A laugh bubbled out of me. “That’s the last thing I need.” I patted his arm. “Thanks again for your help yesterday.” I turned, startled to find Dom watching me. His shadows pulsed around him darkening the glare on his face. The wooden sword he held cracked in his hands. Gods he was a moody one.
Finn, taking advantage of his distraction, pushed him aside. Their swords clanged, melding with the whistle of the wind and the early songbirds. He pinned Dom, who reluctantly conceded.Dom stood, brushing dirt off his clothes, and they both turned toward me.
Finn, again, had a smile so wide his teeth gleamed. He let out a low whistle. The general assessed me with indifference, holding his heavy stare a beat too long.
Finn mock bowed before me. “Leathers fit for a water-wielding queen. Care to train with me?” I bowed my head in response, searching the weapons area for the same dull sword I used the previous morning. The general stepped back, quiet, watchful. The heat of his observation prickled the small hairs on my neck. I wanted to swat him away.
I didn’t wait for Finn to set up his stance before I came at him. I ducked and spun as he deflected and slashed. He was good, but I had leftover angst from my night of bad dreams, my coiled rage fueling my attack. Ice coated my fingertips. My sword crackled as frost slowly combed its way down the blade, elongating and sharpening it.
“Enough!” The general’s booming voice broke through my focus. I gasped at the realization of my ice-crusted fingers. I dropped my sword, stepping back. The general cocked his head at me, curiosity and concern in his eyes.
“There are easier ways to get me to yield than freezing my balls, Rebby.” Finn winked.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…” I closed my eyes taking a deep breath. I needed to calm my volatile nerves.
“It happens. Collect yourself, then let’s continue.” The general unsheathed the two swords crisscrossing his back, setting them aside. He grabbed two dull ones, giving them elaborate test-swings in the air. He grunted in approval and turned to face me. “No magic, just weapons.”
I nodded in understanding, then took up my position.
I kept my attention on my adversary, watching the general’s footwork, both purposeful and graceful. I fell into a rhythm withhis sparring, like a natural dance. He feinted left and caught me off guard. He moved with unnatural speed, spinning me so that my back was flush against his chest.
I sought control over my short breaths, my body noticing all the places it was pressed against this towering man. His unyielding form stood solid behind me. He leaned down, whispering in the shell of my ear, “Stop watching my feet.” Then he pushed me off of him as he raised his sword. “Again.” A small shudder slid down my spine even as I glowered at him. I hated his arrogance.
My eyes narrowed. Gathering my focus, I harnessed my training into that small quiet place, the place I went to as the Scourge. The general adjusted his stance, picking up on the shift in my demeanor. Good. Let him wonder.
I lunged, slashing, twisting. My useless blade threatened his exposed right side. My movements landed swift and confident. I edged close enough to fake one direction, then swiped with my dagger from the other. He faltered for the second I needed to get my blade across his throat.
Finn stood across the way, his mouth hanging open. I started to lower the blade as the general met my eye. His strong hand enclosed my own while I gripped the hilt of my sword. He kept the blade at his throat, his amber eyes glittering.
“Well, aren’t you a menace.” My breath hitched. Memories drifted upward in my mind, of all the times he’d said that in the past. He stared at my lips for several beats.
A small muscle in his jaw feathered. I was staring. My chest constricted. I wanted to tell him. I wanted to know why he never came for me. The words lodged tight in my throat.
“General!”A young soldier ran up, interrupting our training. He bowed in deference to the general. “Another body was found. We need you to assess it.”
Another?How many bodies had there been before this one? The threads of Nolan’s evil wound discretely across the entire kingdom. I had been too sequestered, too deceived to have recognized it. But his illusions hold no sway over me now.
The general accepted his report, his face stern and contemplative—the face of a commander. He dismissed the soldier and turned his attention to me. “I told you we would have the dawn. But duty now calls me elsewhere.”
My guilt and desperation wouldn’t allow me to stay silent. And I knew that the more useful I was, the more the general would owe me when it came time to get Delah. “It’s the king isn’t it? I can do more than just get us to the Nereid Realm. I know of a mercenary with powers that could bolster your defenses against the King. He has unique weapons. I can help you dismantle it all.” I needed to do this for Korin. For myself. It was a small way I could right some of my wrongs and help secure a better future for people like Delah.
The general regarded me. “I would accept any allies and assistance you can offer.” He drummed his fingers against his thigh.
It hit me that the movement was the same from when we were young. I always knew he’d retreated into his mind, deep in thought, when he did that. A pang of sadness filtered tight across my chest.
“The queen of Yarit, Queen Avery, sent a missive requesting a meeting. You can come and show me what Ruin of the Scourge is capable of.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Does she know who I am?” A thread of panic slithered around my throat. If she knew of me, she could report my whereabouts to the king.
His softened gaze penetrated mine. “No, but it wouldn’t be unexpected for me to bring a companion. She requests my presence quarterly, with other leaders from Lyrae. I amgathering my army as Nolan gathers his. This is movement in that direction.”
“Then I will summon my contact, and accompany you to visit Queen Avery.” I sincerely hoped that Delah’s information regarding the man from up north in Vorkut held true.
“I’ll provide you with the proper attire for our evening with the queen.” He sheathed the previously discarded twin swords across his back, then left to deal with the body, Finn falling in step beside him.
The wind swirled around me at their departure. I closed my eyes and whispered Evander’s name into it, sharing who I was and what I needed. The sound of his name dissolved in the breeze. I only hoped the wind would carry my voice to the mercenary’s ears in time.
Chapter Twenty-Two
