And then my god of night proceeds to absolutely ruin me.
Chapter Thirty
Smiling to myself, I dress in supple leathers and an armored vest, and wince at the delicious soreness between my thighs. Though I could have easily healed myself with magic, I want to feel him for as long as I can. Given his size, it’s no surprise I still do. I have no illusions that what we’ve done repeatedly for the past week has strengthened our bond.
Though it still isn’t complete, I can feel it, stretching like a magical tether between us. If I follow it with my magic, I sense the king in the war room with his council, strategizing on the wards and the defenses in place for the people of Everlea.
You need me, Starbright?
I blush at the caress in his mental voice.No. I’m just about to head for my training with Karânî.
Remember to keep your elbow high,he says.And trust your magic.
I will.
After eating a quick breakfast of a pastry filled with sweetened almond paste, I make my way down to the training fields. But I falter when I see a familiar, gorgeous redhead standing with Karânî.
“What is she doing here?” I ask, keeping my simmering feelings at bay. Darrius might trust that Zahre had nothing to do with her father’s schemes, but I don’t. I have more than enough experience dealing with ambitious women in a royal court. Though Zahre is not Helena, the similarities are too obvious to ignore.
Karânî spreads her hands. “Zahre is a much better fighter than I am in close combat with a dagger, which is your weapon of choice, so you will spar with her after our ride. Then you will fight both of us because war is unpredictable and you may have to face multiple enemies at once.”
I narrow my eyes. “Did you clear this with the king?”
The tall blonde cants her head. “Of course. However, he said it would be up to you.”
Frowning, I glance over at Zahre, loathing how confident, fit, and beautiful she looks, and absolutely reviling the knowledge that she has been the recipient of Dare’s considerable skills in bed. But as I told him several nights ago, neither of us can be blamed for having a past.
In fact, while I scour the library in my scant free time for books on how to perform a magical expulsion without killing someone, Darrius has been the one to point me in the right direction. So he’s trying. I want to be the bigger person, too.
“Very well,” I say.
Nuadar arrives, leading a very large, unfamiliar horse toward us. The beastmaster hasn’t warmed up to me—in fact, he even seems more antagonistic than ever. I eye the stallion just as warily when he flares his nostrils and paws the dirt. He’s much bigger than the mare I’ve been learning on. “That is the king’s warhorse,” I tell him. “You have the wrong mount.”
“I also requested a larger horse,” Karânî informs me. “As the chosen rider of an azdaha, a small horse will not give you the correct practice or proficiency. And since we are not sky riders, the biggest horse we have will have to do.”
“Stars, we’re full of changes today, I see,” I mutter.
I use magic to boost myself up into the saddle, feeling the massive beast prance beneath me. Karânî and Zahre mount their equally large warhorses with their intricate tack and bridles, holding themselves like they’d been born in the saddle.They probably have,I think sourly, and automatically loosen my stiff posture to mimic theirs.
“Stay relaxed, remember to let your hips swing and absorb his movement,” Karânî reminds me, and I can’t help my blush at the recollection of other rather indecent lessons. I exhale and clear my mind when she stares at me. “Keep your spine loose, chest open, and body upright.”
We walk slowly at first so I can get used to the size and the gait of the horse. He’s nothing like riding on Razulek, of course, but he’s a well-trained animal, and my nerves soon settle at being so high off the ground. Besides, if I fall, now I have my magic to catch me.
Zahre nudges her mount closer to mine and clears her throat. “I want you to know how sorry I am for my father’s actions,” she says, surprising me. “They were unforgivable. As raissa, I hope to earn back your trust.”
I nod. “Thank you.”
“I know you may not believe me, but I did not know that the king had a soul-fated,” she says quickly. “I would not have entertained a union otherwise. Soul-fated pairs are rare, even among the Aspacana, blessed by the goddess, and are cherished.”
“Thank you for telling me,” I say to Zahre. “And I appreciate you offering to help train me.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiles, a dimple glinting in her fierce face. “But you might not be thanking me later. I do not plan to go easy on you.”
I grin back. “I hope you don’t.”
Karânî signals for us to move into a trot and then a canter, which I do with more ease than I expected, until we transition to a full-on gallop. The power beneath me is unbelievable. I hadn’t realized just how much Karânî had been holding back her own horse while we’d been practicing with my smaller mare, because now we are flying across the meadow.
Exhilarated, I watch as she unhooks her feet from the stirrups to crouch atop the saddle before firing her bow toward a marked tree. Zahre does the same with as much finesse. I can’t stand like they do, but I rise up and clench my thighs tight around the stallion’s flanks. Focusing my magic, I grab my bow and nock an arrow. I remember to keep my elbow up, and just as we pass the target, I release, watching as it goes wide when my balance is jostled.
