“No,” Sybil exhaled, “only that it would happen soon if it were anything like what she dealt with.”
“Alright, keep trying to break it. Hopefully, it will be sooner than we think.” Sybil flashed me a smile, her body relaxing until Samian glanced at her. Her face paled then. She swallowed hard and cringed.
Sybil cleared her throat as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “There is one other thing I need to tell you. And everyone,” she said, her voice wavering, while looking at the group. “I—um—received a letter this morning from someone, asking me to meet them.”
“And?” I said slowly when she paused.
Sybil opened her mouth, but closed it, giving Samian a pained look. When Samian jerked his chin at me, Sybil sank lower in her chair. “I went to meet them.”
“Tell him the rest,” Samian urged, his tone hard.
Sybil took a tight breath before the rest of her words came rushing out. “Samian was called away late last night, and I woke up when someone pushed a letter under my door this morning. They signed the letter asH, asking me to meet them, so…I did. Alone. When I got to the meeting spot, Hale was waiting for me.”
“Hale?” I interrupted her, my eyes going straight to Samian. “Isn’t that Ambrose’s personal attendant?”
“Yes,” Samian frowned, “it is.”
A heavy silence filled the space around us as my mind fought to comprehend what Sybil had just said. “You went out to meet Ambrose’s personal attendant alone?”
Sybil flinched at the outrage in my tone. “I did, but I was okay! Everything was fine. Hale wanted to meet to ask for help. He wants us to help his brother escape with the prisoners, and I think we should. I want to help thembothescape the palace and Ambrose.”
I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. “You realize what you did was entirely reckless, yes?” When Sybil mumbled out her agreement, I opened my eyes, fixing her with a sharp stare. “Hale is not someone who can be trusted. He has done things in Ambrose’s name that are unredeemable, and you want us to put our lives on the line to help him?”
“Yes,” Sybil said, straightening in her chair. The nerves she felt, the anxious look on her face, all of it disappeared, leaving behind a look of pure will and strength.
“Why?”
“Because we are the same, Hale and I. You may try to argue that I’m forced to do things because of the bargain, but are people really going to care about that in the long run? We only meet in the forest, and on the off chance youdoallow me to come to the camp, you keep me hidden away in this room because you’re too afraid of what the rebels will do to me if they ever find me here. Hale and I are exactly the same.”
Everyone stared at Sybil, their eyes wide in shock, though it was Viv who broke the silence when she looked in my direction. “She has a point, Kieran.”
I ran a hand through my hair, and my head tipped back. “You've got to be fucking kidding me.”
Chapter 35
Sybil
Kieran wasnothappy. He made that incredibly clear when he abruptly rose from his chair, directing everyone into the forest to begin my training early. Samian, Daelan, and I quickly changed back into our uniforms before we were hauled off to our meeting spot in the woods. I knew he wouldn’t be happy about my meeting Hale, but it didn’t truly register until he ordered me to form a sword with my magic, took the shimmering blade from my hands, and gave it to Samian. Kieran then came back to me, giving me one of his own swords.
“Since you haven’t gotten a handle on your magic, we will train you to use both like Samian suggested last time,” Kieran said, his voice hard. There was none of his usual playfulness or lingering touches. No, he was all business, his expression stern. “You’ll train with my weapon so you can learn its weight in case there's a time when you’re not able to use your magic to create your own weapons. While you and I are training, you must keep your magic steady so that the sword Samian holds doesn’t disappear. Got it?”
Ezra gave me a smile full of pity, and I inwardly groaned. “Yes,” I said, my shoulders sagging.
“Yes, what?” Kieran asked with narrowed eyes.
“I’m not going to call you sir if that’s what you’re looking for. I’ll apologize for meeting Hale without telling anyone. However, I will not apologize or feel guilty about seeing him.” I tried pointing the blade’s tip toward Kieran’s chest, but the weight was heavier than I’d thought, and the end pointed downward. I frowned at the weapon before looking back to Kieran, who smirked. “Now, shut up, and dish out your punishment.”
The smile on Kieran’s face grew sharp. “As you wish, Princess.”
Kieran’s nickname had me cursing under my breath as Daelan snorted behind me. I grabbed the hilt with both hands and moved into position. Ezra came over, checked my stance, and adjusted my legs and arms until they were where they needed to be. Once Ezra was done, he nodded toward Kieran.
“Kieran wants to see how much you have learned in the past few days. You two are going to spar a little.” I swallowed, my nerves clawing at my chest, but Ezra leaned closer to whisper in my ear. “He will take it easy on you, so you have nothing to worry about.”
A low growl rumbled in the distance, and I fought to keep my patience from breaking. I thanked Ezra quietly before he backed away, positioning himself to watch while giving me instructions. Taking a deep breath, I steadied my pounding heart, pushing away my nerves. I glanced over toward Samian, to the glowing sword in his hands. It was still there, still shining brightly. I couldn’t help the smile that rose as pride and hope swelled in my chest.
Finally, I looked back at Kieran and nodded. I was ready for this, ready to prove what I could do.
Kieran’s legs tensed, and that was the only sign I had before he was in front of me, his sword swinging down. I swore, pulling the blade up to meet Kieran’s attack. Samian called my name behind me, warning me of my magic faltering, and the swordI created almost disappearing. I pushed away from Kieran so I could refocus on my magic when he came at me again, this time swinging low.
