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“It’s a cursed copper alloy, which means in the extremely unlikely event you struck me with it, it would… prick. Use this instead.” He walked to the rack of weapons and tossed me a short wooden blade. I scrambled—and failed—to catch it.

“We have our work cut out for us,” Iademos said dryly.

I glared.

He grinned. “That’s better. Can’t fight off enemies if your tail is tucked betwixt your legs.”

I didn’t believe it was possible for me to tolerate a vampire besides Raphael, but Iademos almost made me question that belief. He was relaxed, and careful to give me space. He wasn’t treating me like I was prey or overly delicate.

He took a practice dagger for himself and flipped it in his hands, waiting for me to settle my grip on the training stick he’d thrown my way.

“A dagger’s not a great weapon if you’re in a head-on confrontation. It doesn’t have the reach of a sword, but it also doesn’t require the muscles or years of training.” That explained why Raphael had picked it for me. From the looks of the larger practice swords, I’d struggle to lift one, let alone defend myself with it. “What’s good is that you can use it to maneuver when your opponent is close and surprise them. With your size and sex, you’ll be underestimated in just about any fight—which isthe male’s fault,” he emphasized after Amalthea made an annoyed sound, “not yours.”

I wasn’t offended by blunt lessons. I’d learned at a young age just how much of a liability being a girl could be, and I’d learned since then that I would use any tool available to me to survive.

“We’ll make sure to use it to your advantage,” he continued. “Now, I’m going to show you the basics.”

So the general did. From a distance. He demonstrated and ran me through several drills. He always stayed within my line of sight, avoiding sudden movements. I was gratefulfor that, even if I likely would have benefited from more corrections.

The hours passed. A thin sheen of sweat coated my forehead, my body exhausted from the repetitive movements, but I was determined to practice without complaint. I’d spent a lifetime wishing for protection in different forms—in magic, in my mother, in the Monastery—and I was tired of it. For the past weeks, I’d relied on a vampire to keep me safe. And Raphael had, but Raphael wouldn’t always be there, and more than that, I didn’twantto need his protection. In a few weeks or months, however long it took to translate the grimoire, I’d be setting off into an unknown territory. I needed to stop looking outwardly and start building my own defenses. So even though my shoulder was on fire, my wrist aching from the abrupt use, I continued.

It was Amalthea who finally said it was enough.

“I can keep going,” I said quickly. “I don’t have anything else to do.”

Iademos shook his head. “As much as I hate to say it, Thea is right. Overdo it and you won’t be able to move your arms tomorrow.”

I was unprepared for the disappointment that pierced me. Even though they had a point, it felt like a failure.

“Each day, Amalthea or I will work with you on building strength. A dagger may not require the strength of a broadsword, but you still need some muscle to pierce theskin.” He ran his gaze up and down, but there was nothing to it beyond a blunt appraisal.

“We’ll have you ready to carve the hearts of vampires out in no time,” Amalthea assured me, the bloodthirsty promise leaving her lips with a smile. “But you and I have another trial ahead of us.”

I put the practice dagger back on the stand. “We do?”

“We do,” she confirmed. “We have a ball to get ready for.”

Chapter Thirty

Iademos took his leavewhile Amalthea stood and dusted off her immaculate skirts.

“What ball?”Vampires have balls?

She read my expression with ease. “Courts always have balls, do they not? Our king has been gone for weeks with no word. It’s only right to have one to commemorate his return.”

“But… I don’t need to go to that.” I didn’t need to be around vampires any more than absolutely necessary. A ball was not, by any measure, necessary.

“Raphael claimed you. It’s only right you make an appearance. Besides, people are curious about you.”

Just what I needed: vampires interested in me.

“And you must be curious about them as well.”

“I’m really not,” I insisted. I knew everything I needed to: They were dangerous predators, and voids like me were their ideal prey. As for the ball itself, well, I’d never been to one, though I’d watched from the corner of the room as my mother prepared to attend, layering disguise magic on top until her appearance transformed, making her unrecognizable—and in the eyes of a child, just a little scary.

My heart ached, in that fleeting moment, to be a child again and watching her. When the scariest thing was seeing her lips turn from pink to purple, her lashes long enough to graze her magically sharpened cheekbones when she batted her eyes.

She shrugged. “Well, too bad. You’re going.”