Page 28 of Vicious Princess (The Trials of Death and Honor #1)
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
D aegel doesn’t take me back to the academy. Instead, he uses the streets of the city as our training grounds.
“I want you to use your surroundings to your advantage in a fight,” he says. “Not only does it require a different set of skills, but also a whole new level of mastering your bow and affinity.”
“Of course,” I mumble, looking down at the bow in my hand. “What else.”
Daegel smiles to himself. “Enough brooding, Wildarrow. That won’t win you the respect of your bow. Might even make it more stubborn and sassy.”
“As if that’s possible,” I say and grip it harder.
The bow remains silent in my hand.
“Okay, I’m ready. Where do we?—”
I don’t get to finish the sentence, because Daegel advances towards me, swinging his slim dual swords.
I barely manage to block the blow with the side of my bow. Murmuring apologies to my weapon, I push back and then duck sideways to put distance between me and Daegel.
He comes at me, his blades swinging without missing a beat. Instead of fighting him, I choose to run.
Use your surroundings.
Okay, yes. I’m only good in a fight with a bow if I put enough space between me and my enemy. And elevation.
I don’t dare glance behind my shoulder at where Daegel is running after me. But his steps are close. Dangerously close. My heart pounds loudly in my chest. I don’t stop.
In an attempt to throw him off and give myself more room, I make a sharp turn into a street on the right. When I notice that there’s a tall fence at the end, I curse. But then I see wooden crates stacked next to it.
The sharp turn wins me a couple of extra seconds.
I dart for the wooden crates and climb them swiftly. When I reach the roof, I push the last crate so that Daegel doesn’t follow.
The wood breaks on the stone, and a sea of beans spills all over the street. A laugh bubbles out of me when Daegel curses as he slips on the beans and almost loses his footing.
He glances up at the roof, where I kneel perched above him. My bow is sturdy in my hand, an arrow aimed right at his forehead.
Slowly, he straightens his back. “Nice work, Wildarrow.”
Panting, I say, “Thanks. The beans were a pleasant coincidence.”
He sheathes his blades into their place on his back.
“You took advantage of your surroundings very well. Putting distance between us, throwing me off by making a sharp turn when I didn’t expect it, and climbing the crates and pushing them off to ensure I didn’t follow.
” Daegel claps. “You’re gonna do just fine during your trial mission. ”
I lower my bow. “Is that why you brought me to the city tonight? To prepare me for the trial mission?”
A shrug. “Partly.”
Daegel’s feet are quick as he navigates the spilled beans under him and approaches what’s left of the crates. Swiftly, he pushes himself up, then elegantly jumps onto the roof. He takes a seat next to me, throwing his legs over the edge. I lower myself to a seated position, too.
Cool sea breeze ruffles my hair. From here, we have a decent view of the rest of the city roofs, and on the horizon, I can almost make out the lines of the dark sea.
“Have you ever been on top of the castle?” I turn to Daegel. “The views from there should be amazing.”
“I have. They’re spectacular. You can see far away behind the city walls, almost to the forests at the base of the mountains.”
I look behind us to where the large mountains with snowy tips loom. “Are those the mountains your ancestors are from?”
Chuckling, he shakes his head. “Not those specific mountains. Ones much farther up in the north.”
For a while, we simply sit in silence, enjoying the peaceful night. Daegel watches the city that stretches in front of us. And I watch him.
I’m not very subtle, because with a hint of amusement in his voice, he says, “Got something on your mind, princess?”
I’ve got plenty things on my mind.
Many things I can’t voice. Like how stunning and defined his profile is, his cheekbones high and cut sharp enough to slice through glass.
Or how attractive his lips are, pouty and soft. When I remember the way they felt on my body, against my most sensitive spo?—
I blink rapidly and turn away.
His voice is husky. “I sense you’re thinking some fun thoughts.”
My head whips back to him. “Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean?”
