Page 34 of Vicious Princess (The Trials of Death and Honor #1)

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

A fter a long day, I drag myself to the library. It’s right after dinner. I have a few hours to study before training with Daegel.

Merely thinking about it makes heat curl low in my stomach. I haven’t seen him since the last private training, nor heard from him.

Despite the threat that hangs above our heads, I can’t help the craving for him.

After a quick chat with the librarian, I pick up the book I’m currently trying to get through and head to my favorite spot at the very end of the library. This evening, not many cadets are around, the area quiet and peaceful.

Exactly what I need after the fucking week I had.

Just as I set my book and notebooks on the desk and plop my ass on the hard chair, the chirping of birds pierces the air.

My head snaps up, and I look around the stacks of books and empty tables around me.

The birds reach my ears again. From behind me. I turn around to find Daegel standing in the shadows against one of the large bookshelves. He cups his palms and brings them to his lips, the sound filling the near-empty library again.

Neat trick.

My heart picks up the pace immediately. With a quick glance around, I walk over to where he stands.

“You can’t be here,” I whisper, looking over my shoulder. “If someone sees you here with me?—”

Words die on my lips when his strong palms grab my hips and whirl me around. My back hits the bookshelf, and I melt when he presses his body against mine. With one hand resting on the shelf next to my head, he leans forwards and kisses me.

I don’t know how it’s possible for every kiss to feel better than the last. But I give in without hesitation, fisting the open lapel of his leather jacket so I can bring him even closer to me.

Our lips and tongues are locked in a sensual dance that turns my blood into molten lava that coils low in my belly.

When Daegel breaks the kiss, I’m breathless. His lips are swollen and red, eyes glazed with desire.

If he were to whip me around, bend me forwards, and fuck me right here between two large bookshelves, I would be more than willing.

But that’s not in the cards for me tonight.

“You said you wouldn’t kiss me again at the academy.”

He wets his lips. “Fuck, princess. I know. But it’s impossible for me to keep my hands to myself when I’m around you.”

Once he makes sure my feet are steady, he takes a step back and leans against the bookshelf opposite me.

“I heard you nailed the mission.” When he says it, his whole face lights up. “You only needed to survive to pass the test, but you went above and beyond, which not only saved the General, but made sure the mission was a success. Phoenix, I’m so proud of you.”

My chest swells with warmth, and I smile.

Hearing him say it feels unexpectedly good. It’s been so long since I heard those words. Since I had someone look at me the way Daegel is looking at me right now.

Supportive. Proud. Admiring.

“She got in!” Dad shouted the second we stepped into the kitchen, beating me to it. “Our girl got into the Elite Squad of the Royal Guard!”

“Dad! You spoiled the surprise!” I scoffed, crossing my arms.

He ruffled my hair. “Sorry, kid. I’m so proud of you, I want to shout it from the rooftops.”

“You earned every bit of it.” Mom’s arms wrapped tightly around me. She planted a smooch on my forehead. “I’m so proud of you.”

I hadn’t realized how much I missed being someone worth celebrating.

“Thank you,” I say, folding my hands behind me so I don’t give in to the temptation to reach for him. “It was exhilarating but terrifying at the same time. So little is in our control when we’re on a mission.”

Daegel nods. “That’s true. Was it your first time in the field?” I nod. “You never had anything like that when training in Wetra?”

I shake my head. “Back home, Decarios only get to participate in missions when we graduate the training and join the Royal Guard. But even then, it depends on your skill and rank, where they assign you.”

Referring to Wetra as home doesn’t feel quite right on my tongue anymore. I push that thought away to deal with later.

“It’s even more impressive, then. You’re truly destined to be an Ezkai of legends.”

A laugh bubbles out of me. “No pressure.”

A corner of his lips quirks up. “Diamonds are made under pressure. It’s nothing you can’t handle, princess .”

I bite my bottom lip at the tone of his voice when he calls me the nickname. My gods, I’m down so bad. So much for not being a lover girl anymore.

The reality crashes down upon me when I remember how dire our situation is.

“We have a problem,” I say quietly.

His eyebrows hike all the way to his hairline. “Do tell.”

“Someone saw us that night at the training hall,” I say. Daegel’s face remains neutral. “The night we kissed.”

“I know which night. Who?”

Something in his gaze makes me pause before I give him the name. “Cadet Kata Nightingale.”

“She told you that?”

I lower my voice. “She threatened me right before the mission. She said if I were to come out alive, she’d tell the administration about us. That’s why I said it’s not good for us to be seen.”

“I see. Has she made any more remarks after that? Made any moves that you know of?”

I shrug.

Daegel is silent for a moment, lost in thought.

“Why are you so calm about it?” I push myself off the bookshelf. “If she goes to the administration, I’ll be expelled and you’ll be… I don’t know, fired? Demoted?”

Daegel nods. “They’ll strip me off my rank and achievements. All the doors will be closed for me when it comes to my career. I’ll be assigned administration duty for the rest of my life.”

“That’s awful, Daegel. We can’t be seen together.” I whirl on my heel and press my forehead against the shelf. “ Fuck . I had a chance to kill her quietly during the mission, but I didn’t.”

His hand on my shoulder is soothing. “Of course, you didn’t. Your moral compass is too strong for something like that.”

I can’t tell if he means it as a good thing or a bad thing. I’m not even sure he knows what he’s saying. I had no issue ending Yal’s life. Or killing those four guards.

I turn to face him again. He doesn’t look nervous or distressed about what I told him.

Daegel cups my cheek and brushes a thumb over my lips. “We’ll be more careful in the future and use the mentor permission slip to train outside the castle grounds.”

“I don’t think that solves our problem,” I say, but lean into his touch. “How do I make sure she remains quiet?”

