“I’m not here to be kind,” he said. “I’m here to make you strong.”
“I’d rather just read about battle strategies.” In addition to my physical training, Yuto had taken it upon himself to dig out a few books from his library. When he’d strode into my chambers, balancing a looming stack in his arms, my heart had filled with joy.
Until I got my first look at the contents. Instead of the escapist fiction I’d dreamt of, with ferocious princes rescuing maidens from towers, he’d dumped a pile of history books in my lap. And not just any history books either. These were as dry as a desert and all about war strategies.
I’d read so many battle plans that my eyes had started to cross.
“Try to take the stick from me,” he demanded as he stalked from one side of the sparring ring to the other. Frowning, I followed his movements. He was like a lion, poised to attack.
“Any tips?” I tried.
“Nope.” He grinned. “Some things require trial and error, and this is one of those things.”
With a sigh, I took a step toward him and reached for the stick. He whipped it out of my range in less than a heartbeat. I reached out again. Yuto danced to the side. My fingers didn’t even come anywhere near the damn thing.
“You’re going to have to try harder than this, Aradia,” he said with a smirk, waving the stick over his head.
“Iamtrying,” I countered. “But this isn’t exactly a fair fight.”
“Most fights won’t be,” he said. “Not for you. You’ll be fighting against immortals. You need to learn how to work with that.”
I blew out a frustrated breath. “You want me to use my weakness to my advantage.”
His eyes glinted. “First lesson. Do not think of them as weaknesses. Have more belief in yourself. Pessimism is off the table.”
“It’s not pessimism,” I argued. “I’m only being realistic.”
He strode forward, tucked a finger beneath my chin, and tipped back my head. “Have confidence in yourself. It matters more than you think.”
I swallowed hard, far more focused on his hand against my skin than his words. He was so close that his chest brushed against mine, pebbling my nipples. Something inside of me ached, and the beat of my heart was so loud it could wake the dead.
He had enhanced hearing. Could he hear the frantic racing of my heart?
Something dug into my side. Sharp, pointy, and hard. Everything inside of me froze. Swallowing hard, I flicked down my eyes, only to find the bloody stick poking into me. Not…something else.
Smiling, I gazed back up at him.
And then I grabbed the stick.
My fingers found nothing but air. Yuto spun away and laughed. The booming sound echoed through the Great Hall.
“Well done,” he said. “I’d hoped you would try that little move.”
I narrowed my eyes. “That whole thing was a trap?”
His lips curled. “Did you hope it was something else? Because I certainly did.”
My lips parted. Need churned through me, hot as fire. I hated him, and yet…I could not help but want to erase the distance between us, wrap my arms around his stupid neck, and breathe him in. His eyes bore into me, his expression reflecting everything I felt inside.
The door flew open, interrupting the moment. I sucked in a sharp breath and tore my gaze away.
Orion strode into the hall, his form backlit by the blazing midday sun before the door slammed shut behind him. Glancing from me to Yuto, he nodded, and then patted the pommel of his sword.
“You’re training Aradia?” he asked, crossing the room to where we stood in the back corner.
“The time might come when she needs to be able to protect herself,” Yuto replied. “Some proficiency with the blade would be useful.”
Orion pointed at the stick. “That is no blade. My lord.”
