Chapter 16 #2
I nod in agreement. Whoever murdered my father is still out there and could be anyone, even someone from our court. We don’t know who betrayed them, but they could betray me next.
“I’ve cleared Elle’s schedule in the mornings for her to train you,” he says. “If it’s okay with you, Mae, I’d like for you and Elle to begin that right now. My remaining agenda items are sparse and can be handled with Luca and Holly.”
Elle and I both nod in agreement before standing. The mood in the room is somber after the updates he just shared. We exit the room and I quickly change into my training gear.
Elle and I run an easy four miles before beginning our physical training.
She reviews the basic blocks, dodging, and strikes.
After practicing those, she introduces how to escape different kinds of holds.
We start with the basics, like getting out of grabs.
I master those quickly. Then she moves on to escaping chokeholds, which I have more difficulty with.
“No, Mae, quit grabbing my arms from the sides. You need to punch up from below and break the hold that way,” she says, her hands around my neck for the fifth time.
I haven’t managed to break out of this hold yet, and she’s not going easy on me. “Your attacker isn’t going to go easy on you. Why should I?” she said earlier when I complained.
I move my hands below her extended arms and focus on driving my clenched fists in between them, gathering power from my back leg to increase the force that comes from my fists.
I do it quickly, too, and it works. Her hold around my neck loosens, and I break into a smile.
But her arms come right back down, and she fastens her hands around my neck again.
“Congratulations, but then you have to remember to move out of the way,” she says dryly.
“Damnit,” I mutter. I repeat the movement again, but this time, she’s expecting it, so I focus on driving more power up. It works, and I dart down and away from her.
She smiles and says, “That was great! Moving in a downward motion is smart because I was planning to just continue to move forward, but you moved down which ruined my plan.”
We practice this a few more times, and I’m able to get out of every chokehold. Next, we practice chokeholds from behind, which is a little bit more difficult to escape.
I focus on stabilizing her arm that’s gripping my neck and tucking my chin into the crook of her elbow like she taught me. I push my hips out, trying to throw her off balance, but she’s still holding on. So, instead of trying to get out of her grip the way she taught me, I bite her forearm. Hard.
She immediately lets go. “Ow!”
I grin at her, and she starts laughing. “Okay, you got me there,” she admits. “Again.”
Her arm is wrapped around my neck, my body flush against hers when the training center doors crash open, the sound reverberating through the space.
Asmo saunters through them, eyes fixed on us.
My stomach instantly flips as I recall the last time I saw him and the way his cruel words made me feel, followed by the shame of allowing it.
“Well, well, well. This is quite a scene. Instead of working out, I may just watch,” he says, slowly approaching us, eyes locked on me. “You know, I could choke you, too. All you have to do is ask.”
His rude remark gives me the fire I need, and I break the hold and move away from Elle.
“What are you doing here?” I demand.
“Is this not a training center that’s available to all?” he asks, his eyes sweeping over my body.
“It is,” I say curtly.
“Then I’m here to use it, Your Highness.”
“Fine.”
“I actually think we’re done for the day, Mae,” Elle says from beside me. We have been working for over an hour. I nod and grab my water bottle before heading out of the space.
“Lovely to see you again, Your Highness,” Asmo says with a smirk before we exit.
I toss a hand back in a wave but don’t respond otherwise.
“You have to do something about that,” Elle says as the doors shut behind us.
“About what?” I ask innocently.
She waves back toward the gym doors and says, “Whatever the hell that was.”
“Why?” I ask her before taking a swig of my water.
She gives me a pointed look. “Even if you don’t end up marrying him, which seems is the likely outcome, he’s going to be the King of the Serpent House. If there is tension between the High Houses, this isn’t going to help. At the very least, you need to be cordial with everyone.”
I sigh as I mull over her words. She’s right. “I hadn’t considered that.” I tug at the ends of my hair as we head down the path toward the castle. “What do I do now?”
“Try to resolve it during your date. Maybe try being nice to him if you see him again before then.”
I nod in agreement. “Fine. What’s next for today?”
“I was thinking we could go to a clearing and work on some elemental abilities,” she suggests. “There’s one right around this corner.” She points to a bend in the path.
I begin to nod in agreement, but I stop myself. “Actually, can we work on me being able to detect lies?” I ask.
She looks startled by the request but says, “Of course.”
“Perfect. Want to meet me back in my wing in ten minutes?”
“Meet you? What?” she asks, turning her head to me.
“I’m gonna go back and apologize to Asmo,” I explain.
We agree to reconnect as soon as I’m done with Asmo, so I head back to the training center.
When I get there, he’s doing squats on the squat rack.
His shirt is already damp with sweat, and his black shorts show off his well-defined, powerful legs.
He powers through each rep, coming down slowly, then bursting back to the starting position.
As much as I hate to admit it, his backside is impressive.
He eyes me in the mirror as I approach and racks the weight. His chest rises and falls hard as he catches his breath.
“Hey,” I say lamely.
“Enjoying the view?”
I take a deep breath, gathering the strength to put my ego aside. “I’m sorry I snapped at you—that I’ve been snapping at you,” I say, not meeting his gaze. I don’t particularly feel apologetic toward him. He deserved my attitude with all the inappropriate remarks he’s made toward me.
He laughs—actually laughs—and I feel the anger rising back up. But then he says, “No. You’re not sorry. I’ve been a dick to you.”
