Samian sighed, sitting back on the rock. “What do you think?” He asked Ezra.
Ezra considered his question, keeping his eyes on the ground. He looked exhausted, though I couldn’t really blame him. Many of the rebels in the camp eyed him dangerously. A few tried to fight against him, though they failed miserably. It did make the others back off, however, weighing whether an attack against him was truly worth it. But he kept himself busy,inspecting our weapons, helping Bryony and Viv care for the sick and wounded, and helping me plan our next attacks on the soldiers stationed near the various cities and villages.
“I agree with Kieran. I don’t think you should push her on this, not after everything that's happened in the past few days. Someone she thought cared for her hurt and betrayed her. It’s a process to get over something like that. A lot of push and pull. Give her some time to come to you, but be there for her, help her, and show her she can trust you both. She’ll come around eventually.”
Samian grumbled but nodded anyway. Daelan took a breath, opening his mouth to ramble about some nonsense, and Ezra groaned, letting his chin fall to his chest. Ezra raised it a moment later and turned to Daelan, looking at him unenthusiastically. I chuckled, listening to Daelan talk about some journey across the sea, but I glanced at Samian. His head was inclined toward Daelan, but a heaviness rested upon his shoulders, one that I doubted would disappear until Sybil was back to her usual self.
About an hour later,the females returned, the creature still clinging to Sybil. I felt its eyeless stare pressing in on me before it turned its focus on Samian, assessing if we were a threat. Some of the tension leaked out of Samian when the cat looked away as they passed us by. I guess the shield was gone now, and he could feel Sybil through the bond again.
Viv stopped by Samian, patting him on the back before coming to stand by my side. I slid my eyes to her. “Don’t even ask,” she murmured, watching Ivara, Sybil, and Ezra.
I huffed but noticed Ezra handing Sybil a children’s wooden sword from the camp, and I frowned. Surely, he wasn’t teachingher how to handle a weapon yet. She could hardly hold her own in hand-to-hand combat. But he continued, telling her to lift in front of her. He corrected her stance, though it looked like she had been through this process before, and then raised the sword high, swinging it back down. She repeated the movement, each swing full of purpose.
Feeling my frustration, Viv laughed. “Go ahead; I know you want to.”
I clicked my tongue at her, but my feet moved, bringing me to my mate.
“She needs to learn how to hold herself before handling a weapon. A sword is too heavy for her; her balance will be thrown off. She will be more likely to hurt herself or others than she would help them.” I said to Ezra.
“She will gain muscle with the sword,” Ezra frowned.
“Yes, but what happens if she loses that sword? How will she defend herself? She needs to learn those basics first.”
“Didn’tyouput me in charge of her training?” Ezra asked pointedly.
“Yes, but I didn’t know you were going to start with weapons first,” I growled.
Ezra shook his head, sighing. “This is how I learned, but by all means, throw in your opinions.”
Walking up to Sybil, I held out my hand. She rolled her eyes but handed me the sword. I gave her a dark smile, passing Ezra the blade, my eyes never leaving hers. If she wanted to keep her distance from me, that was fine, but I would make it impossible for her to stay away.
When Ezra took the sword, I stepped closer, but Sybil didn’t back down. She raised her chin and narrowed her eyes at me.
“May I touch you?” I asked, my smile sharpening. I could feel Samian shooting daggers my way, but he had his time with Sybil. It was my turn to have fun now.
Sybil breathed out afine, and I raised her hands in front of her, curling them into fists, keeping her thumb just below the middle knuckles of her fingers. Her hands were so small, so delicate in mine. Positioning her arms, I hummed my approval and moved to stand behind her, my stomach pressing against her back. I slid my hands down her waist, feeling her shiver against my touch, her body tensing. I positioned her waist and moved my knee between her legs, tapping against each foot so she could widen her stance.
I heard her small inhale, and I chuckled low against her ear. I knew it would remind her of when we first met here in the forest, with her pushed up against a tree. By the end of the night, my name was going to be the only thing on her mind.
Ezra muttered something, but I didn’t hear a word he said, not when I breathed in Sybil’s scent. I heard Ivara’s sultry laugh, and she stepped into sight in front of Sybil. Ivara held out her hands, her palms facing us. There was excitement in those dark eyes of hers. “Ready whenever you are, Kieran.”
Sybil made a slight noise, and I barked a laugh. “Someone’s got a dirty mind,” I murmured in her ear.
“Just tell me what you want me to do next,” Sybil hissed, her cheeks flushing bright red.
I stepped back, slowly sliding my hands away from her, and moved beside her. “Throw a punch at Ivara’s palm. I need to see your form first.”
Sybil scowled, but she stretched out her arms, rolled her shoulders, and returned to position. She threw her fist, her body twisting, striking Ivara’s hand. She was quick, and surprisingly, her form wasn’t too bad.
“What?” Sybil quipped, her nose wrinkling.
“Nothing,” I laughed. “I just figured your form would be far worse, but it's not half bad. However, your balance is a touch off, and you’re rotating too much. Your opponent will see it froma mile away.” I stepped behind her again, putting my hands on her hips. She tensed at my touch. “Relax, Princess, I’m just here to teach. Throw another punch, but slower.” Sybil sighed, but moved her arm slowly. Her hip began to twist, but I held my hands firm, keeping it in place. “Your hip needs to stay here. When you twist like that, it can mess with your balance and slow your movements. Be mindful of your shoulders, too. Now, try it again.”
Sybil breathed, relaxing her body, and threw another punch. This time, the jab had more impact, and Sybil smiled. My heart felt like it stopped, and I blinked. Gods, she was so fucking beautiful.
“Again,” I rasped, my voice deepening. I desperately wanted to see that smile again, but I cleared my throat. “Go again, except this time, follow up with your left hand.” I moved my arms up her waist before moving them up beside hers and demonstrated, letting her feel the position and form. Throwing my right hand out, I quickly pulled it back into place, and followed with my left hand. I could feel Sybil put more of her weight against me, and I couldn’t stop the heat that settled low.
The rest of the hour was much the same. Sybil worked on her balance and strength with Ivara and me correcting her form. Eventually, I let her move on to Ezra’s training after growing tired of his complaints. The moon was beginning to dip in the sky, and our time was up. It felt too soon for her to leave, to let her return to the palace without me.
