Chapter 24 #2
I push the mystery of the marks aside and head back into the centre of the arena. Knowing why they’re there won’t help me stay alive.
Zelle is free and drinking from a water fountain. My plan is to ask him for a daylight session, but as I approach, a shadow sweeps past me, brushing against my arm.
‘Hey old man. Time to have a proper fight?’ The intonation of Kyor’s address makes it sound like a term of endearment.
‘I think Kultavaris was just coming to ask me the same,’ Zelle replies with a flash of a smile. He really is everything Kyor isn’t. Honourable. Polite. Not an arsehole.
At the sound of my name, Kyor twists around and looks at me as if he wasn’t aware he’d pushed straight past me. Yup. Arsehole. He sniffs once, then turns back to Zelle.
‘Well, how about I tire you out for a bit? Then there might be the slightest chance Thorn can last two minutes.’
Zelle looks at me. It’s clear he won’t accept without me agreeing, but the last thing I want is Kyor watching while I practise my footwork.
‘As you will, Your Royal Highness.’ I shrug as if I couldn’t care less.
I smile a little as he bristles at the remark, but a moment later, he’s walking out into the arena and stripping his top off.
‘It looks like I came at the right time,’ Llinos says, admiring the prince’s physique.
It’s the first time I’ve seen her since Benny and I left the library and I can’t help but rush to apologise. ‘Llin! I’m so sorry. I swear, it didn’t even cross my mind that Caroline—’
‘It’s fine.’ She squeezes my shoulder as she beams. ‘It’s fine. I know you didn’t know. And we’re together again now.’
‘I’m so happy for you.’ A surprising heat burns behind my eyes as I remember the way she spoke about Caz. My everything.
‘Me too.’ She grins. ‘By the Mother, I’m not letting her go again. Good Gods, have you seen the muscles on that man?’ Her eyes shift away from me, and I know exactly who she’s looking at.
‘I’m sorry, but weren’t you just saying how happy you are to be reunited with the love of your life?’
‘I’m just appreciating the human form,’ she replies.
‘Yeah, well, that particular human is an evil narcissist who ruins lives.’
‘Oh, I know. I just find it funny that you’re still looking given it’s your life he ruined.’
She’s not wrong. It’s hard not to look. Having stripped off his top, Kyor is now walking barefoot across the sand. Those circles of Wrohelm aren’t the only tattoos on his body. There’s also an orthogonal-shaped rune at the top of his forearm that I’ve never noticed before.
As he and Zelle begin moving, it’s absolutely impossible to drag my eyes away.
The way he holds his sword is so light, so gentle, and yet as he swings the blade in towards Zelle, the amount of power in the strike is phenomenal.
The clatter of metal sounds out around us, drawing the attention of anyone in the arena who hasn’t yet stopped to watch.
Light reflects off Kyor’s skin, highlighting each curve of his muscles.
His pivots are perfect, and his body moves in a fluid arc as he leans away from Zelle’s blade.
His eyes meet mine, and though it’s only for a moment, a millisecond, I know exactly what he’s saying. He’s telling me that when I get to the arena, he’s what I’ll be up against. And I’m toast.
‘Benny,’ I say, whipping to my side. ‘Tell me he’s got a weakness?’
‘He’s too close to Zelle for me to tell,’ he says. ‘You want to climb the wall and check?’
Yes is the sensible answer. I should absolutely want to go and study the weapon that is Kyor Knavin if I’m going to have any chance of defending myself against him. But the words don’t come out. Because going up high to watch will mean looking away, and I’m not sure I can.
My mind is a hundred percent full of Kyor.
The focus in his eyes, the scars etched into his skin.
The way his torso twists, and his bare feet pull across the sand as he swerves and ducks another strike from Zelle.
He’s not even attempting to bring the older man down.
Zelle, on the other hand, is giving it his all.
His knuckles are white and his teeth are gritted as he aims for every exposed part of the prince.
But Kyor makes each block look effortless.
‘Does anyone know what Kyor’s power is?’ I ask without looking.
‘Shh, you’re distracting from the moment.’ I don’t know who speaks, but they’re probably right.
He swings his sword faster and faster. I didn’t know it was possible to move that quickly. His body is a complete and utter masterpiece.
‘He can’t beat Zelle, can he?’ Llinos whispers. ‘I’ve seen the commander take on the knights three to one. There’s no chance the prince is actually that good, is there?’
I don’t reply. There’s no need because we’re all witnessing the answer.
Yes, Kyor is that good.
There’s a reason he’s not been in the battle yard on any of the other days. It’s not just because he doesn’t need it; it’s also because he wanted this. He wanted the rest of the Rettlings to be blindsided by just how fucking good he is. He wants us to see, and know, that the gifting is his to lose.
So much for it being nepotism that put him at the head of the army. If this is how he fights in battle, then he deserves everything that’s been given to him.
For a split second, Zelle gets an edge back and my heart stutters, but then a smile flickers on Kyor’s lips, and I realise it was all a ploy. He’s going in for the final strike.
In a move that is as beautiful as it is deadly, Kyor lifts his leg and smashes it right into Zelle’s chest. The instructor stumbles back, momentum taking him all the way to the ground. A second later, Kyor has his sword at Zelle’s throat.
‘Don’t be mad, old man,’ he says when he finally moves the blade out of the way, replacing it with his hand to help Zelle up. ‘I had a pretty good teacher.’
‘You know, if I were in my prime, I would have got you at the beginning when you were playing with that sword like a circus performer,’ Zelle complains as he stands upright.
‘So you say.’ Kyor grins. ‘But we both know I would’ve kicked your arse then, too.’ The pair seem completely oblivious to us all watching on and would probably have stayed that way if Zara hadn’t stepped forward, breaking the moment.
‘Prince Kyor,’ she says, bowing in a way that’s so sycophantic it makes me nauseous. ‘It would be the greatest honour of my life if you would train with me. Train me,’ she clarifies.
Silence falls again as every pair of eyes shifts from Zelle and Kyor to Zara and the prince.
My heart is beating so damn fast. It’s probably just because they’d be a deadly combination together …
with me at the top of their kill list. Yes, that’s undoubtedly the reason I feel like I can’t breathe.
It’s definitely not because Zara training with Kyor would mean her getting to see him sweaty and half-naked more often.
No, I would have to be completely insane to be thinking something like that.
For a moment, his eyes narrowing on Zara, Kyor doesn’t speak.
‘You’re the one who got rid of the … runts? You wanted to make sure only the best got through?’
‘That’s me.’ She beams with pride.
I watch the twitch of his lips and somehow already know what he’s going to say.
‘I’d rather train Kultavaris than you,’ he says, nodding towards me before meeting my eyes with that icy gaze.