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I centered myself, a skill I’d learned as a child when faced with any aspect of my life I felt was unfair or that I couldn’t change. “I’m ready.”

“Are you sure?”

I nodded.

She lifted her sword. “This is a practice sword; it’s a hand and a half. We use them for sparring.”

“I’m very familiar with them,” I assured her, moving to lift mine, but I wavered. “Don’t you need padding?”

“If you can hit me, I deserve the bruise.” She gave me the type of smile I was starting to associate with dragons. It was roguish and sly but playful. Closer to Kol’s than Nyx’s. It disarmed me, but I knew better. Anyone who believed they didn’t need padding when sparring was either a master of the craft or a moron, and I knew enough about Hazel already to know she wasn’t the latter.

Luka and I had never used padding while sparring. It was too difficult to slip out of the practice hall, and we learned to live without it. It helped that we knew each other’s styles so well.

I sank into a familiar posture, right hand on the hilt, with my left lightly resting on the pommel. I made the decision to move, but she came at me first with a mid-downward cut before I’d even registered her movement. I barely got my blade up in time to block the blow. I deflected and spun around to be ready for her next attack. She wore a smile as she came at me again, this time in a whirlwind combination of blows. I was slow, but I managed to defend myself.

I was sweating by the time I fell back, but I wouldn’t give her a second to form another attack. I launched myself at her. She parried my cuts with ease, only using one hand on the heavy wooden weapon. Her strength impressed me. Even the most skilled fae in my village weren’t near her level.

We went back and forth, and she landed a couple of blows on my padding. They’d sting later, but she’d pulled them. I’d been hit full force by Luka and knew hers would be more than anything he could deliver.

“Stand down,” Hazel said at length. “Well done. I didn’t expect your form and footwork to be as practiced as it is. I’m impressed. How did you become so accomplished if they didn’t allow females to train in your village?”

I glowed under her praise. “I trained secretly. It wasn’t easy, but I wanted to learn.”

“You did good by yourself.”

“It wasn’t entirely me. My friend helped.” It wasn’t fair to take all the credit. I wouldn’t insult Luka’s ghost that way. “I practiced as much as I could.”

“I am impressed, and it’s very hard to impress a fae from the Storm Kingdom.”

My cheeks heated from more than the exercise.

“Let’s work through some drills so I can see more before I put you in one of the group classes. Anything you’ve missed, I will put aside time to tutor you privately to get you as well rounded as the class will be. Does that work?”

She was asking me?

I nodded. “Yes.”

She walked me through some simple drills and then we had a quick sparring match again. This time, she went harder on me.

By the time we stopped, my lungs burned, and I sucked in breaths. I wasn’t used to this much physical exertion, but my body wasn’t letting me down for the first time in my life, and I had to think, once again, about the possibility of why that was.

A clap sounded from the doorway, startling me out of my train of thought. We both turned to find Nyx leaning against the frame of the double doors. He kept clapping. “Bravo. What you lack in magic, you exceed in weapons.”

“Thank you.” I didn’t want to like his praise, but I warmed from it, too, and I was sure I turned a brighter shade of pink. I hoped my flush from the physical exertion hid it.

He shoved off the wall, venturing farther into the practice room. “Does this put her in the advanced class?”

“It does. Will you be joining us to train with your ryder? It would be a pleasure to have the future general back in my class again.” She turned to me. “Nyx is the most accomplished swordsman I’ve ever trained, you know.”

My gaze flashed to hers. She wasn’t kidding. Her expression was that of admiration. A flush stained her cheeks, which took me by surprise. Even she was not immune to Nyx’s appeal, it seemed.

“I can’t be. I know how many excellent warriors you’ve developed, Hazel.”

Her smile widened. “But none so amusing as you and Kol.”

“Kind of you to include me with his praise.” Was he being humble? Who was this standing in front of me? Surely not the same fae who’d carried me off. “I would like to come help if I wouldn't be intruding.”

“It would be an honor to have you, and I have a few students you could knock down a peg or two for me. I fear a female beating their arse will never be enough.”