Page 85 of Daman

“He pushed you? Like a Mufasa and Scar thing?”

Warrin cocked his head. “I don’t understand.”

“Never mind.” I snorted a laugh. “Why did he push you?”

“Because he was jealous. I’m the younger brother but surpassed him in our training.”

“Combat training?” I asked, shoving my hands into my coat pockets so I wouldn’t grab his hand like I wanted to. He might like me being clingy, but it was embarrassing.

“Yes. I started training with a sword when I was five. Nikolai received training too, but it wasn’t as strict. As the eldest son, he was destined to become king one day. They were training me for war. He thought I was getting special treatment. One afternoon, we ran out here to hide from the adults and climbed that tree.”

“And then he pushed you from it?”

A chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Your expression amuses me. The snow was deep and cushioned my fall. He jumped down after me and cried, saying he was sorry. I then gave him a bloody nose. Did you and your brothers never fight like that growing up?”

“Not really. Lazarus never tolerated that shit. He expected complete obedience. If we disobeyed…” I shook my head, hating the influx of memories. Whips slashing the bare skin of our backs, being beaten black and blue. None of it scarred because of our healing abilities, but it had still hurt like a bitch. “Let’s just say, it wasn’t pretty.”

Warrin grabbed my arm, stopping me. His blue eyes appeared paler in the morning light. “He hurt you?”

“He turned us into weapons of war. He had to break us first.”

“I’ll kill him.” Warrin pressed our foreheads together.

I intertwined our fingers. Fuck it. I’d be clingy. “Lazarus might be a total hard-ass, but without him, we wouldn’t be as strong as we are today.” A lump formed in my throat. “I wouldn’t be here with you.”

“I suppose he can live, then.”

Breathing out a short laugh, I continued down the path, our gloved hands joined between us. Two days had passed since Asa propositioned Warrin outside the kingdom. Deep down, I knew Warrin didn’t want him. But Envy had been poking my brain about it.

“He thinks Asa is more handsome.”

“Asa is more powerful than you.”

“Why would Warrin want you when he could stand beside the son of Lucifer? You’re nothing.”

I squeezed Warrin’s hand a bit tighter. Envy spoke lies, and I needed to drown it out. I needed to have faith in Warrin and trust that he wouldn’t hurt me.

Something else nagged at the corners of my mind: a distorted memory. Ever since Warrin had told me about Asa showing himself, a pressure had built in my chest. He’d said time had stood still. The snow had frozen in the air. A new power awakened. The search for a key. But no matter how hard I tried to remember, I couldn’t.

Swords clashed in the distance, growing louder the closer we got to the field. Light broke through the trees up ahead, and we stepped into the snow-blanketed training arena moments later.

The army was on high alert after we’d informed the king about the run-in with the enemy outside the barrier. Extra defenses had been put into place by the strongest magic wielders in the ice clan. Not to jinx us, but not even Asa himself could break through it.

Magic followed certain laws, and no matter how powerful Asa was, he still had to yield to them.

One advantage I had over the son of Lucifer? At least I didn’t get myself trapped in a stupid piece of jewelry for thousands of years.

I grinned at the thought.Fuck you, ring boy.

Viktor approached us, and Warrin bowed his head in respect. His nephew returned the gesture. Both of them were princes that would probably never rule. Neither seemed bothered by that fact.

“New weapons were just delivered,” Viktor said in his native tongue. They often spoke English when around me, but I followed the conversation just as well in Russian. “All soldiers have silver swords, bullets, and throwing knives. Silver-tipped arrows too.”

“Good.” Warrin observed the soldiers doing drills nearby. “Take over command for now.”

Viktor gave a curt nod before walking away.

“Follow me,” Warrin said, guiding me in the opposite direction of where the army trained.