“You don’t worry about that, princess,” he says, voice full of icy threat. “I’ll take care of that. You focus on nailing your training so you graduate Ezkai Academy with an offer to join the Order.”

I blink at him. “I can’t just forget about it.”

He cups my face with both hands now and brings his own face closer. “Do you trust me?”

I search his gaze for a few heartbeats, then check my gut before answering, “A little bit?”

He smirks, eyes dropping to my mouth. “Clearly we have room for improvement. But trust me on this one. I’ll take care of it. Nightingale will not compromise your future or mine.”

When he brings his mouth to mine again, it’s sweet and chaste.

He pulls away quickly and clears his throat. “Now, Cadet Wildarrow, as your mentor, I want to speak to you about your history and politics test results.”

I scoff. “Seriously?”

Daegel doesn’t say anything, just arches an eyebrow.

I shrug. “What about it?”

“I had a conversation with Ezkai Gavriel, and he told me that’s the lecture you struggle with the most.”

“I did struggle with it the most at the start, yes. But I’ve been here in this library every day after dinner, before I train with you,” I say defensively. “I’m learning as quickly as I can. Last lecture I answered all the questions Ezkai Gavriel asked me!”

“Good.” Daegel nods and heads to my desk. “Let’s see how much you’ve managed to cram until now.”

I follow him. He settles on the chair across from me and grabs the book I’m currently studying. Quickly, he scans the cover and flips through the pages.

Slowly, I take my seat and wait to see where this is going.

Without looking up from the book, he asks, “The year the Third War took place?”

“Two thousand years before the Great Continent Separation, which was a consequence of the Third War.”

A few more flips through the pages. “What’s the symbol of the Ezkai General?”

“Black and white dragons weaved together, spouting flames towards the sky.”

“The meaning behind it?”

“The black dragon embodies Koren, god of war, and the white dragon embodies Cher, god of wisdom—two eternal companions who go hand in hand, for without wisdom, war would swallow the world.”

A subtle dip of his chin is the only acknowledgment I get.

“How many spirits of the gods does Ekios have?”

“Too many if you ask me.”

His gaze flicks up to my face. I pout and bat my eyelashes innocently.

“Don’t be a smart-ass, because they get punished. Give me a proper answer.”

A hot wave of desire washes over me. “Maybe that’s exactly what I want.” Daegel’s eyes widen a fraction, but before he can say anything, I add, “There are at least three dozen known spirits of the gods that reside in the spirit world adjacent to ours.”

Daegel rakes his bottom lip through his teeth and sits up straighter in his chair. “When was Caligos first established?”

“Three hundred and five years after the Great Continent Separation, which makes it almost as old as the Order of Ezkai.”

“What was the reason for their establishment?”

This is easy. The day after the mission, I spent the whole evening learning everything I could about Caligos.

“A group of fae Decarios didn’t agree with Ezkai General Normand Teel, who ruled at the time, so they left the Order to form their own organization with the goal of besting the Order and the General and leading Ekios into a better future.

However, over the years, as more and more fae Decarios and regular fae joined Caligos, their initial idea got replaced with a corrupt one. ”

Daegel’s eyebrows rise again.

“Speaking of Caligos,” I say. Bracing my forearms on the table, I lean forwards. “That underground gabling parlor where you took me to see the archers, it belongs to Caligos, doesn’t it?”

He nods. “Yes.”

Before I asked the question, I knew the answer. Yet hearing Daegel admit it out loud still startles me. I can’t stop now, though. I have to know.

“During the mission, all the Caligos we encountered had these elaborate tattoos in a very specific style,” I say. “I noticed that Leti had very similar tattoos on her arms. Is she?—”

Not sure why, but suddenly, I’m anxious to even ask this question.

“Is Leti a Caligos?” Daegel finished the question for me. “Yes, she is.”

I blink at him. “You— you dated a Caligos? Is that even allowed for Ezkai? Did you know she was one?”

Daegel sighs. “I did know, from the very start. Many Caligos walk amongst us as regular folks. You wouldn’t even be able to tell for the most part. Not unless you know what signs to look for.”

I stare at him for a few heartbeats, processing the information.

“You know why they have the tattoos?”

I shake my head.

Daegel unbuttons his leather jacket. I glance around and sit up straighter. He shrugs it off easily, and the moment I lay eyes on his muscled chest and arms, all my thoughts scatter.

Standing up, he turns to show me his naked back. Beautiful tan skin covered in beautiful art. Almost his whole back is marked with black ink weaving together to create a cohesive piece.

I didn’t have the time to admire his tattoos during the training when he was shirtless. He doesn’t give me much time to admire them now either. Quickly, he pulls the jacket back on and sits down in front of me again.

“As you may have noticed, in our society, tattoos carry great meaning. When the Order was first established, they started marking the ranks with tattoos. It’s a sacred, honorable art in Ekios, with only a few having the calling to put ink onto flesh.

When rogue Ezkai left the Order to establish themselves as Caligos, they also took the tradition to mark the ranks with tattoos.

But because it’s a sacred art and fae are cautious about respecting ancient ways, they couldn’t seek out the ink from the blessed artists.

Instead, they made the colorful ink themselves and started to ink their members in their own way.

That’s why their tattoos have a very distinct look. ”

“That’s fascinating,” I say, full of awe. “I haven’t gotten to that chapter in my reading yet.”

Daegel smirks. “You just got a crash course. You’re welcome.”

I snort and roll my eyes. But a smile tugs on the corner of my mouth.

“Come on now, let’s get back to quizzing your knowledge. We’ve got plenty of material to get through.”

I groan but pull my chair closer to the table. Then I let Daegel drill me with one question after another, until my mind is mush.