“Me. On the table… the bed… the floor.”
“And if you win, where do you want me?”
“Sleeping in the stables.”
He chuckles with understanding. I’m putting him out of his room and into the place where he made me sleep when I first came to Basecamp. Those were some of the most miserable nights of my life prior to him choosing to return to Stigian. Nevertheless, I would relive each of those evenings buried under hay if it meant he’d never leave.
Thankfully, he’s here now, and I enjoy the idea of pursuing some good-spirited revenge.
“I’ll expect to find you sprawled out naked onmytable when this isover, princess,” he says, his breath warm against my ear.
I push him away and turn toward my officers, saying over my shoulder, “Be prepared to take a blanket with you. It gets cold in the hayloft, Your Grace.”
Leif paces around the trunk of the massive oak tree resting on the sideline of the sparring ring. His heavy steps wear a circle in the grass. He tugs on his sandy hair and exhales with such force that I swear the earth rumbles beneath me. “This ingenious plan of yours has a high probability of backfiring. One side will feel like they’re fighting for the stronger ruler and the other will question their loyalty to the weaker.”
I remove my jacket, hand it to Wel, and roll up the sleeves of my tunic. “Kyron will figure out how to deal with his loss and regain the respect of his warriors.”
Ulricsnorts, and Leif rolls his eyes, saying, “Are you sure you can beat him? Not that long ago you stood in this same position, and he walked away with the win.”
Gone are Leif’s charming dimples or the playful spark that always glints in his eyes. My best friend is worried. It’s not my safety he frets about, but my ability to pull this off and the pushback I’ll receive if I lose. He has spent months fearing that I was battling a crumbling state of mind, and I was. He caught me at my lowest moment then watched me dig my way out of it these past weeks. Now, I’m putting myself in the position to be considered the weaker leader. That won’t be an easy stigma to shake off.
“I was simply full of ambition back then. Now, I’m a trained killer.” I bump into Leif with my hip. “Stop worrying, you’re going to wrinkle your handsome face.”
He runs his palm over his forehead, smoothing his skin.
“If anyone can kick Kyron’s ass, it’s Elle. Tell me you don’t want to see her wipe the smug look off his face, Captain Stone,” Greer says, rubbing her palms together. She is too excited at the possibility of Kyron being at my mercy.
Leif’s hazel gaze meets mine and he smiles. “I know she can, andit would give me satisfaction to see him squirming. But I don’t trust the asshole.”
“Elle, are you ready to start?” Terro calls from the center of the ring.
I give Leif two solid claps on the shoulder, and Ulric hands me a wooden sword.
“I’m confident you know what to do, nanny goat.”
“Kick his ass,” I say, shoving my real sword and scabbard against his chest.
“That would be it,” he says, with a bright smile that shines through his red beard.
I cross the field, pretending that I don’t notice the troves of onlookers. They hold coins above their heads, summoning those who are collecting the bets. Lucent and Stigian alike banter back and forth, laughing at the ridiculous claims of the other side. If my plan goes awry, I can rest assured that the spirit of gambling has brought the conflicting sides together.
Kyron and I stand on either side of Terro. The prince lowers his chin and gives me a crooked smile. I respond by squaring my shoulders and holding his gaze. He won’t charm or intimidate me. I’ve prepared for this moment.
“You know the rules,” Terro says, holding open the burlap sack of red dust for us to dip our sparring swords in.
“That there are no rules?” I say, coating the blade and taking a step back.
Terro’s eyes grow big, and he shakes his head. “There isarule. The first one to strike a vital organ wins.”
Kyron and I nod, and Terro walks off the field.
“Are you sure yourguardis all right with you doing this?” Kyron asks.
I turn and scan the sidelines. Zek stands with the Lucent officers, front and center, with his arms crossed over his broad chest, his blue eyes locked onto Kyron like he’s trying to burn a hole through him. I can’t help but wonder if I complicated matters with my carelessness last night, or if he’s just watching out for me.
“Even if he’s not, he’s about to get a lesson in how well I can defend myself against you,” I say, brushing off everything going on around us.
Kyron cocks a brow and lifts his sword in front of him. “I’m positive that you thought you could beat me before, and I believe I won that match.”
