Page 53 of Rebellious Royals

"Halt!" Bracken barked, moving toward the pair. "That's enough. You two aren't trying to learn anymore. You're trying to show off!"

"Keep up," Pascal panted. "I didn't know he was any good."

"Swordsmanshipisa royal skill," Torian pointed out.

Which explained so much - at least to me. If his mother had forced him to learn this, then he wouldn't want to use it. He might know how, but he'd made it clear he was trying hard toreject everything about her - and what she considered necessary to rule.

"Is that why you refused to spar with me?" Keir asked.

Torian just shrugged. "I didn't want us to get distracted. Now, since these four are already making a distraction..."

"Sentinels, this side," Bracken ordered, pointing to where I was standing. "The court, that side. Everyone needs to get weapons."

"Six against four?" Wilder asked.

"Five," Bracken said as he took the sword from Pascal. "No blades. Everyone uses sticks and magic. Dirty fighting is allowed. Pull your shots if you can."

"Damn," Daivon breathed. "Ok, so this is serious?"

"Very," Keir said.

"What about me?" Aspen asked.

"You're in the front, at the center," Bracken told her. "They protect you."

"Majesty," Bran whispered as a reminder.

"She's family, so no," Bracken told him. "After all, if we're done keeping secrets, then I want it clear which side I'm on."

Jack fluttered over to a shield on the wall, then perched precariously on the edge. "Jack!" he cawed.

"Ok, then you start it," Bracken told him. "What word will you use?"

"Court!" Jack replied.

Bracken nodded, then gestured for us all to line up across from each other. "Ready when you are, Jack."

"Court!" the crow called.

And all of us moved. I was right beside Aspen, so I reached out to block Bracken's first attack. Hawke covered my arm when Pascal tried to smack it. Wilder used that as a chance to attack, and my entire left side moved like a well-oiled team. The right side, however?

Torian and Keir lashed out with a vengeance. They weren't striking with any constraint. Both of them were aiming for Bracken, knowing he was the hardest of our opponents, but Daivon was right beside him. Surging in, they all but forced my zez to focus on them, which left the rest of us to take out the other four.

Sticks cracked together. Bodies moved, sometimes bumping into each other. Surprisingly, Aspen was right in there, doing her best to hit one of the sentinels. She also had a few plans of her own.

A hiss sounded right before the floor glazed over with ice. Bran slipped, allowing Wilder to tap his chest, knocking him out. Axel moved over, but that separated him from the rest of his team. Hawke went for him.

I stayed with Aspen. She was my responsibility, but Pascal seemed to know that. His eyes were locked on her. Every time I tried to take him out, he would dodge me and go for her. That lasted for a moment until Torian had enough.

With his free hand, he shoved at Pascal, knocking him onto his ass. Hawke surged forward to handle that. Wilder turned for Axel as if he understood the assignment. I ducked in front of Aspen to help the guys with Daivon, allowing Keir and Torian to gang up on my zez. Within only a few more swings, all four on the sentinel's side were "dead."

"Nice," Bracken said, bending over to breathe easier. "Seems you six work together nicely."

"You need to use more magic," Pascal pointed out. "Rain, you didn't do anything with yours."

"I don't know what to do!" I admitted.

"Which makes me think that's where we need to start," Bran panted. "Fuck, they make me work for it."