She dodged a mock blow from Faldir and mimicked jabbing the heel of her palm into his nose, biting her lip to smother the roar of triumph trying to break free.
“Good. Very good.” Faldir cranked his neck this way and that, shaking his shoulders out, and backed himself up to his starting position. “Again.”
He struck without further warning, uncaring that she hadn’t caught her breath or steadied her form. A blur of limbs and horns and linen, burgundy hair streaming behind him.
“I saw that look of surprise,” he said, his voice little more than a growl as she squeaked, barely stumbling back in time to avoid the kick he leveled at her head. “An enemy won’t give you the luxury of gathering yourself, Sorcerit.”
She managed to knock his sweeping foot away, but probably would have been laid flat by the fist slamming to a stop mere centimeters from the tip of her nose.
“Dammit.” Lunara sagged, tipping her head back. She hadn’t seen it coming, let alone been fast enough to deflect or evade it.
“Your reaction is actually improving,” Hedda said, an almost-reluctant hint of pride in her voice. “A couple days ago, he’d have had you on your arse with his initial drive.”
A thread of delight wove its way through Lunara. It didn’t matter that said arse was probably still sporting bruises from four days ago that proved Hedda’s words to be true, regardless of the blood gifts and tonics and springs. It was progress, acknowledged by a warrior of high standing.
And it felt good. Really fucking good.
Too bad it’s all practice nonsense, and you’d probably die within seconds if this were a real battle.
She only just resisted the urge to punch her own damned self in the face.
The twins shifted, sharing a look, conversation flowing silently between them as birds chirped and waves crashed against the land below. Lunara wasn’t sure she liked the wicked tilt to Faldir’s lips, or the way one of Hedda’s brows shot up in challenge.
The branches soaring above the practice field seemed to know their minds better than Lunara could ever hope to. Faldir stood with arms crossed, steeped in a creeping arm of shadow, while Hedda glowed within Solyrian’s dazzling morning rays, as if the universe sought to reveal their intentions to her through shade and sunlight.
Lunara wasn’t comforted at all when Faldir raised his chin, sliding his gaze towards her.
At that look, Hedda sighed and threw her arms up. “Fine, but start small. And nothing weird.”
Faldir rolled his eyes. “We’ve talked about this a thousand times—nothing is weird if it does the job.”
Genuinely not liking where this is going.
“Agree to disagree.” Hedda turned to Lunara, and winked. “As ever,littlebrother.”
“Sisters fucking spare me.” Faldir turned his back and strode away, muttering under his breath.
“There, Lunara,” Hedda said, laughing. “A lesson in weaponry—sometimes words can be just as sharp as any blade. They agitate and unbalance your target before blows are even exchanged, and often dig just as deep.”
Lunara huffed. “I believe you already imparted that particular lesson the day you agreed to train me.”
“My, my. Such sass, Sorcerit. We’ll make a warrior of you yet.”
No. Don’t you dare start beaming like that. You’re a healer. Nothing else.
A hand sprang up in front of her, two fingers dangling a small dagger by the pommel.
“Words are fine, but useless in the end. Take this.”
A gasp lodged itself in her throat when Faldir flipped the blade inches from her face and extended the handle to her.
Cross-eyed, she reached up and took it, surprised so little a thing could have that much heft. It felt unwieldy. Too heavy in her palm, too wide to get a good grip, the sharpened point more of anideathan something she could tangibly perceive.
“Now, if you’d been holding that during the last attack, you could have stabbed me right in the gut and won the fight.”
Lunara tossed a wide look at Faldir, trying to still the trembling of her fingers. “I…”
You’re not meant to inflict wounds like this, you’re meant to heal them! Punching around for giggles is one thing. This? This is ridiculous. Give the damned thing back before you hurt yourself.
