“Don’t tell him it's for me. He won’t do it.”
“I won’t.”
“Alright then,” I say with a sarcastic look. “Show me how to ride the four.”
DROPS OF SWEAT TRICKLE DOWN my soaked face, and I can smell the dirt and filth radiating from my pores. I grab the metal jug by the log, letting the cold water quench my parched lips and glide down my throat. We have been at this for hours, climbing on a steel horse, burning it to flames as I practice activating the combustible suit. I fail each time.
The other horses weren’t this difficult to practice. Well, maybe besides the one that flies. But the one forged in fire seems the most difficult.
I’ve lost count of the times I've slipped beneath the bulky, mock horse, practicing my slide to avoid being roasted by the fire's heat. Florian has forgotten a dragon unleashed its flames at me, andI didn’t even burn.
I doubt I’ll burn by the horse of fire.
The skin on my bare arm is crisscrossed with raw, bloody scratches, my flesh scraped by sharp rocks and jagged sticks hidden within the dirt. My suit is smudged with ashy streaks from the smoldering remains of the fake horse I have been practicing on.
I’m covered in filth.I’m exhausted.
“No more.” I hunch over, catching my breath as I take the rest of the water and pour it over my head. “I need a break.”
He claps his hands, urging me to get up. “Queens can't be weak,” he teases before brushing the strands that catch in the wind out of his face. “The Fireninze is the most stubborn. It has never bonded.Ever.If it were to choose you, you would have the attention of all the Realms.”
“I don’t want to bond with it,” I mutter out, gliding my hands over my face with the leftover water. “It can stay unbonded.”
“You two would be perfect for eachother.” Florian hurls a towel at my face. “I can see it now.”
I rip the towel off of my face. “Very funny, Florian.” I twist the fabric in my hands. “Why are you making me train so hard for the Fireninze when you know the flames won’t burn me?”
“You don’t know that.”
“I think I do.”
His hand grips the back of his neck, stretching it side to side. “We are being safe.”
“I think the battle games are far from safe.”
Rocks crack underfoot as someone approaches us. I can smell a scent of fire mixed with a floral aroma, and my shoulders relax.It must be him.Goosebumps prick at my neck as the wind shifts towards me, almost as if I can feel his hands touching me.
My jaw clenches as I turn to see Koen walking towards us with his head down, kicking a few rocks in his path before reaching us.
“Training done for the day?” He brushes the curls out from his face, lifting his eyes but avoiding my gaze.
“Not with your help.” I swallow the pain away, straightening my back. “You have yet to come see if I have been okay since what happened.”
“As if I could have done anything to help.” He looks toward the wall, resting his hands in his pockets. “Trust me, this is for the best. Florian will know what to do. I can teach you how to ride, but I told you, I should keep my distance.”
“I did trust you. I suppose I was foolish to do so.” My voice shatters like glass, and my heart starts to pound with a relentless, violent intensity that threatens to burst from my chest. “I guess what I saw in the pit was nothing more than an act.”
My cheeks burn a bright red, not only from the scorching sun above but the rage of betrayal. As I wait for his response, my chest heaves, rising and falling slowly as if this betrayal has hurt more than anything I have ever experienced. The wind blows the white sand around us as I feel a slow, annoying sweat bead roll down my temple.
How dare he turn his back on me now.I should have known, should have expected this.
“I’m glad you can finally see I was never the good brother for you.” His jaw ticks. “Like I said, I knew you were smart. It will always be my favorite thing about you.”
Tears prick at the edges of my eyes—a burning, torturing agitation, but I force it away. I swallow. “Your favorite thing about me.”
I can hear Koen breathing deeply, and I close my eyes, remembering the way his breath sounds close to my ears and how it makes my body feel as if it is feeling for the first time. It is like he unlocked something in me, as if my heart and mind become hushed by the rhythm of his breath and the way hisfingers glide over my skin so delicately. He calms the raging storm inside me.
Sometimes I wonder if I helped his darkness hide away.
