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She felt his warmth near her arms again, but he didn’t touch her.

“May I?” Thalon murmured.

Alora felt her breath catch and eyes brim with tears. She nodded through the panic, and his tattoo-covered hands settled around her healed wrists before he positioned them to cross her chest.

Sapphires sealed shut, feeling Thalon’s warm hands—as warm as Kaine’s—feeling his light grip around her wrists, the hold nothing in comparison to the treatment she was used to.It’s not Kaine. It’s Thalon. And he doesn’t want to hurt you.

You know that’s not true. They’ll all hurt you. Use you. Once your usefulness has run out, you’ll be back on the streets begging,crawlingback to me.

But Thalon’s voice shattered through Kaine’s. Calm and tender as his arms held strong. “If you’re ever in this position, the knees and elbows are the hardest parts of the body. Use them to your advantage. The knee gives more power, but the elbowhas versatility. I want you to force your arms down with all your strength. Elbows back into my ribs. You’ll wind me enough to escape.”

Alora heard him—barely. She was still focused on the feeling of his arms and the evil voice that haunted her. “You want me to?—”

“Hit my ribs, yes.”

She danced her feet in preparation and ripped her arms free, jamming elbows into rock-solid abs that barely knocked his breath loose.

Kaine’s voice viciously laughed.Weak. Like you’ll always be.

Thalon positioned her arms back in front of her and reassured, “I know you can do better than that. Try again.”

Snickering hissed from the wall as Jade picked off a piece of splintering wood. “Please put her out of her misery. For the love of stars above. This ispathetic.”

Kaine laughed inside her mind again.

Alora whispered under her breath, “Shut up.” Teeth gritted as she scanned to Jade, spitting her words at her too. “Shut the hell up.” And Kaine’s voice faded away, leaving a brush of fire burning her throat as she repositioned.

A wooden board bowed from behind them. Garrik’s heavy footsteps trailed their way. “Jade,” he called and something cold in his voice stirred her nerves to ignite, “replace Thalon. If you are going to provoke, you will do it dodging blades.”

Alora’s eyes widened. She’d successfully avoided any sort of physical contact with Jade since the gamroara. A hard lump formed in her throat as her lips went taut. And now she would face her after an already tiring day.

With a pleased grin, Jade jumped down from the wall and sheathed her dagger into thigh straps. “Dodging?” She scoffed and unsheathed her sword, twisting her wrist to spin it by her side. “She’ll be kissing the dirt from beneath my boot within aminute.” Jade snickered at Alora with a hungry smile, like she’d been staring all day at a perfectly roasted turkey covered in herbs and butter. A crunchy seasoned skin just waiting to be devoured. And now she could finally eat it.

Garrik wasn’t quite as amused. Glancing at Alora, Smokeshadows whorled in his hand until a sword appeared, and he handed it to her. “Anythingis fair in battle. Show me what you have learned.” Garrik tapped the palms of her hands, and she understood his subtle inclination before he walked to the arena wall where Thalon waited.

Thalon shifted with arms crossed with a look that read,‘They’re likely to kill each other.’

Adjusting his tunic, Garrik leaned back against the wall and crossed an ankle over the other, folding his arms inside themselves. Relaxed, cocky even. He smiled at Thalon, and with a nod, turned to the awaiting fighters. “You two act as if we are not anticipating war. Get your heads out of your asses and those swords ready. I do not care if you leave bruised and bloody. You will fight until those attitudes are gone. Make no mistake, if you do not convince me, you will remain out here until you cannot even crawl to your beds.”

Placing his hand on his hip before lowering his head, Thalon uncomfortably rubbed the back of his neck, knocking a few gold beaded braids together. The sound danced on the breeze and echoed in Alora’s ears like a war cry.

Jade slowly took a semi-circle step. “Best to surrender now. Wouldn’t want that pretty hair matching mine or messing up your armor.”

Two more steps.

Alora countered, moved her feet, and positioned the sword in front of her. Her eyes saw nothing but red hair circling. Not the arena walls nor the glassy lake, the trees, not even the camp beyond them.

“I’m not naïve enough to think I will beat you, Jade. Not yet. But know this, if you cross blades with me, I won’t stop until I’m commanded to—or dead.” Alora dug her heel into the ground and tightened her grip until the leather groaned.

“Good.” Her words carried a tone of whispered disdain.

Metal clanged as Jade took the first swing.

Alora dropped a knee to the dirt and thrust her sword long sided into the air, colliding with Jade’s blade above her head. With a strong spin of her arms, Alora swung the sword down at Jade’s feet. Licking her boots before she bounded back.

This would be more than a training session.

This was a battle.