Page 36 of City of Promise and Light (Mates of Gods and Fae #1)
“I’ll be sure she makes it back in one piece,” Ezra grinned.
Samian narrowed his eyes at the poor attempt at reassurance but gave Ezra a slight nod before leaving us alone in the weapons room.
We stood there, the silence making my chest tight, and I fought the urge to rub at the ache.
Instead, I clenched my hands. They felt clammy and the prickling feeling started making its way down my arm, warning me that my power was threatening to lash out.
As if he could feel my magic building, Ezra cleared his throat and asked me to follow him to the training area.
The sandy pit was large enough that we didn’t interfere with those training on the other side.
Their calls and whoops filled the air as two soldiers fought, their swords clashing loudly together.
I looked at Ezra, my eyes wide. I had never been in a real fight.
Even as kids, Micah and I would pick up sticks, treating them as swords.
We choreographed pretend fight scenes from movies or shows we had watched.
There was never any authenticity in it, not in the way these soldiers moved now, with a quickness my eyes could barely keep up with.
Ezra’s eyes softened and he released a small laugh.
“It’s not as scary as it seems. You won’t be starting off in that type of training just yet.
First, we will go over the correct way to hold a sword and your positioning.
Though you look sturdy enough, you’ll be using muscles you’re not used to using, so we will take time to build up your strength before I throw you in the ring with someone. ”
Releasing a shaky breath, I nodded, my hands tightening on the hilt of my sword. I glanced back at the others, swallowing when someone lost their weapon, losing the fight. I flinched when Ezra put his hand on my back, urging me to the spot he cleared for us.
“Lift your sword in front of you like you are preparing for a fight,” he said, slipping into the mask of a war general.
All the teasing and smiles forgotten. He circled me then, adjusting my hands and my feet until my positioning looked correct before he unsheathed his sword and stood beside me.
“We are going to keep it simple. I just want you to raise your sword, then drop it in a slashing motion as you take a step forward. ”
Ezra demonstrated and I copied his movement while he watched. His eyes tracked every move in my arms, legs, even my feet, adjusting them as I went. Easing into a nice flow, Ezra nodded his approval before telling me to repeat that motion fifty more times.
I gaped at him, half expecting to hear his booming laugh like it was a joke. It wasn’t. His face remained serious while he waited with an arched brow for me to start. Blinking, I exhaled, my shoulders dipping when I looked back to my sword. Groaning, I repositioned myself and got to work.
At first, the task seemed easy enough, but after the thirteenth swing, my arms and shoulders screamed at me, trembling while sweat dripped from my face, falling to the sand.
Ezra wasn’t lying when he said I would be using muscles I wasn’t used to using.
I was so exhausted that by the time I reached fifty, I dropped to the ground, panting.
My body felt heavy as I set the sword aside to massage my shoulders and catch my breath.
Kneeling beside me, Ezra handed me some water as he frowned. “I was worried about your strength. It seems my worries were right.” He eyed the trembling in my fingers when I took the water, his mouth tight.
“I mean, there’s not much happening in Mide that would call for me to be battle ready,” I huffed, rolling my eyes.
Ezra took a breath, about to say something when his eyes moved to someone behind me and scowled.
Turning to see what he was looking at, I fought a groan when I spotted Arianna walking toward us.
Her bright golden hair was tied up, her eyes burned like an icy fire, and one side of those full lips of hers rose in her usual snide, arrogant smirk.
“Tired already, little girl?” Arianna laughed, twisting to the soldiers behind her .
Their laughs mirrored Arianna’s, sounding cold and cruel as Arianna turned back to me.
She looked as if she had just finished readying for the day, not like she was in the middle of a training session.
Her face was soft, her cheeks were tinged with pink, and her hair looked so smooth and flattering.
My face heated when a bead of sweat dripped down my temple into the sand below.
I must have looked almost feral compared to her.
Pushing the loose strands of hair from my eyes, I picked up my sword and stood. My muscles screamed, begging for more rest, but I pushed it down, not wanting to show Arianna just how weak I felt. Disregarding her, I turned my back on her, moving to stand closer to Ezra.
