Page 35 of City of Promise and Light (Mates of Gods and Fae #1)
Sybil
S amian and I ate the rest of our lunch in silence before he led me back to my room to change into my uniform.
It had arrived with the clothes Ambrose had bought for me.
The pants and jacket were made of a black, stretchy leather, which was lucky for me—and my curves—since the fit was a bit tighter than the usual clothes I wore.
Black leather boots had arrived as well, matching the uniform perfectly.
Testing the feel of the leather, I did a few stretches and lunges around the closet. The leather felt a tad stiff, and I prayed to whoever would listen that it would break in soon.
Giving myself another look in the mirror, my shoulders sagged.
This morning had been a complete failure.
I didn’t feel ready enough for combat training.
I took a martial arts class as a child, but that was years ago.
Since then, my workout regimen had been inconsistent.
There was never enough time or energy in the day to stick to a routine.
I feared this moment was going to come, but I had secretly hoped that Ambrose would either forget or give me enough time to get comfortable with my magic before sending me out to train.
My stomach churned and I swallowed hard, the sounds of Liam’s yell echoing through my mind. I wasn’t ready for this. It was too soon. One wrong move could lead to someone getting hurt. I could already feel my light whirling inside, itching to be released.
And Arianna…
This was going to be a shit show.
Not daring to look in the mirror again, I sighed and walked out of my room, meeting Samian in the hallway.
His eyes were hard, and refused to meet mine as they swept over me.
He adjusted my jacket before spinning me around, and I fought against my cringe.
When I turned back to him, he nodded, the muscle in his jaw feathering.
An approval, though reluctant. But his silence only confirmed that I was right to worry about what would happen today, not only with my magic but with Arianna too.
Wariness crept up my back, my body stiffening.
Ambrose said he had spoken to her, but after today, I knew that hostility between us had grown after she overheard Samian and me in the library.
Part of me wondered if I was going to survive my first training.
I could only hope that Ezra would lead the training and that he would be kinder to me.
He hadn’t laughed that day in the dining hall, only watched Arianna with enough quiet precision that made me wonder if he had disapproved of her actions.
My chest tightened. This was going to be an unpleasant afternoon.
Not speaking a word, Samian turned, guiding us through the area of the palace I hadn’t explored to the training grounds. I pulled out my small notebook and pen from the pocket of my jacket, taking notes to add to my map later.
Leaving the main palace, we walked through an open corridor that was lined with a mix of white roses, dahlias, and camellias.
White wisteria hung from the ceilings, while benches sat underneath.
It was beautiful. Slowing my walk, my brows furrowed at the natural stone used for the column of the corridor.
It was so different from the marble used for the rest of the palace.
Sensing that I had stopped, Samian turned, following my gaze to the stone column.
“Before the palace became the Marble Palace, it was built with these stones. This is the oldest wing. You’ll find sections further in where they kept the original stone.
” Nostalgia with a hint of sadness filled his eyes, like he was reminiscing about distant memories.
“It’s amazing,” I breathed.
Samian hummed in agreement, his face hardening, and we continued to the training ground in silence.
The corridor ended with great wooden doors that were opened, showing a large oval pit in the middle.
The pit was surrounded by a covered passageway where other uniformed faeries stood watching people inside.
They all looked like soldiers, with weapons at their hips, ready for use.
Samian led me further into the passageway, but I stopped, wanting to see what was happening.
Arianna stood in a position, ready for an attack.
Her black uniform matched mine, except for a golden cuff around her left upper arm that had tiny letters written on it.
Opposite of her, a soldier stood holding a sword before him.
The glint of silver felt menacing as he shifted his hold on the weapon.
Making his attack, the soldier lifted his sword, bringing it down in a slicing motion.
Arianna stood still, waiting, biding her time until she met his blade head-on in a loud clash.
She arched her blade, letting the soldier’s fall to the side before turning and striking him in the head with her elbow.
Grunting, he fell to the ground and froze when she held the tip of her blade against his throat.
I watched her closely, my heart heavy, as her lips curled into an arrogant smile.
