“What did you and Ander discuss?” she demanded again.
“I just wanted to make sure Fieran would help Tay. Even if I die.” My chin lifted. “That he won’t keep my brother hostage?—”
“What other use does the mortal serve?” she cut in lazily.
Heat flushed through me. “He’s my brother. Do you think I love him less than you love your sister?”
Her eyes gleamed, sharp and possessive. “Don’t assume you know what my sister means to me.” She cocked her head. “But you—you only care about two people in this world. Your brother. Your sister.”
Her voice softened to a tone that was almost reverent. “Fieran cares about his clan. His kingdom. You’re not worthy of him.”
The words jolted me. “I’m not trying to beworthyof him. I don’t even want him.”
“You should.”
“Are you in love with him, Maura?”
The look she gave me was answer enough, just before she lashed out. The world went red as she kicked me again, and my shoulder blades slammed into the wall.
She struck me again—less controlled this time, almost desperate. Myhead snapped to the side, stars bursting across my vision. I staggered but stayed upright.
My head slammed against the wall hard. Shock, then pain, then the wet heat of blood soaking my hair.
I touched it with numb fingers. When I drew them back, red slicked my skin, every whorl of my fingerprints distinct against the blood. I stared at them, dazed, horrified.
Maura’s eyes flicked to the red staining my hairline. For the first time, she hesitated. Her mouth pressed into a hard line, but her fists were still up.
Her expression shifted the moment she saw me swaying. The satisfaction she usually carried like armor slipped. For just a breath, I saw something raw in her face. Fear, maybe, or regret.
“Damn it,” she muttered, stepping closer, catching my arm before I could crumple completely. She cursed under her breath, the words sharp and ugly, but her grip steadied me instead of shoving me down.
“Let me go,” I rasped.
Her jaw tightened. “I didn’t mean to—” She cut herself off, shaking her head. “You should’ve blocked that. You can’t be this helpless.”
Her voice cracked on the last word, betraying something she hadn’t meant to show.
“You sound worried,” I said, slurring a little.
She let out a short, humorless laugh. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m just not allowed to kill you.”
My legs rebelled and folded underneath me. She was too late to catch me. My vision tunneled, and all I could see at the other end was Maura’s face.
As she looked down at me, I caught a flicker of fear in her gaze.
She’d gone too far, and she knew it.
“Let’s get you to the healer,” she said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me up to my feet. She was already ducking her shoulder down, clearly trying to load me onto her body so she could carry me.
“Get away from me.” I pushed her away.
She gave me a furious look, as if she wanted to hit me again but didn’t dare. “I’m trying to fix this!”
I made it to my feet, reeling, and felt my stomach turn. Ipuked in her general direction, but the world was too blurry for me to see if I had hit her. Her curse didn’t tell me anything, either.
“I didn’t know you’d be so breakable!” she said.
That was exactly the problem. I might very well die in the arena, even though no one was supposed to during the Recruits’ Trials. But I didn’t have their ability to take damage and walk away.