Ezra grimaced while a few soldiers gasped, whispering excitedly to each other.
Understanding that I somehow made a mistake dawned too late when Arianna gripped the end of my braid and pulled me back.
Tripping over my feet, my breath caught in my throat when I landed on the ground hard, my bones aching from the impact.
Hissing, my gaze jerked to Arianna, narrowing on her face, which was pinched with anger.
“Never turn your back on me, girl ,” Arianna seethed, her veins glowing a crimson red that webbed down her neck and arms. “You may be new here, but I am still your commander.”
“You’re not my anything,” I scoffed, standing and brushing off the sand from my leathers.
“I’m here to learn how to protect myself, not to join some army.
” Hurting someone wasn’t something I could do, at least not with intention.
I sure as hell wasn’t going to let her force me into joining an army to do just that.
Arianna stalked closer to me, those graceful steps taking their time until she was a mere inch away.
Unmoving, I looked up at her, meeting her fiery glare with one of my own.
“As long as you are on these grounds, you belong to me.” Her voice was unnaturally calm, and she continued to hold my stare, daring me to respond.
My grip tightened around my sword while my pulse picked up, beating hard against my chest. “I belong to no one but myself,” I said, my voice tight.
The soldiers around us laughed, but I couldn’t hear them over the roar of blood in my ears.
My power thrummed just below my skin, pulsing, matching the beat of my heart.
I shivered and the feeling of needles prickled down my arms, preparing to protect me.
Ezra called out Arianna’s name, but she ignored him, refusing to break eye contact with me.
Arianna smirked. “We’ll see about that.” Turning to a soldier close to her, she whispered something to him before looking back at me.
A wicked smile slowly curved along her face.
“I heard the humans in Mide are weak, that they’ve grown fat and lazy.
” Pausing, Arianna’s eyes swept over my body before lifting her sword, pointing it at my chest as the heat in my cheeks grew hotter.
“I think we should have a little fun and just see how weak the humans have become.”
Ezra let out a curse while cheers and laughter erupted around us. “Arianna, she’s not ready for this,” Ezra growled, his voice low and filled with warning. “She needs more time to learn before being thrown into the middle of a fight. Especially one with you.”
“If you think she is too weak, Ezra, just say so,” Arianna taunted. “Every single one of my soldiers was thrown into duels on their first day—why shouldn’t she?”
“You know as well as I do that our soldiers grew up learning how to fight before they joined our unit. She hasn’t had that privilege.” Ezra’s voice grew louder and more threatening as he stepped between us, his sword glinting in the light .
“Well, I guess now is as good a time as any to learn, don’t you think?” Arianna jibed, the crowd snickering along with her.
Ezra opened his mouth, ready to defend me again when Arianna sidestepped Ezra and lunged at me. Ezra cursed and quickly cut her off, blocking her path to me. “Don’t do this,” he said, raising his sword.
Arianna cocked her head, studying him with narrowed eyes.
In one quick movement, faster than a blink, she closed in on Ezra, her sword in the air.
Panic gripped its claws tight around my chest, and my body felt like it was glued to the spot, unable to move or look away.
Time felt slowed as Ezra met all of Arianna’s blows with ones of his own, their swords clashing, the sound ringing in my ears.
Arianna’s attacks against Ezra were ruthless, aiming to kill while his were entirely defensive.
The jeers around me continued as the commander and war general fought, Ezra’s powerful body keeping up with Arianna’s nimble movements until she suddenly feigned going left.
I yelled out in warning, but Ezra heard me too late, letting her slip past him.
Arianna was circling around him when two rough hands shoved me into Arianna’s path.
Gasping, my blood rushed, and I lifted my sword just in time as Arianna swiftly brought hers down, colliding with mine.
The vibrations jarred the muscles in my shoulder and arm.
Crying out, my hand felt weak, and I almost dropped my sword.
Pushing away from her, I swiftly moved when her sword swiped at me again. Tripping over my feet, I felt the hum in my body grow more intense as I ducked, narrowly missing her next strike.