Daegel inhales and exhales with a hum. “I can tell from the scent of your body that whatever was going through your mind got you… excited .”
Oh, dear gods. I press my thighs together and stare at him. Horrified.
“You do know fae have heightened senses compared to humans, right? So do dwarves.”
“Of course I know that!” I snap. “I just…didn’t consider it right now.”
Daegel runs his teeth over his bottom lip, but says nothing on the matter. From the way his pupils expand, though, I can tell he’s curious to hear all about those thoughts of mine.
To avoid the tension building further, I change the subject. “So, Leti. She’s close with your family?”
All the magic between us evaporates in the blink of an eye. Daegel looks in front of him again, face distant. “She is.” After a brief pause, he adds, “But not in the way you imagine.”
I frown. “How many ways are there to stay close to your ex’s family in Ekios?”
“It means…there are things that are hard to explain. That may even be dangerous to explain, to be honest.”
Daegel looks haunted for a heartbeat. It only fuels my curiosity. What is he hiding under that handsome exterior?
The tiny pang of hurt pushes at my chest. Whatever sexual tension there is between us…that’s all there is. Daegel doesn’t trust me with anything more.
Why am I so disappointed merely thinking about it? I shouldn’t be.
It’s only fair. When he tried to get me to open up to him earlier, I shut him down. Of course he would return the favor when I’m the one asking questions I have no business asking.
To my surprise, Daegel notices the shift in my mood. “Phoenix?—”
I lift my palm in the air between us. “No. Don’t worry about it. You don’t want to reveal personal information to your mentee and student. I get it. We have a very professional relationship.”
Yes. A professional mentor-and-student relationship. No emotional attachments. Just hot, passionate sex. Which is in the past.
That is what I want.
That is what will keep me on track with my goals. And keep my heart safe.
“I think we’re way past the professional relationship at this point. Don’t you think, princess?”
“Well, if you would stop calling me that, maybe we wouldn’t be,” I snap.
Daegel’s amused. I cross my arms and glower at him.
“I want to answer all your questions truthfully. Whatever you want to know about me and my life. But when I say things are complicated, I mean it. You’ll learn about it all in time.
If you so desire, that is,” he says. “I have a number of questions I want to ask you myself. Why are you here in Ekios? What was your life like back in Wetra? Did you leave a boyfriend or a lover waiting for you to get back home? But I’m not sure now is the right time to get those answers.
First, you must graduate. Besides, I can see the way you tense the moment I mention anything about your background or your past.”
“I know,” I say with a sigh. In that moment, my heart aches with desire to open up to him. To let my guard down and let him in. But it terrifies me just as much. After a pause, I add, “I don’t have a boyfriend or a lover waiting for me back home. There is no…home left in Wetra.”
Daegel gently brushes his knuckles on the side of my thigh. A soothing gesture meant to offer some comfort. “I’m sorry to hear that. I can only imagine how hard and lonely that must feel,” he says.
I purse my lips and nod, gaze unfocused in front of me. I try really hard to keep the memories of my family at bay.
“Most of the time, I don’t see eye to eye with my father or my mother. Often in my youth, I wished I weren’t part of my family. But if I lost them… I can’t even fathom it.”
“Yeah,” I say, voice cracking at the end. “It’s an odd feeling, knowing that the comfort of family isn’t there. That it’s only me.” I turn to face him, and our gazes lock. “If I fall, nobody’s there to catch me.”
The sadness in his gaze is like looking into a mirror. I can’t stand it.
So I clear my throat and rise to my feet. I clap once and flash him a smile. “Come on now. How about we see who can get back to the castle first? I need to stretch my legs.”
Daegel barks a laugh. “You’re just asking to have your ass handed to you.”
Before he can even get to his feet, I graciously jump off the roof and land gently on my feet. “We’ll see about that. If I win, you stop calling me a princess.”
“And if I win?”
I shrug. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
Before he’s even on his feet, I run without turning back.