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Above us, little orbs of light—fairy lights—glitter from the trees arching over the royal courtyard that’s doubling as our training ground. They hover over the gurgling fountain and dot the hedges that surround us. Beyond them, the stars shine like diamonds, brighter and denser than any constellations I’ve seen on earth.

“Lift your elbow,” Des says for the millionth time, snapping me back to attention. This is just one of his many instructions…

“The strike must start from your shoulder. The arm is merely the follow-through.”

“Keep your center of gravity steady. Nothing but a death blow should make you lose your balance.”

“Fleet-footed, Callie. What you don’t have in girth, you must make up for in speed.”

“Your wings are an asset, not a liability. Don’t let them slow you down.”

Des comes at me again, and if I weren’t already intimidated by his experience, I would be by the predatory glint in his eye. That’s only a good look on him when he’s about to sully me. Otherwise, it’s plain terrifying.

I weakly block one of his strikes then scramble back. The Bargainer follows, a slight grin on his lips—like he’s actually enjoying this.

Gah, training sucks balls.

Big ones.

“Why…why are we doing this again?” I gasp.

“You know why.” He rolls his wrist, swinging his sword around.

Meanwhile, I’m over here, still panting like a dog. “That’s…not an answer.”

“Your one weapon—your glamour—doesn’t work here in the Otherworld,” he says, continuing to advance. “No mate of mine will be defenseless.”

Finally, an answer, and damn it, it’s agoodanswer. I don’t want to be defenseless either. If only training weren’t so bruising, both for my body and my ego.

“How long…will this…task last?” I ask, panting as I shuffle away from him. It feels like it’s been days since we started.

“You told me you wanted to be someone’s nightmare,” Des says. “I’ll stop training you once you feel you are.”

Teach me again how to be someone’s nightmare.I remember the words I said only days ago. I hadn’t imagined they’d lead to this.

And then the rest of what he’s saying registers.

“Wait.” I stop backing up. “You mean to tell me this task isn’t over when we stop today?”

Des rushes me, and his blade strikes mine with the force of an anvil. For the hundredth time, my sword clatters to the ground.

And once again, I get trounced.

The edge of the Bargainer’s blade finds my throat a moment later. The two of us stare at each other from across it.

“No, cherub,” he says. “This is just day one of the task.”

Damn it all to hell.

“I hate training.” The skin of my neck brushes the edge of Des’s sword as I speak. I don’t know if he’s used magic to dull the blade, but regardless, my skin doesn’t split beneath it.

“If it were fun, more people would do it,” he responds.

I raise my eyebrows. “Celibacy isn’t all that fun either, but perhaps it would doyousome good,” I say tartly.

His expression brightens with excitement. Only this crazy fairy would find the threat thrilling. “Is that—?”

Someone behind me clears his throat. “Is now a bad time to introduce myself?”