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“Eat. Now. It is not a request. It is an order. If you don’t start eating, I will personally pick the food up, and force you to eat it,” he says, voice low and commanding.

Double burning hells, I hate this man. But I know he’s serious. He would do it, just to prove a point. Reluctantly, I shove some eggs into my mouth, glaring at him as I chew. He seems satisfied and returns to his own meal. Pompous prince.

* * *

Lilyana walkswith me to the training room, talking my ear off the entire way before she leaves me. She is sweet—almost too sweet. I’m surprised by her caring and friendly demeanor. Lilyana says she wants to see me more and explains how Vanna doesn’t allow her to have friends outside of the palace. I feel bad for her. She is a prisoner herself, in her own home.

Now that Lilyana has left, us contestants are walking in a line around the training room, being shown all the areas of the massive room. There were so many weapons I hadn’t noticed the day before: swords, bows and arrows, staffs, flails, throwing knives, daggers of all kinds, and some weapons I didn’t even know the names of. There are all sorts of targets and sparring equipment. I knew the room was massive, but we only stayed in one area.

After being shown the entirety of the room, we are taken outside to another training area. It’s even larger, with similar equipment spread out over an expansive space. Kylo explains that we’ll use this area for practicing magic, so we don’t accidentally bring the palace down. What a shame that would be to see this haunted place turned to rubble.

Kylo starts explaining how we’ll break into groups to train with weapons first and then move on to magic later. As he speaks, a familiar prickling sensation runs down the back of my neck. I know without looking that Prince Lukene has arrived, his gaze fixed on me. It’s as if my body senses him before my eyes do.

Iwalk out to the training yard and see Kylo already addressing the contestants. I would have been here sooner if Cora hadn’t stopped me, demanding an explanation for why the contestants were seated with us at meals.

Immediately, my eyes find her. Unlike the other women in the contestant group, she wears a tunic and pants—smart choice. She’ll move more freely when sparring. Her lavender hair is braided back, away from her face, and even from across the yard, her formidable presence is palpable. As if sensing me, she turns, and I catch her eye. I wink at her, and she narrows her vibrant lavender eyes, promising a slow death before turning back to Kylo.

Walking over, I stand next to Kylo, running my hand through my wind-tousled hair.

“Listen up,” I announce. “Today, I will pair you up with a member of the guard. The person you are paired with will be your lifeline, your training partner. If you have magic, they will help you strengthen that power. If not, then they will help you enhance a skill you already have. They will follow you throughout the day and keep a close eye on you, so do not get any brilliant ideas.”

I start calling out names of contestants and royal guards, pairing them up. I put Kylo with the male contestant I think could be a problem for us, Elm. He was a dance instructor for the royal house once before. I am unsure what he did to get put in the Hollows, but he is a big man—almost as tall as me. Witnessing him fight in the ring assures me he can be lethal, but I know Kylo can handle him.

I pair James with a seemingly meek girl named Larah. I know better than to judge her by her appearance; she fought with ferocious anger in the prison. Finally, I pair myself withher. I know she’ll be furious, and I can’t wait to revel in her anger. I like her bark, and I’m sure I’ll just love her bite.

She knows I am placing her with me. She stands there, arms crossed, glaring at me in her plum tunic that makes her lavender features glow like a sunset over the ocean. I try not to get lost in the sight. I call her name last, letting anticipation build. She knows what I’m doing, and her scowl deepens.

“Introduce yourselves to each other,” I instruct, “then spar. Get a feel for each other’s styles. Afterward, you can see a healer if needed. Then, break into your groups and practice with weapons.” With a wicked grin, I approach her, and her irritation grows with each step I take.

“Prince,” she says, bowing slightly.

“Prisoner,” I reply, dipping my head.

“Why did you pair me up with you? Don’t you have… princely things to do?” She crinkles her face when she asks.

“I will haveprincelythings to do sometimes.”

“Who will train me then?” The annoyance in her tone is adorable to me.

I smile widely. “Aww, are you scared you are going to miss me?” She scoffs, folding her arms over her chest, and I can’t help but smile wider.

“I could never miss someone like you,” she spits out, each word she speaks dripping with disdain.

“Oh, right,” I chuckle. “Because you think of me constantly. Can’t miss me if I’m always on your mind.”

She gives a dramatic sigh, rubbing a hand down her face. “I feel like you want me to fail. Who will train me when you aren’t going to?”

“Captain Kylo and Captain James will be standing in for me when I am not available.”

She studies me, her eyes wide, trying to gauge my sincerity. Her gaze shifts to Kylo and James, then back to me. Satisfied—or at least resigned—she nods. By now, everyone has spread out across the yard, and we’re alone on one end.

“Now what?” she asks, her eyes looking innocent for once. That fire in her eyes is slowly dying down as weariness sets in.

“Now we spar. Give me all you have. I can handle whatever you throw at me.” I can practically hear the grin in my own voice. “I want to see where you are weak and what we can improve on.”

“I am not weak anywhere,” she growls, her face twists into feral delight. That innocent look she gave me a moment ago is gone, replaced by a wild, ravenous glare.

“I won’t be holding back,” I warn, reading my stance.