“I know my sister. She’s the most obstinate person you’ll ever meet.” It was true. The unwavering loyalty to their mother even when she didn’t deserve it, couldn’t appreciate it. Her dream of one day wearing a crown, play-acted through pretend coronations since she was six years old. Her friendship with Imogen, ended without a backward glance. Once she set her mind to something, that was it. Sealed into her heart and mind forever. “Mareda isn’t going to let up until one of us is on the throne. You saw how quick she was to paint you as a false ally, in a room full of the most influential people in Eisalaan. It could be years, decades ofyourpeople being subject to her petty tantrums.”
“If it comes to that, we’ll leave.”
She tensed. “You could do that? You could just… leave?”
Adeline heard the way her own voice went pitifully small and saw something shift across his face in answer, somethingfartoo soft and understanding. She quickly added; “Eisalaan is your home.”
The softness dissolved into nothing. Kai stood abruptly.
“Our home is buried beneath an impenetrable wall of ice, and hundreds of years removed from us. There’s no going home for my people anymore. So yes, I could leave.”
Adeline tried not to flinch; it didn’t make sense for his words to sting so. Of course this wasn’t the home he knew. Of course he should do what was best for his people - and so should she.
She stood too, bringing her gaze almost level with his.
“Well I can’t. No matter who is named Heir, I’m not going anywhere. Neither is Ger, or my father, or Iseult. So I can either forfeit and we can all risk a life under Mareda’s rule, now knowing the lows she’ll stoop to – or I can fight. My mind is made up, Kai.”
He raked at his hair so hard it was a wonder he didn’t rip it from its dark roots.
“That behemoth was ready to flatten you today,” he said. He searched her eyes with such intensity she almost swayed, and immediately wished she hadn’t stood up. “Do you know what it was like, to watch that?”
“I can imagine.”
The look he gave her was bleak and disbelieving.
“It’s not so long ago that I watched him flattenyou,” she said.
“Me?”
Kai stared at her. Was it really possible that he hadn’t recognised the Gard? The man Adeline fought today had been among those to greet Kai when he first arrived at the palace - by pinning him to the courtyard floor. She cocked her head and watched the realisation dawn over his face.
“I didn’t know.” His expression hardened. “We didn’t spend much time exchanging pleasantries.”
Maybe it was the wrong choice in that moment, but Adeline reached for Kai’s hand without a second thought. He looked at their joined hands and then up at her, unreadable.
“You recognised him in the arena. That’s why you were so –”
Kai broke off, but the truth hung in the air between them, buoyed by those unspoken words. Because yes, thatwaswhy she’d become so ferocious in today’s battle. It had taken her a moment to recognise the brute, but once she had, it was like a poisonous fog descended over her. A blinding rage had taken hold, and she had known that mastering that rage would be a tightrope act. She’d needed to let it in, just enough for the anger to fuel and drive her, but not so much that she lost sight of the massive Gard’s advantage.
Rage would only get her so far – but truth be told, she was quietly hoping the same fury would carry her through her battle with Doran. It had to; what else was there to defend against his own cold fury?
Kai looked down at their still-clasped hands again and ran his thumb gently over hers. “You were brilliant,” he conceded.
“I know,” she grinned. “So this argument is pointless. I’ll be brilliant again tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow is hand-to-hand combat.”
“And?”
“And,” he said, not meeting her eyes. “As skilled as you are with a blade, I’ve beaten you at almost every close contact battle in the last few weeks.”
Adeline snatched her hand away. “Well maybeyoushould fight him then.”
Kai went still. It was plain that he was trying not to react, but she caught the slight, hopeful tilt of his brow before he turned away.
“That wasn’t a serious suggestion Kai!”
He faced her, relenting.
