His promise delivers the comfort I need. Whatever cruel devices Lilis will surely have up her sleeve, Stellen isn’t abandoning me to them.
Lilis observes me, surprisingly without any hint of scorn, before she gestures me forward through the main area and into the hallway. There are only two rooms along the corridor,both with doors closed before the hallway opens up into a small arena.
“This is my personal training space,” Lilis says, her back straight and head held high. “To begin with, we’ll focus on your strength and agility. When you’re strong enough, we’ll progress to defensive maneuvers, ensuring you can evade any and all strikes.” She gives a soft huff. “That way, you’ll avoid cuts and bruises.”
I’ve paused in the doorway, my attention arrested by the little alcove in the narrow strip of wall beside the arena’s entrance.
A wooden carving of a wolf rests within the alcove, the fine detail in its face and fur clearly hewn by a skilled hand. Strips of white indicate it was once fully painted, but now much of the blond-colored wood shows through.
“Did you carve this?”
She stiffens. “No.”
I wait another moment, but if that’s all she wants to give me, I won’t push for more.
Stepping into the arena, I consider the training apparatus: beams and wooden poles of varying heights, some that appear to contain metallic mechanisms, but it’s not clear what they do.
The floor is wooden but has some spring in it. The air is warmer in here than outside, although the only heating element I saw was in the main room.
Looking me up and down, Lilis gives an exasperated sigh. “We can’t start until you’re appropriately dressed. Wait here.”
She sweeps past me, back into the corridor and to one of the rooms. The door opens and closes.
A minute later, she reappears holding a black garment that looks like it will be skintight.
“This is a training suit. It will fit snugly over your entire body. Get changed.” Then, with a furtive glance toward thefront of the building, she seems to remember that Stellen can hear everything. “Pleasechange into this training suit.”
My hesitation now isn’t an effort to tame her. “Is there a bathing room?”
“Not one you can use.”
I arch my eyebrows at her.
She huffs again. “If you’re prudish, I can turn around.”
I shake my head. “Just curious why I can’t use your bathing room. At some point, I’ll need to.”
Her jaw clenches and she takes a step toward me. “This ismyspace, Oracle. You’re invading it. Now, unless you need the bathing room right away, you can either change here or stay in those impractical garments. It’s your choice.”
I stand firm in the face of her aggression, even if my instinct is to put space between us.
Carefully, I reach for the training suit.
She pushes it at me before she turns to face the other direction.
I’m not sorry to remove the ill-fitting clothes and put on the black suit. It has a built-in corset, extra lining around the crotch and pelvis, and clings to my body as nicely as the Lethian armor did, giving me just as much flexibility when I move.
Folding the other clothing and placing it on the floor at the side of the room, I say, “I’m ready.”
Appraising me, Lilis gives a grunt of approval. “Let’s test your endurance and flexibility.”
For the next three hours, she has me balancing on beams and hanging from bars, performing what she callsplanksandpull-ups, and attempting all sorts of handstands, some with only one hand.
Every one of her exercises strains the muscles in my stomach, back, arms, and thighs—actually, every part of my body, but a lifetime of hard work has given me enoughstrength to hold my own. Even if I’m not especially elegant about it.
Lowering myself to the floor after a one-handed plank, I find her glaring at me, her arms folded across her chest. “You’re stronger than you look.”
I calmly return her sharp gaze. “You’re unhappy about it.”
