Page 24 of Vicious Princess (The Trials of Death and Honor #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

F or the next three months, my schedule is brutal. Every morning at three, I meet with Daegel to train before my lectures. We spend half the time practicing with blades and strength training. The rest of the time I try to earn my bow’s respect.

Some days are better than others, but generally, my bow seems to obey to no master.

The weeks fly past between physical training, emotion manipulation, and history and politics. After lectures and dinner, I head straight to the library, where I spend my evenings plowing through the stack of books from Ezkai Gavriel’s list.

At the end of every day, my temples throb from the amount of information my brain tries to process in a foreign tongue. However, I notice the difference, no matter how small it is.

Not only in my language skills, or my understanding on Ekiosh politics and the nation’s long history full of bloodshed and ancient vows, but also in my body composition. I’ve gained back more muscle since I joined the academy despite the ruthless physical training and lack of meat.

But at the end of each day, I’m so tired that sleep claims me the moment my head hits the pillow. Either my nightmares have abandoned me, or I simply don’t remember them due to exhaustion.

I have no time to worry about not being invited to the weekly Bloodiamond game everyone else attends.

Nor do I have the capacity to worry about Kata and the sharp glares she shoots my way whenever she’s presented with the opportunity.

I guess she’s all bark and no bite. Or at least, threatening to drawn me in the fountain was as far as that little Phantom Ranger wannabe is willing to go. No matter. She’s not the one I’m concerned about, anyway.

Daegel, on the other hand…

“Good morning, princess.”

He pushes off the wall the moment I enter the training hall. In his hands, he holds two clay cups.

“I’ve told this to Roman already, and I’ll tell you that, too—stop calling me a fucking princess. I’m not a royal back in Wetra. I don’t know who came up with this stupid rumor.”

When I walk up to him, he offers me one of the cups. The most delicious smell of black coffee tickles my nose. I take the cup without hesitation and inhale the scent greedily.

Daegel shrugs. “You may not be a royal, but if the shoe fits…”

Over the last two months of training together, Daegel’s demeanor has started to shift. He’s much more relaxed when he’s around me. Which only makes him more charming.

And dangerous.

I take a sip, the coffee bitter on my tongue. I close my eyes and savor the taste. Daegel circles me, prowling like a predator around its prey.

“Besides, I’m not Roman,” he says, coming closer.

I stand frozen; my heart hammers in my chest, and it’s not because of the coffee.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think he’s earned the right to give you pet names.

” He’s so close, his chest brushes my shoulder as he makes one last circle and then halts in front of me.

“After all, it wasn’t him who made you scream from pleasure as you came around his cock, was it? ”

I’m stunned into silence for a heartbeat. My cheeks heat, and I glance around.

“You can’t speak like that,” I whisper-yell at him. “Someone might hear you, and then we’ll be fucked. Both of us.”

Daegel’s smirk is wicked. “Nobody but us is here. Everyone else is fast asleep. But let me make you a deal—best me in a fight, and I’ll quit calling you a princess.”

I take another greedy sip and jerk my chin at him. “Blades or chosen weapons?”

“Oh, darling. Hand-to-hand combat.”

I pause on my way to place the half-empty cup on the nearest bench. But, eventually, I give in.

“Fine.” I put the cup down after I swallow the rest of it and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. “Let’s do this. If I win, you’ll stop calling me that.”

“And if I win, you’ll have to promise me that if the day ever comes when you have to give me the benefit of the doubt, you will,” he says.

I blink at him, confused. What is that supposed to mean?

“You’re my instructor and my mentor. I think it’s a fair ask. I owe you that much,” I say with a shrug. “Thanks for the coffee.”

“Anytime, princess.”

He advances towards me fast as a lightning.

I barely manage to step out of his way before he can tackle me to the ground. Daegel is swift to pivot, though. Just as I whip around to throw a punch at him, he catches my wrist and twists my arm behind my back.

If this were an actual fight with an enemy who wanted to hurt me, I would have popped my shoulder out of the socket.

He holds me in a tight grip. With a roar, I heel him in the calf. He curses, which makes a choked laugh bubble out of me. His grip on me loosens, and I use that moment to wrench myself free.

