CHAPTER EIGHT
EMBER WRAPS HER ARM AROUND my shoulder as we head toward the training yard.
“Well that was productive,” Roz drones as he stretches his arms above his head. “Nothing has changed and we are still just training and waiting.”
Ember punches him in the arm. “Stop running toward violence. This is the best course of action. We need more information. Vathian warriors and rebels are holding the line. The evacuation is still going as planned. You need to find some patience,” she hisses at him.
I don’t bother to mention the encampments going up outside of major cities. As much as I want to fly in on Vasari’s back and free everyone, we don’t have a plan to stop it permanently until we can rid the realm of the Lords. Aemon has reminded me of that multiple times.
Roz sighs, peering at her with hearts in his eyes before he leans in and whispers, “I’ll behave if you let me do that thing to you tonight.”
She turns bright red and storms off ahead while he chuckles.
“You know if you keep getting under her skin like that, she’s going to kick your ass,” I tell him, laughing as we continue behind her.
He groans, “Fates, I hope so. That female could stab me and I’m pretty sure I’d still be hard.”
Nero ruffles his feathers in understanding and I scrunch my nose in disgust. “I didn’t need to know that,” I laugh. “Plus I think if you mention… your… male parts around me and Jesper’s in ear shot, that part might go missing, and I don’t think Ember would be happy with any of us.”
Roz pales, searching around before a breath of relief whooshes from him, and I can’t help but chuckle. I mean, would Jesper do it? Probably. Would I let him do that to my friends? Definitely not, but it’s still fun to tease him.
My laughter grows still and I turn to him. “Have you seen Lennox? I’m getting worried about him. He’s been distancing himself… understandably, but…”
He shakes his head. “He’s been sulking around the Safir Raiders. I’ll check on him later tonight.”
“If I see him, I will too. I don’t want him getting lost in his grief.
I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose a twin.
” My mind wanders and I think of losing the males I call mates, and my heart nearly stops.
I shake my head, trying to remove those dark thoughts.
No, we will definitely need to keep an eye on him.
We fall into a silent walk, taking in the castle which is buzzing with energy. Fae of all kinds rush about their duties, and as we approach the training yard, packed with warriors running drills, it reminds me so much of my mornings at Phixmery, but it isn’t anywhere near the same.
My gaze scans the yard searching amongst mud-smeared soldiers until I find Killian.
It’s not hard to spot him as he towers above the rest. His broad shoulders and powerful arms snap and flex with the precision of an elite fighter.
His braids that lie on top of his loose hair fly around him as he spins, ducks and maneuvers out of reach of every attack that comes his way.
He’s breathtaking. Many females wouldn’t see past the scarring and rough exterior, but I always have, and my heart aches with the distance between us.
But after last night, I’m not going to let him pull away any longer. He is mine.
Nero nips my ear. “Go get your male, Rav. Put the giant oaf on his knees and make him regret keeping you at a distance. While you do that, I’m going to make my rounds and maybe see if the kitchen has any leftover entrails to snack on.
” His excitement pulses down our familiar bond as he takes off, but not before he parts with, “If you need me, just call, I’ll be here to destroy whatever problems are pestering you. ”
I chuckle, shaking my head. Ember and Roz have already made their way out into the yard, so I take a deep breath, resting my hand along the pummel of my sword, and move towards the male who has just taken down five opponents.
All of them lie in the dirt, gasping for air, and Killian stands over them looking unimpressed.
As I pass warriors they jump up and bow with a murmured “Your Majesty” which still feels unnatural, but going with it, I smile softly and dip my head acknowledging them. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that kind of reaction whenever I walk into a room.
“Kill,” I address him, my voice steady and determined.
Even though my body is still exhausted, I know I need to train.
“Seems to me like you need more of a challenge.” We both know in hand-to-hand and weapons he can out-spar me, but magick is where I shine.
That means if I want to get close to him, magick isn’t an option, which is fine by me for another reason: my reserves still feel low from our fight in the mountains.
He visibly swallows as his gaze sweeps up my body.
Thankfully my leathers are form-fitting as if to say, “Yes, this is what you’re missing out on.
” I don’t even care if I’m being obvious.
