“I’ll see you.”
Haylee turns on her heel and makes her way down the hallway that leads to the council chambers. Letting a breath flutter past my lips, I shake my head and continue my walk through the double doors and down the steps outside of the palace as I head to the training grounds.
The council.I am meeting with them in a few days, and Nox has been working hard every evening before bed to not only familiarize me with each council member but prepare me for the type of questions he thought they might ask. Things beyond just confirming where we met.How will you support Nox as king? What type of queen do you envision yourself being? How canyou support the council in its endeavors to maintain a peaceful kingdom?That question in particular always made me stumble, as my very existence here was putting the kingdom at risk.
The memory of my uncle’s threat sends a rush of unease through me, my next inhale catching in my throat as I stumble. Knowing that I need a moment, I step off of the stone path and into the forest, leaning against one of the large trees while I shut my eyes.He can’t cross the Spell. He can’t get to me here. He can’t hurt me anymore.Though the words are strong, my resolve isn’t quite there yet. I picture Nox’s face and how, if he were here with me, he’d grip my shoulders and tell me to focus on my breathing.Inhale. Exhale.I am safe. I am loved. I am home. I repeat those three phrases over and over again, deepening my inhales and slowing down my exhales, just as Nox showed me to do. My posture relaxes, and I open my eyes, the scent of the woods strong with every breath. While my uncle’s voice is still in my mind, it’s an echo of what it was. More easily ignored. Uncurling my fingers from my palms, I make my way back onto the path.
When the unobstructed sunlight of the training yard blankets my skin, I smile, my light magic humming deeply within me. In between preparing for the council and trying to soak up every free moment we have together, Nox and I have been training my magic without the pendant on. He hasn’t brought up accessing my shadow magic, and though I’m grateful that I’ve gotten stronger at blocking it out, I can still feel it lurking within me. Like a monster hiding in plain sight.
Cassius waves at me from our usual meeting spot near the middle of the grounds. “Blondie, you’re late,” he says, feigning a look of annoyance.
“I’m sorry. I got held up talking to Haylee.” I keep my tone casual, but if there is one thing I’ve learned Cass excels at, it’s being the opposite of casual.
“And what didshehave to say?” he drawls, knocking into me gently once I stand next to him.
“She was just being polite. It was small talk.”
His eyes narrow as he looks at me, and I narrow mine right back. He bursts out laughing, ruffling the hair on the top of my head. “You look adorable when you’re trying to be serious.” I scoff, a retort nearly off my tongue, but he keeps talking. “Anyway, we’re going defensive today. I was hoping Nox would be able to join us so I could coach you as you two spar, but we’ll have to make do.” I nod as Cass comes up behind me. “Remember what we talked about yesterday. Just because I’m larger than you doesn’t mean you can’t get the upper hand. You’ve gotten stronger. You’re building muscle. You may not have the ability to overpowermenow, but you candefinitelyoverpower Nox. His muscles have gone soft.”
“Stars above,” I choke out, laughing as he wraps his arms around me and draws my back to his chest. “I think his muscles havegrownsince he’s been home. At least, they feel like they have.”
“Gross.”
I laugh at Cass’s reaction, my arms pinned at my sides where he carefully has one arm above my chest and one wrapped around my stomach.
“Okay. What’s the first thing you do to try and break this hold?” he asks, his chin brushing against the top of my head.
“Change the center of gravity to my benefit,” I answer, widening my stance and squatting down low, “and knock you off your feet.” I move to step my foot behind his, but he easily blocks each of my attempts.
“Keep trying. Move a little lower.” I try, but Cass counters too quickly, blocking my path again. I let out a frustrated groan, my body going lax. He eases his hold around me, making sure I’m steady before letting go completely. “I have an idea!”
That’s all he says before he takes off running, leaving me staring at his retreating back. A few moments later, he returns, Daje jogging next to him. When the latter spots me, he slows down, his gaze moving to the ground. I haven’t spoken with Daje since he happened to walk into the council room when King Dolian was speaking. I don’t know the details of what Nox said to him or vice versa, but Idothink that he’s been avoiding being anywhere near me since.
“Daje is going to spar with you so I can coach you better and see where you’re tripping yourself up,” Cass says with a huff.
Daje’s eyes grow wide as he comes to a stop a few feet away from me. “I don’t know if I should spar—”
“Oh, come on, it’sfine.Nox won’t be upset. I just need help critiquing her form. It’ll be ten minutes,” Cass says, pushing Daje towards me.
But my curiosity is piqued by his mention of Nox. “Why would Nox be upset?” I question, looking at Daje when Cass doesn’t answer.
“He didn’t tell you?” Daje questions, his eyes flicking from me to Cass.
“Tell me what?”
Daje sighs, his hands splaying out in front of him. “I don’t want you to think that I don’t understand why he said what he did or the action he took, because I do. I’m not upset with him for it. I just don’t want to be on the other side of a threat made by him again.”
My eyes grow wide as I take a step towards him. “Hethreatenedyou?”
Daje shoots a look of pleading towards Cass, who merely shrugs and gestures with his hand for Daje to continue. “For the love of all the gods,” he says under his breath. “Look, he threatened to kill me if I said anything about what I heard. But I won’t. And it’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal,” I repeat quietly, my stomach twisting in on itself. Daje is Nox’s friend, his sister’sfriend. Or lover—I still wasn’t sure. I knew that Nox had been worried, angry even, that Daje had heard what King Dolian said, but to threaten him? I shake my head. “You don’t have to spar with me if it makes you uncomfortable, Daje. I’m sorry.”
He looks taken aback for a moment, his bright blue eyes reflecting the sunlight from above as he drops his hands to his sides. “It’s alright, Rhea. I’ll spar with you.”
Cass claps his hands together, seemingly oblivious to the awkward tension now pulled taut between Daje and I as he orders us into the position from earlier so that he can critique my form. I tuck my questions for Nox in the back of my mind and focus instead on training.
Cass is able to properly identify why I couldn’t take him down, showing me how to correct the movement and slide my leg behind Daje’s so that I can take his out from underneath him. Though Daje takes hitting the ground multiple times in stride, even appearing more at ease than when I first saw him, I internally struggle with what Nox said to him.
