Nikella’s eyes were more serious than ever. The pale light cast tree shadows over her face and body. “I told you I would train your head, heart, and body. You have many emotional battles ahead of you. Therefore, you must master your emotions when you fight.”
Aiden slowly set aside his bow and arrows and picked up his sword. I backed farther into the small clearing. He followed me, his eyes dark and his sword tip pointed to the ground.
He no longer looked like the warm, teasing man from the road. He looked like the wild warrior I’d seen in the mountainvillage. The one who’d emerged from the depths of the mine. The one from that night in the palace.
Was this his way of scaring me out of our plan, even though he’d said he understood my reasons?
I gripped my sword harder.
I am a warrior. I am stronger than my fear.
Aiden didn’t wait for Nikella’s word. He attacked. I blocked, shuffled my feet the way Nikella had taught me, and struck back. He easily deflected it and came at me with a series of strikes from all directions.
Sweat poured down my neck as I tried to keep up. I swung wide, and he kicked my foot out from under me. I crashed to one knee.
He whipped his sword at my neck, stopping a hair’s breadth from my skin.
Fear gaped like a black hole in my chest. For a moment, it wasn’t Aiden, but Renwell holding a blade to my throat.
Aiden must’ve seen the change in my eyes, because he immediately backed away.
“You’re locking up,” Nikella growled at me as I rose to my feet. “You’re thinking too much. Try again.”
We went again, and Aiden ended it by tapping the flat of his sword on my back, where an enemy would’ve sliced me open.
My legs shook with exhaustion. “He’s much better than me. Faster. Stronger. I can’t beat him yet. I need more training.”
Nikella scowled at me. She’d never looked angry during our sessions before. “He might always be those things. Renwell and Korvin are also faster and stronger, as are most of the Wolves and soldiers and thousands more. Did that stop you when you charged that Wolf in Caddik’s kitchen?”
“No,” I said quietly.
“Did it stop you when you fought the Wolves in the alley in Aquinon?”
Shame curdled in my gut. “No.”
“No,” Nikella said firmly. “You usedyourparticular skills without hesitation. You exploited the first weakness you found. Every fighter has one or several.”
My pulse quickened. Her words closely echoed her brother’s.
Gods damn your little weaknesses. You’re looking for a weakness where there is none.
“I understand,” I said, taking deep, slow breaths to calm my racing heart.
Maz and Ruru had finished setting up camp and now sat watching us. Aiden remained silent, his gaze flicking over me as if noting all of my weaknesses.
I sighed heavily and turned partially away from him, holding my sword casually.
The moment he shifted, I attacked without warning. He was still gods-damned fast, but I kept throwing him off. I leaned back when he did. Then I threw myself against him when he charged. I whipped out one of my throwing knives and jabbed the hilt into his ribs and neck. Then I dropped low and tripped him.
He twisted like a cat midair and rolled me beneath him as he fell, his sword edge at my neck once more. He panted through his grin, his eyes brighter than emeralds. “There’s my sneaky little thief,” he rasped.
I wriggled under him, trying to free my knife hand, which was pinned in the dirt beneath his knee. “I still lost,” I tried to snarl, but it came out too breathy.
He was gods-damned heavy, and it felt too gods-damned good.
Nothing like being under Renwell’s boot.
Aiden’s grin softened. “If you hadn’t used your knife hilt, I would at least be bleeding all over you right now.”