He is my mate. Fate wouldn’t have put us together for no reason, and Mel would tell me to go for it.
To show him what he’s missing. So for myself, our bond and because I know Mel would beat my ass if I didn’t, there’s no more holding back.
“Rav, I think Jesper is down at the dragon’s keep if you’re working on magick—”
I pull my sword out of its sheath, pointing it towards him with a smirk. “Actually, I think it’s best if you teach me how to handle this long, hard, mighty weapon of dragonstone. Don’t you think so?”
His red eyes widen as he glances around as if searching for help, but there is none. I almost want to beam at his nervousness, but I keep the coy expression on my face. “I should really keep training the new warriors; they need all the assistance they can get.”
One of the males in the ground pipes up.
“With all due respect sir. She is our future Queen, and if she needs help then who better than you? A Vopn Fo legend.” Killian goes to open his mouth but the male isn’t finished.
“Don’t worry, I’ll go run laps for talking without permission,” he mutters and rises to his feet on shaky legs before heading off to do said laps.
At this point I’m holding back a stomach-shaking laugh at Killian’s face turning as scarlet as his eyes. “I’m sure they can manage to do their drills for a few hours before you beat them into the ground again.”
He scowls and grumbles, but instead of it scaring me, it makes me giddy, especially as he pulls his blade from its sheath. “Fine. Get in position.”
And this is where I blame Jesper’s influence for what comes out of my mouth.
“Just tell me how you want me, sir.” My voice comes out almost breathy, and his eye twitches before he growls again.
This time I adjust my feet to be shoulder-width apart, my knees slightly bent as I grip my sword in both hands.
Carefully I dip into a tiny bit of magick to block the sharp edges of our blades with air, making them blunt—something Killian has demanded we do while we spar with weapons.
Without warning he comes at me, and I barely have a moment to get my blade up to block his. The metal clashes and rings out across the yard.
He leans down so he’s hovering just above me. “I know what you’re doing Little Warrior, and it’s not going to work, no matter how much I want it to.” He pulls back again before our swords meet, over and over, and that’s when I know he’s taking it easy on me.
“Fight me properly,” I growl, this time going on the offense and taking a swing to his shoulder which he easily blocks.
“Then stop with this foolishness; it will only end up with both of us hurt.” His blade swings and I spin out of the way—next thing I know my back is pinned against the front of him with his swords pressed gently into my throat, so gently that even if the air wasn’t dulling the blade it wouldn’t have made a mark.
I press into him and notice that he isn’t as unaffected as he pretends to be.
“We are mates, Killian. Fate tied us together, and I know you would never hurt me. I will make you see this. I’m not going to let you avoid me anymore.
” I press my back into him, feeling his hardened length twitch.
“Our hearts have always been tied, and I have patience, but I need you to see what I see.”
“And what’s that?” he grumbles so low I almost miss it.
“That you are worthy of love.”
I peer up and he’s gazing at me, his expression full of pain and hope.
“Watch out!” A voice yells, snapping us out of our bubble.
Killian shoves me off to the side and I land on the ground hard. A slicing pain sears across my hand and the warm sticky feeling of blood coats it. “Fuck”
A male is apologizing profusely to Kill as I rise back up to my feet.
My mate grabs the male by the throat and lifts him off the ground.
“Throwing weapons are only to be used at the range. You should be tried for treason!” he bellows, spit flying as his rage takes over—rage I have never seen from him before.
He slams the male into the ground and a crunch echoes through the silent training yard as bones break.
“Killian, I am fine. Let the male go.”
He doesn’t look back toward me, but he pauses. “He almost killed you.” The words sound almost animalistic. “The throwing blade would have hit you.”
“But it didn’t, and accidents happen—”
Another crack sounds and Killian rises to his full height. The male lays strewn on the ground behind him—dead. “They know the rules about throwing blades, Ravina, and that blade was aimed for your heart. He wasn’t Vathian, or ours.”
I stare at the male on the ground before my gaze meets Killian. He wants me to be afraid of him, as if him killing a male in order to protect me should make me run far away from him—but it does the opposite. My feet carry me forward before I know what I’m doing. “You don’t scare me.”