I blink at my name, my eyes lifting to find her gaze already on me. “Warm-ups and then more practice on defensive measures,” I bite out, Aria’s eyes widening at my tone.
It had been another late night in Khargis, followed by a short trip to the dragon fields. Sunis had been asleep, Bali nowhere to be found, and the frustration at yet another week passing without a dragon bond had kept my mind running long after my body collapsed onto my bed. Leesi had not come to my room this morning, not exactly surprising considering preparations for the winter solstice celebrations are underway. Every maid and servant will be working from dawn to dusk for weeks to decorate the palace. I had used the alone time to clean my blades before getting dressed and meeting Navin in the sitting room. Then I had endured the silent flight over.
That is why I can’t focus, why my gaze keeps straying places it shouldn’t.
“Can we domore?” she asks, her voice softly echoing out.
“More?” Clasping my hands behind me, I tilt my head, noting how the orange in her eyes is brighter.
“I need to learn how to attack. Both with a weapon and without. Defense is only half of fighting, and we’ve spent enough time on that for now,” she says, and I find my lips fighting to smirk at the defiance I hear in her voice. At the determination that gleams in her eyes.
“I might argue that being proficient in defense is more important than having only the basics of attack down,” I counter, beginning to pace the length of the platform. “You want to make sure you have each step down thoroughly before moving on to the next one.”
“No,” she whispers, and this time there is a flare of panic to it as she shakes her head, fingers interlacing nervously in front ofher. “No. I don’t have time toonlyknow defense. I need to learn how to understand my opponent. Anticipate their weaknesses so that I can beat them.” Her chest heaves and my steps halt, the distance between us smaller. “I need to capitalize on the fact that I’m underestimated. I want tohurtsomeone before they see me coming.” She gasps for air, her body turned to the side so that I can only see her profile. Closing her eyes, her chin falls to her chest, red curls covering her cheek.
My eyes narrow as I replay her words, scanning her body, and this time, I’m looking for something specific. “Little Siren.” My voice relays a calm that I don’t quite feel as I take a single step towards her. “Did someone hurt you?”
“No. No, no one hurt me. I just— I need to know how to prevent the queen from…Gods!” Her hands dive into her hair, pushing the strands away from her face as she heaves a deep breath before letting a shaky laugh fill the silence. “I need a lifetime of training in only a matter of weeks! And it will likelystillnot matter because if the queen decides that my fate is to be bound to her side for the remainder of my days or worse—”
Aria pinches her lips shut, sealing in the rest of her words despite how I find myself hanging on for the next one.The queen is deciding her fate?
“I’m sorry,” she says, turning to face me fully and forcing a fake smile to her pretty lips. “I know you don’t care about my pathetic life story. Can we just focus on the basics of attacking an opponent today? Please.”
She resumes wringing her fingers in front of her as she waits for me to answer. I push back the urge to tell her todemandI train her, not topleadfor it. Does she not understand the power she holds in our bargain?
“Do you have your dagger?” I ask, reaching to my vest for one of my smaller blades. Aria swallows as she watches me, an array of emotions moving over her face before she nods and grabs theweapon from her bag. The one that belonged to my father and was last held by Shah. And one that, if the stories I’ve overheard are true, holds magic that can give its wielder temporary passage through the Spell by way of a blood sacrifice.
Returning to her position across from me, Aria’s chest lifts with a breath, and then she bends at her knees and begins bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her grip on the dagger is strong as she holds the blade almost parallel to her forearm. “My muscles are warm from my swim here,” she says, brushing her curls over her shoulders with her free hand. “I want to use all of our time learning new attacks.”
“So eager to draw blood?” I ask as we circle each other, my blood thrumming with anticipation.
“You sound surprised. I thought you believed me to be nothing but a mindless, vicious monster. I thought you wanted nothing more than to slide your blade across my throat,” she counters. Something warm blooms low in my gut at the focused look on her face as our eyes lock, at her taunting words. “What was it you said? You can’t wait to send my remains to mybitch queen? Well, what are you waiting for?”
I tighten the space between us, moving in closer as I breathe through the thrill her words ignite. “Goading me will not end well for you, Aria.”
Her lips pinch at my use of her name, and I berate myself internally for saying it. Names are too familiar, and I—
The thought disintegrates when she lunges for me. She actuallyfuckinglunges. The dagger swipes at my face, and I lean back to dodge it, the air stirring where the blade slices through it. Aria pivots, bringing her weaker foot forward before plunging the dagger straight towards the center of my chest. I lift my blade to block hers, using my other hand to push at her wrist, sending her arm off course.
“Don’t put all of your weight behind one move,” I tell her, as we separate. “Not until you’re sure that next hit is the one that is going to kill your opponent.”
“How do you know that itwillkill them?” she asks.
“It’s a feeling. A knowing,” I answer, watching as her expression shifts in thought. “When you see the right opening, you won’t have a doubt that it will bethe one.”
“What if I get that opportunity with you?” she asks, her lips turning up.
“If I allow you to get close enough to harm me, by all means, take the opportunity.” I hold my free hand out in front of me, fingers curling in towards my palm. “Now, come at me again, but this time, move more quickly. Your goal with these initial attacks is to try and catch me off-guard.”
Aria prepares her stance, this time leading with her good foot as she exhales through her mouth. “Catch you off-guard? Can I use any means necessary?”
I arch a brow. “You can try.” The rush of adrenaline is instant when her mouth widens with a true smile and she attacks again.
Chapter Seventy-Eight: Myla
“Myarmsareonfire,” Aria whines from where she stands in front of me, sweat beading at her temples. She had continued to try to attack me, swinging her blade in nearly feral movements in her attempts to nick me. It was sloppy, but even with the lack of practiced finesse, I had to admit I was impressed. The female who had shown up to our first meeting is not the same one who stands in front of me now, dagger in hand, attacking as ifIam her sworn enemy.
Maybe I am. Does her queen know about her visits here, and that is why she is deciding Aria’s fate? And why thefuckdo I keep coming back to that one sentence she said? If Aria were to die from something unrelated to our life debt, I would be free of our bargain. At least, IthinkI would. I’m not necessarily eager to find out, considering that if I am wrong, I would be dead too.
