Page 55 of A Queen’s Betrayal (Legends of Worldbinders #1)
Anger bubbled beneath her skin. She undid her loose braid and finger-combed her thick, dark hair into a knot at the back of her neck. “Again,” she seethed.
Arenna dug her heels into the dirt and rubbed her palms together.
They repeated the same drill over and over, Arenna failing each and every time. She called for her power, begging it to help her, but Kayson’s sword found her body every time.
By the tenth round, he had placed his sword back among the other deadly blades. “That’s enough for today. You need to eat.”
“Do not tell me what I need,” Arenna seethed, running her hands through her hair. Frustration raged in her heart.
Kayson grabbed her elbow, pulling her close enough that she could smell the rich scent of his tanned skin. “I will tell you whatever is necessary to keep you alive. You are too thin and too weak. You need to eat.”
Arenna ripped her arm from his grasp. “Get off of me, Kayson.” She looked up at the king, slightly horrified to see his eyes flaring as they roamed across the scar on her wrist.
He reached for her, the gesture momentarily making Arenna pause. “Don’t,” she whispered.
Quickly, she tugged her sleeve back over her exposed skin.
Kayson’s voice came quiet, edged in something far more dangerous than anger. “Did he do that to you?”
“Oh please,” she scoffed. “Do not act like you—”
“Arenna.” His voice deepened, commanding but not unkind. “What did he do to you?”
She didn’t answer. Emotion and confusion clogged her throat. Arenna wanted to turn away and hide, to find the nearest healer and beg them to rid her skin of its imperfections.
He stepped closer, eyes fixed on her, gentler now—but no less intense. “Tell me. Please” If Arenna didn’t know better, she would have thought she heard pain—desperation, even—in his voice.
She should walk away. He had no right to this piece of her soul—yet she felt compelled to give it. “Those scars are from chains wound too tightly around my wrists,” she said through clenched teeth. “I was held captive for weeks.”
Kayson didn’t move. He didn’t even seem to breathe.
“He chained me up. Forced me to . . .” The words died in her throat, the memory too heavy to bear.
“He forced me to do things . To be a part of things.” The truth of her survival poured out of her, unguarded.
“He would burn me, cut me, stab, slice, dig, whatever he wanted to do, just for his sick enjoyment. Then he would heal me, only to do it all over again the next day.”
Kayson went wholly still, his chest barely moving as if he was short of breath.
Rage radiated off him, enough that Arenna almost felt it in her own chest. He took a step toward her, and she resisted the urge to step back.
“That will never happen to you again,” he said, his deep voice laced with promise.
Arenna swallowed the emotion in her throat.
“All of that is what holds you back in your training. You can’t progress until you face it,” he said solemnly. “You have to find a way to move forward.”
Suddenly, the conversation felt unbearable. Inside, her heart bled, a pain strong enough to steal her breath until her vision clouded with the fear Jaksen had instilled. The fear that she had tried so hard to bury. Her hand moved to the scar across her face.
Feeling foolish for having revealed even a glimpse of her devastation, Arenna gathered her things. “Do not ask me anything like that again.”
The air shifted, and something she couldn’t pinpoint glistened in the king’s eyes.“Or what?”
Arenna stopped short. “Really?”
“Or what ?” the king said again, a sneering smile on his full lips. Arenna had never wanted to smack it off his face so badly. Kayson grabbed two blades from the armory, tossing one her way and keeping one for himself.
She watched as the sword clattered to the ground, dirt puffing around it in front of her feet. Anger blazed in her veins, hot as the fire in her hands. “You really are an egotistical bastard, aren’t you?”
Kayson shrugged. “Follow through on one of your threats, Arenna. For once, show me what you’re capable of rather than run your mouth.”
Arenna grabbed the sword from the dirt. She knew he was trying to provoke her, to coax her back into the pit, into the fight. And she was happy to give in as she lunged.
Kayson laughed as he easily sidestepped her, making Arenna stumble over her own feet. She caught herself, breathing heavily and blinking through the anger coursing through her chest. “That can’t possibly be the best you can do,” he mocked.
Under the first glimpse of dusk, Arenna launched another attack. All the maneuvers Koltin had taught her were still present in the back of her mind, but it was difficult to find her footing after weeks of inactivity.
With his Fae body, Kayson easily dodged all her attacks, tiring her out before the fight could even get started. He was a gifted warrior, and she knew that, but she wanted to prove she wasn’t the spineless, weak human he made her out to be.
She brought the steel over her head and brought it crashing down toward the king. He blocked perfectly on time, sending shattered steel sparks fluttering over them. With their faces inches apart, Kayson smiled. “You have a lot of work to do, Serpent.”
The title sent a wave of anger through her, adding to the fire already burning within. Her power was a waiting storm, ready to erupt, but she had to control it. She had to show him she was capable of anything he threw her way, despite her past and what she had survived.
The next set of strikes was calculated and well thought out. Arenna slipped back into the routine Koltin had taught her in Brookworth’s basement. Her hands and feet woke up, her body recognizing what to do.
Kayson grinned like a feral beast at her movement, her strikes, and her dodges. He didn’t seem the least bit strained or tired, as if this was a mere walk in the park.
This time, the king lunged forward, his blade cutting through the air with precision, and Arenna barely managed to keep up, her arms straining under the force. He dropped low, kicking his boot into the back of her knees. As she hit the ground, Kayson stood, bringing his sword down in a swift arc.
Arenna rolled to avoid the blow, feeling the blade pass close above her, her lungs screaming from nearly being emptied.
Springing back to her feet, she advanced with a series of swings, pressing him to the edge of the pit. Kayson blocked each one, his focus unbreakable, but she noticed a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
Seizing the moment, she feinted left and swung her sword toward his exposed side.
He anticipated her move, catching her blade just in time, their swords locked between them. They stilled, breathing heavily, eyes locked in silent challenge. “Better,” Kayson murmured, a faint grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
Arenna smirked, twisting her wrist to break free. “I’m just getting started.”
He narrowed his eyes, his grin vanishing as he renewed his focus. He attacked with greater speed, his sword a blur as it aimed toward her shoulder, then her side, forcing Arenna to pivot and dodge. She felt the power behind each strike, her body struggling to handle his onslaught.
She kept her movements tight, ducking under his blade before spinning and aiming a sharp blow toward his ribs. Kayson blocked it, their blades locking again with a loud clash.
This time, Arenna didn’t wait for him to break the lock. She shifted her weight and swept her foot behind his ankle, throwing him to the ground.
When his back hit the dirt, Arenna spun her blade downward, letting the tip poke into the vest covering his chest. Kayson froze, looking down at the sword before meeting her gaze, a glint of respect in his golden eyes.“I could get used to this view.”
“ Shut up ,” Arenna snarled. “As I said before, don’t ask me anything like that again,” she said, panting. She tossed her sword into the dirt beside his body, and stalked out of the training pit.