For a few long moments, we circle each other, neither advancing. It’s a dance of sorts.

This time around, I don’t wait around for him to make the first move. I charge forwards, pretending I’m aiming to punch him in the face. When he tries to block that, I catch him in the side.

That wins me a wild smile. Daegel sends a couple of quick punches my way, but I manage to block them all.

“Not bad, Wildarrow. For a human, that is.”

I scoff. “Is that all you’ve got, faeling? I expected more from someone who’s an Ezkai Major.”

For a heartbeat, he goes unnaturally still. As if he’s a statue of marble. Then one of his eyebrows quirks up, and before I know it, he whips me around by my forearm and has me in a chokehold.

“Still. Not. Impressed,” I snark through clenched teeth.

Daegel chuckles, his hot breath tickling the back of my neck. “I’m not surprised to hear that.” His words are a whisper, a lover’s caress. “You’ve got quite an appetite.”

I sink my teeth into his forearm. He doesn’t expect it.

Shock is the only reason he loses his concentration, and I use it to tip the power balance. I lean forwards with all my weight and toss him over my shoulder.

Daegel lands on his back, and before he has a chance to get back on his feet, I straddle his chest and pin his arms to the floor with my knees.

He blinks rapidly, as if this is an unexpected turn of events. Ha. Take that.

My excitement is short-lived. Daegel wraps his leg around my torso and throws me off him with such force, my bones rattle. Kicking and punching, I try to roll away. But he grabs my leg and pulls me closer before crawling on top of me to pin me in place.

We’re both panting.

With each deep breath, our chests push against each other, and it awakens the fire deep inside my belly. For a heartbeat, we remain in this position, our gazes locked.

When Daegel brings his face to mine and our lips meet, it’s the last thing I expect.

Yet, I embrace it. Gently, he brushes his tongue over my bottom lip, and my mouth parts, welcoming him.

All the tension that’s been building between us since that night at the bar erupts.

I can’t get enough air into my lungs, but I don’t care. No way can I force my lips away from his, make my fingers stop caressing his lush hair, prevent my legs from wrapping around his waist as I spread them wider to make space for him.

That’s why I’m thankful when Daegel pulls away, breathing heavily. His lips are red and swollen.

“Shit. Fuck ,” he curses, breathless. He’s off me in the blink of an eye. I’m left lying on the cold stone floor alone. “I’m sorry, Phoenix. I shouldn’t have done this. I’m your instructor and your mentor.” He runs his hands through his hair and turns his back to me.

Slowly, I pull myself up. My knees are wobbly, and I’m hot all over.

“Yeah, you shouldn’t have,” I say.

It was very inappropriate for him to kiss me like this, right here.

Dangerous, even.

Yet, if I said I wish he hadn’t done it, I’d be lying.

I’m so damn stupid. This, whatever the fuck is going on between us, can cost me my only chance at revenge.

Get it together for fuck’s sake.

He faces me, eyes hard. “It won’t happen again while we train. You have my word.”

I think I’ve had enough training for one morning. Without a word, I nod and turn to go.

“Wait,” he calls. When I turn back around, he’s rubbing his jaw and chin. “I— There’s something I need to tell you.”

My heart drops. “What?”

Daegel takes a step closer, but then halts, remembering himself. It’s clear we can’t control ourselves when we’re in proximity.

“The piece of information I’m about to give…

You can’t tell this to anyone. Not even Roman,” he says.

Only when I nod does he continue. “Soon—I’m not sure when exactly—your skills and what you’ve learned so far will be tested.

All the cadets will be pulled into a mission. A real mission for the Order.”

“But we aren’t ready,” I say, baffled. “We haven’t graduated yet!”

“That’s the point. This is the mid-road challenge that’s supposed to weed out some of the cadets. Ones who aren’t meant to be Ezkai. It’s also a chance for the strongest cadets to show that they’re fit to be Ezkai. Every unit will be watching.”

I can’t believe this.

“What kind of mission are we talking about here?”

Daegel shakes his head. “I don’t know the specifics. That’s all I can tell you. I’m already breaking a rule by even mentioning it to you.” He pauses. Swallows. “As your mentor, I wanted to warn you so that you know it’s coming. You need to be prepared for it to happen at any moment.”