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Cole is the first to spar and fights against Carlisle in hand-to-hand combat. Cole’s moves are short and jerky, holding back his full power. Carlisle is drenched in sweat as he defends, blocks, and dodges again and again. Unlike the duels with Darian I’ve witnessed, this fight is much more forgiving. Cole swings Carlisle to the ground and pins him until he taps out.

Cole scans the crowd. “Who’s next?”

I step forward. “Me.”

“I’ll take her!” Archie interjects enthusiastically before anyone else can respond.

Archie and I stand in the center of the clearing and face each other, the sun glaring against the edge of my sword as I raise it. Archie unsheathes his own sword, the metal ringing as it’s pulled free from its scabbard. Nervousness bubbles inside of me, mixed with relief that out of everyone I’m sparring with, it’s him.

Archie waits for me to make the first move. I jab forward, swiping my blade up and to the right. He twists his sword down to mine. Blocked. The metal rings out around us, and a vibration buzzes in my arm. I swing again—blocked. Stepping back from him, I wait for his attack, but it never comes. He steps forward like he’s going to but doesn’t strike.

“Archie, what are you doing?” I whisper as I swipe my blade sideways at him. “Fight. Me.”

He continues to deflect. I leave long pauses between, waiting for him to advance. While I secretly hoped he would take it easy on me, I wasn’t wantingthiseasy.

“Rebels won’t give a shit if she’s untrained,” Darian calls out from the sidelines.

And for once, Iactuallyagree with him. Cole shoots a glare in Darian’s direction to silence him and then is back to watching us.

“Come on Archie…I promise. It’s okay,” I mutter as I lunge and cut again.

He’s still not attacking me, his focus entirely on defending. His boot catches an invisible lift in the ground. Falling to his knees, his sword falls far away from his grasp. A littletoofar.

Did he just fake tripping and throw his sword?

Archie holds his arms above his head. “I surrender!”

I roll my eyes, an exasperated sigh slipping from my lips as I offer to help him up. He graciously takes my outstretched hand and leaps to his feet.

I shift my gaze to Cole, hoping he might entertain me. “Cole, will you—”

“I challenge.” Darian steps forward into the center, mischief dancing in his eyes.

Cole snaps his head into his direction. “Absolutely not.”

“C’mon, it won’t hurt,” Darian taunts.

Cole glares at the defiance in Darian’s voice and bites back, “It might for you.”

Darian sneers. “She has the prowess of akitten.But thank you for your concern.”

“You know it wasn’t her I was referring to,” Cole growls.

“It’s fine,” I assure Cole with a small nod. Part of me is adamant not to lure that simmering wrath of a man I witnessed the night I was captured. Besides, this may be my opportunity to prove myself. I step closer to face Darian, locking my stance to keep my legs from wobbling.

“I can’t back down. Not on the first day.”

“You’ve got this,”Daeja whispers in my head.

The memory of Darian ruthlessly hacking against Archie replays in my mind. The way Darian so effortlessly beheaded three men. How he’s rumored to be the best swordsman in the kingdom and trained by Jurrock himself.

Kitten myass.

A kitten wouldn’t dare fight a damn wolf.

Darian lowers his chin with a devilish grin and stretches out an open hand, bending his fingers toward him in an unspoken challenge.

I charge immediately, hoping my lack of hesitancy catches him off-guard. Swinging my sword in a hard left, he catches my strike so easily with his own blade, his eyes dance. Sweeping his sword locked with mine up and around, he thrusts me backward. I take a few steps back, narrowing my eyes, and spring forward. I swipe and swing, thrust and cut, each move deflected effortlessly by him. He hasn’t even taken a single swing at me, a stupid snidegrin settles on his lips. My blood boils in my veins as he begins to laugh at each of my strikes.