“Glad to see you could finally make it,” a raspy and commanding voice said from behind.
I turned, my eyes widening when I saw only a muscled chest. Swallowing, I looked up, finding large chocolate-colored eyes staring back.
Ezra’s eyes crinkled at the shock rippling across my face.
I remembered meeting him on my first day here, remembered how he towered over Samian and the surprise I felt when they stood side by side.
But I had forgotten about his size in the days after our meeting.
And now? Now I felt like nothing more than a child compared to him.
I laughed nervously as he walked up to Samian, clapping him on the back in greeting.
Those rich brown eyes slid to me then and I blurted, “How tall are you?” Immediate regret hit as soon as I said it, and my face burned hot.
Ezra barked a laugh, the sound so loud and deep that nearby soldiers looked our way, their eyes wide, stunned by the sound erupting from their war general.
“Welcome,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.
His eyes were bright with amusement. “Arianna and I are in charge of this unit, so we will be guiding you through the training.” Moving closer to me, Ezra took out the same golden cuff Arianna wore from his pocket.
“This cuff marks those in our unit. It will have their rank written along the middle. Those without one are still in training.” Tapping my shoulder, he moved past me, Samian following behind.
Walking us through the passage, the soldiers eyed me suspiciously, their bodies rigid.
Keeping my eyes forward, I tried not to notice when they bent their heads close to one another, whispering something, probably about my appearance or some other quality I lacked.
At the end of the passage, we entered a massive room that was filled with different types of weapons.
Swords, daggers, and spears lined the walls.
Barrels of arrows were gathered in a far corner with bows stacked on the tables beside them.
“This is our weapons room. Most of us have our own weapons that we carry; however, soldiers still in training use the weapons from here. They are blunted to avoid any serious injuries while they are learning. You may carry a dagger if you wish, but leave it when you come to the training grounds.” Stepping beside me, Ezra leaned down close to my ear, my pulse spiking.
“I’m almost eight feet, by the way,” he whispered before laughing and clapping me on the shoulder with his giant hand.
Grunting, pain laced through my arm, and I fell forward a step, Samian’s chuckle following me.
Catching myself before I face-planted, I winced, massaging the pain away.
Frowning at Samian, Ezra moved away, studying the wall of weapons before finding one he deemed suitable.
Plucking it off the wall, he strode back to me, dropping it into my hands.
My eyes widened when my hands dipped at the weight of the small sword which was heavier than I expected.
“I think this one will suit you well enough,” Ezra said. “It’s shorter and lighter than the other blades, so it will be a good starter weapon for you, especially since humans stopped using swords—from what I’ve heard.”
Snorting, I gave the sword a slight wave toward Samian.
He shook his head and rolled his eyes, but I caught the faint curve on his lips when he looked away, a fleeting expression that made my own lips twitch as I fought against a grin.
Catching the moment, Ezra gave me a weak smile before murmuring something too soft for me to hear, to Samian.
Samian’s mouth tightened, his eyes cutting to mine when Ezra straightened. Ezra patted Samian on the shoulder before moving to the back of the room, making himself look busy.
I watched Ezra sift through the bows with narrowed eyes. When I glanced at Samian, his face was tight with worry. He hesitated, his thumb stroking the ring on his other hand before coming to my side, his eyes still on Ezra
“It seems I have been called away,” Samian finally said, his voice hard.
“What?” I rasped. “You’re leaving me here alone?” My chest twisted, my uneasiness morphing into dread.
Guilt shone in his eyes. “I’m sorry I won’t be able to keep an eye on you during your training. But Ezra will be here to help you. He will make sure nothing happens while I’m away. But I will try my best to join tomorrow’s training, okay?”
I stood there silent, not knowing what to say when Ezra stepped up beside me.
He placed his large hand on top of my head, giving it a small pat, like I was a child in need of consoling.
I scowled, swatting his hand away. This man, so teasingly comfortable in my presence, felt different compared to the first day, when he looked so surly and unwelcoming. I didn’t know what to make of it.