“You’re welcome, princess.”
EZEKIEL
Icrest the steep hill at a jog, focused on the path in front of me and putting one foot in front of the other when Aurelia, who is running alongside me, drops to the ground suddenly. I stop and turn in time to see her roll over onto her back. “Go on…” Her breath is a rattle as she draws in as much of the warm summer air as she can. “Go on without me. Save yourself.”
Rolling my eyes at her dramatics, I walk over to her and cross my arms as I stare down at her. She’s staring up at the canopy, but her eyes slide my way when my shadow casts over her. “So close. You almost made it to the finish line this time.”
Aurelia groans and rolls her head away from me, exposing the lovely slope of her neck. “You’re just as bad as he is.”
He being Khalil. “He’s also waiting for you to continue your training.”
She makes a sound that’s a cross between a cough and a burp. “Why? So that I can protect myself?” She doesn’t say it mockingly, but it does feel like she’s reaching for a reason why she’s letting us push her so hard.
“So that you can kill your uncle,” I remind her.
“Ah, yes. That.”
My gaze snags on the handheld tranq gun strapped to her hip. Carrying it with her always was Thor and Khal’s only condition on letting her run alone with me. I offer my hand, and when she accepts it, I pull her to her feet. “Changed your mind?”
“Not a chance.”
Tipping my chin back the way we came, I meet her gaze that seems more focused now. “Then let’s get going.”
Aurelia groans but then starts running. Neither of us speak again until we reach our stopping point. The lake.
“I still don’t think all of this is necessary,” Aurelia complains.
It’s been our routine for weeks now. Aurelia and I run every morning at the crack of dawn, and then we meet Khalil by the lake for some hand-to-hand combat before she goes to Thorin for weapons training.
“What?” I ask with a raised brow.
“The training. The fighting. It’s not my uncle’s way. He’ll never meet me head-on. He’ll try to stab me in the back instead. I have to beat him at his own game.”
“Do you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been living by his rules for half your life. Maybe it’s time you start writing your own.Makehim meet you head-on.”
“You really think I can make my uncle do anything?”
“I think you have a better shot at that than being deceitful, princess. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before, but it’s not in your nature. You’re much too open and honest. Sometimes to a fault.”
“Should I be insulted or…”
“Do you feel insulted, princesa?”
“What I feel is torn.I don’t know if I like it when you call me princess or princesa more.” Before I can figure out a response to that, she glances over at Khalil, who crooks a finger at her with a rigid look in his eyes that says he won’t be taking it easy on her this session. Neither will Thorin later, but for different reasons. Last night, the two of them got into it again over opposing ideas about how to deal with her uncle. Thorin went all alphahole and Aurelia called him out on his shit.
Aurelia sighs and looks up at me as if hoping I’ll save her.
“Good luck,” I mumble before I walk away, ripping my shirt over my head as I start for the water. I stop at the edge and dropmy shorts before tossing them a safe distance away. The water is cool despite it being the middle of July, and it feels like heaven against my sweat-slicked skin as I wade in.
When I’m deep enough, I begin swimming laps until my thoughts are no longer muddled and I can focus.
We’re going back.
And going back means Isaac will find me that much sooner. I don’t know how to feel about it yet. A part of me wants it to be over so I can finally start living—for Aurelia, for my brothers…for me. The other, quieter part is whispering that it can’t be done. Isaac can’t be defeated. Even now my muscles are threatening to lock up at the thought of him, but I force my arms and legs to keep moving through the water as I sort out my own secret plan to keep my family safe.
