draped an arm around Iliana’s shoulders. “It’s okay. Do you want to talk about it?”
“My parents again, as always,” Iliana said, sniffling again.
“They say ‘We were twenty-seven when we had you and then Etta, you should be grateful for where you are.’ As if being the only person in the family making any real money isn’t something that terrifies me every day. I feel like I can’t breathe, Danai.”
“I know,” Danai said softly.
Iliana squeezed Corinne’s fingers, making her realize she hadn’t dropped Iliana’s hand. She wasn’t entirely sure what to do other than stand there and let Iliana cry until she felt better.
Corinne had carried many worries during her life, but money had never been one of them. The monastery was self-sustaining, providing plenty for its own people, and according to Vera, most villages hosted Lightguards at no cost, grateful for their presence alone.
“Thank you again,” Iliana said finally. “Both of you.”
Corinne knew she was supposed to be keeping these castle dwellers at arm’s length, should be careful with whom she trusted. But when she left the storage room alongside Iliana and Danai, she feared they’d sidled closer to her heart than she’d expected.