My eyes burned.
Flame rumbled with a soothing purr:There is light in every darkness, my rider. Do not be too hard on yourself.
After dismissing the other warriors, Blake stalked back toward me. Jace lingered, but one scathing look from the Ambush Master had him giving me an apologetic frown and stepping away to hurry everyone else out.
Blake’s pale blue eyes raked over me. I stood there, covered in sweat and grime. He came close enough that I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze.
“This is becoming dangerous,” he said flatly. “You have no warrior instinct whatsoever. Your arms are weak. Your frame fragile.”
“Why does it matter?” I asked, feeling childish and hurt. “I’m sure you’d be grateful for my death—it would make all of this so much easier.”
My words made him furious, heat entering where there was once only cold stiffness.
“I do not play with your life. If you step into battle like that, it will not only be your death. Sloppiness will kill us all.”
I didn’t say anything, my body rounding to shield myself from the truth of his words. I picked at the soft fabric around my knees, massaging the aching joint—anything to avoid his eyes, lest he see the reddening of my own.
“If you were Bonded to any other tyger, you’d be gone. But you have the only living tygress queen. Youmustdo better. There is no other option.”
I’d seen how hard he trained, how good he was up close, and much as I hated it, I was starting to respect him. It was clear he’d earned his position. His skills were real. He was the best weapon the Silver Dominion had.
And as stupid as it was, I did care what he thought of me. I was trying, even if it only resulted in failure.
“Right now, you are nothing but a danger to the Silvers, the Azures—and to the tygress queen.”
Heat flashed through me, a well of anger and fury that had been building for weeks. Before I could stop myself, I bared my teeth and snapped, “At least I’m not some stubborn Silver ironneck ready to slaughter and maim for his own gain.”
“No?” he asked before turning away. “What are you doing here, then?”
23
The next day, I woke up filled with grief and longing. I’d had my recurring dream again, memories of my lost mother singing to me swirling through my mind. It haunted me. I had to get through the Culling and the Raveling, and somehow win that boon.
Blake didn’t show for training, leaving Jace to lead us alone.
It didn’t matter that the Ambush Master wasn’t there; I couldn’t get his voice out of my head. It was making my movements worse, like I was going backward instead of forward.
Though I could tell Jace went easier on me without Blake ready to bark over his shoulder, I still felt Blake’s presence like a hand around my throat.
After dinner, when Edith asked me to sing her something, as she often did, I remembered the song from my dream:
“Born of passion and the silencing queen,
A light shall rise where none have been.
Through her, the dawn will banish night,
If the dragon’s heart grants her might.
Should the hollow one consume her power,
Darkness will reign in the final hour.
Let the serpent’s heir stand by her side
And storms shall rage and kingdoms die.”
After the last pure note died away, Edith was staring at me, her eyes glistening with emotion. “That’s an old ballad. Where did you learn it?”