He’s looking at me in that intense way that he does.
“You’re right,” I admit. “I’m not sorry for snapping at you after the comments you’ve made toward me. I am sorry, however, that we got off on the wrong foot.”
“Apology accepted,” he says, then shifts on his feet. “Look, I get it. You’re mad at the world. So am I, which is why I was rude to you.”
I look at him, trying to feel for signs of deception, but he appears genuine. “Is that an apology?” I ask.
“No, it’s not. But it should be.”
I cross my arms and stare at him. Finally, he says, “I’m sorry, Mae.”
“Well, that was easier than I thought,” I grumble sarcastically.
He laughs again. His laugh is nice, and his smile softens his face. He says, “Here’s some advice for you, my Queen. You have a backbone. Keep it. Don’t roll over for anyone.”
I nod at him and say, “Thanks. I guess. Anyway, I’ll let you get back to your…squatting or whatever you’re doing.”
“Feel free to stay and watch,” he says, winking at me over his shoulder as he turns back toward the squat rack.
“You wish,” I throw back as I begin to leave the training center.
“Let me know if you need someone else to choke you,” he calls behind me.
I stifle my laugh, intent on not responding to him. He’s still a dick.
Elle plops down on the cream sofa back in my wing before untying her boots and tossing them on the floor. I sit next to her, crisscrossed and facing her.
“Okay, teach me how to detect bullshit,” I say.
“Well,” she says, seeming uncomfortable. “We don’t know if it’s an ability that you have. It’s rare. Only some of the deer hybrids have been gifted with it. So, we can practice, but it’s possible you just don’t have the ability.”
I motion with my hand. “Okay, let’s get to it.”
She laughs and sits back against the sofa. “What do you know so far?”
“Holly said it’s like casting a net and seeing if anything snags. But then she said it was more of your domain and didn’t say anything else.”
She nods. “She’s right. If there’s deception in a statement and your net is cast, it will feel like a disruption in your magic.
The truth is smooth—like a calm river. A lie is like an object sticking up in the middle of the water.
Sometimes it’s a small branch, and it’s not easily detected, but sometimes it’s like a massive rock. ”
Seems easy enough.
“Can people lie without me knowing?” I ask.
She tilts her head in consideration. “Yes, but it’s difficult to do if your net is cast. They’d have to be highly skilled at lying, so much so that they have to truly believe that the lie is true in some way.
You should also know there are ways around the truth that don’t constitute lying.
I want you to ask me some factual questions, and I’m not going to lie, but I’m not going to tell you the truth. ”
I nod and say, “Okay. Is your name Ruby?”
“My name is one of many, and Ruby is one of my favorites,” she says, stone-faced.
I didn’t feel anything. I look at her, head cocked. “Is it really?”
She laughs and says, “Yes, I love that name. Next question.”
“Um…Do you like my outfit?” I smile widely and stare at her expectantly.
“That’s an opinion without fact to back it up,” she says, rolling her eyes. “That’s easy to get around.”
“So, you just talk in circles, right?”
“Pretty much,” she says, nodding. “Now ask me some more questions, but cast your net.”
I nod and sit up straight, imagining my magic forming a net. I imagine the air around me is a river, and I picture a net surrounding the space, bobbing on the water as it flows along the river.
“I’m going to start with truths so you can see how it feels,” she says.
My eyes are closed, and I nod, focusing on maintaining the image of the net and the water.
"My name is Elle.”
The net remains calm, floating on the water.
“I am twenty-six years old.”
No disruptions in the water yet.
“I’m going to tell you a lie next.”
The net stays floating and intact. Interesting. Can the net tell truths that will be true in the future?
“My hair is black,” she says next. I feel a slight tugging in the back of my brain, the invisible net catching immediately.
I drop my focus, and my eyes fly open. “I felt it!”
She smiles broadly and says, “That was so easy for you.”
“So, your hair is red?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
“No,” she says deadpan.
My face falls when I don’t feel the lie, and she says, “You dropped your guard, so you didn’t catch it. Always keep it up, especially when you’re with the princes. Ask me another question, and I’m not going to lie, nor am I going to answer it truthfully so you can feel the difference.”
“Okay,” I say. “Do you think I’m going to be a good High Queen?”
She takes a second to answer. Her cheeks flush, but she says, “I think you’re a great female, but I think there’s a lot for you to learn.”
I tear my eyes from hers. Ouch.
I wasn’t expecting that response, and it feels like a blow. Elle has been my person since I arrived at the High Court. If she doesn’t trust me to be a good High Queen, why should anyone else?
She reaches for me but stops herself. “Mae, I’m sorry. I was just trying to get around the lie.”
I nod, forcing a smile on my face. “I know. I just wasn’t expecting it. I understand, and I know exactly what you mean.”
As much as it hurts, she’s right. I have a lot to learn.
I’m nowhere near ready to lead a kingdom. I swallow the thoughts as they rise, desperate to avoid a repeat of the other night, of when I ended up bleeding on the shower floor.
But the feelings linger throughout the night, clinging to my mind like a second skin.
When Elle leaves, I force myself to think of something else, anything else.
Once again, my thoughts drift back to Marik, the gentle press of his lips against mine, the way the red wine stained his lips.
That night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the way he looked like the devil himself.
Yet, he was the only one who could save me from myself.
Now, I can’t help but wonder… Is it possible my High King is right in front of me, disguised as a Prince of Hell?