Chapter 24
ow could you not have said you know a Caroline?’ Llin huffs, hot on‘H my heels as I lead her and Benny through to the guards’ temple. ‘It wasn’t deliberate, I promise. I spoke to her just after the vows and everything was a mess. She only asked me once about the Isles, but then she said she didn’t want to know any more and I didn’t make the connection …’ ‘Did you know? Did you know she was here?’ Llinos asks Benny. ‘No,’ he replies. When she responds with a withering glare, he stresses his answer with a little more force. ‘I promise, Llin, if I had known, I would’ve told you. Besides, we still don’t know if it is her.’ ‘It’s her. I know it’s her. Honey-blonde hair with dark skin, that’s what
you said, wasn’t it, Rose?’ I nod. ‘And her eyes. They’re brown-flecked with green, right? Like little green freckles.’ I didn’t think it was possible to look so closely at someone’s eyes as to see the colour of the freckles within them. But then I remember the way Kyor’s icy irises held me completely entranced in Etta’s temple the night of
my offering. ‘I’m not sure,’ I admit.
As I reach the doorway past Aitara’s temple that leads down to the library, Llinos pushes straight past me . ‘Caz!’ she calls down, thundering so fast I’m surprised she doesn’t slip. ‘Caz, are you here? Are you fucking here?’
‘It’s a library,’ I hush from behind her as I try to keep up, but I know
there’s little point. ‘Caz, are you here?’ ‘Llin, you need to slow down,’ Benny repeats, but she doesn’t listen.
She just keeps running and calling Caz’s name. I quicken my pace as much as I can, only to almost slam into her back when she suddenly stops.
It only takes me a heartbeat to see why.
There, standing in front of us, is Caroline. Honey-blonde hair, dark skin, and even though I can’t quite see them, I’d bet there are green freckles in her tear-filled eyes. Eyes that look solely at Llinos. ‘I don’t know if I wanna kiss you or kick your arse for being here,’ Caroline says quietly. ‘How about we start with the first one?’ Llinos replies, striding forward and taking hold of Caz. ‘I’m so sorry,’ I say to Benny. Tears prick my eyes. ‘I should have brought her days ago…’ As a Rettling, every single day counts, and I’ve cost my friend three precious days. ‘It’s fine, really,’ Benny says, touching my arm. ‘Besides, if Caz had wanted to know, she could’ve easily found out. I suspect she’s been deliberately avoiding it.’ ‘Because she didn’t want to know that Llinos has put herself at risk?’ He doesn’t answer my question. He doesn’t need to. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen true love – absolute devotion no matter what trials the couple has faced, adoration even when exposed to each other’s worst version of themselves. I never understood how my mother stood by my father’s side for all those years, but the way Llin and Caz look at each other, as if staring at the full glory of a God made corporeal, helps it make a little more sense. ‘Come on,’ Benny says, gesturing to the stairs behind us. ‘I suspect Llin is going to miss training this morning.’
THE BATTLE YARD is the fullest I’ve seen it, which I take as a sign that everyone’s hand has finally healed completely from the blood ceremony.
Everyone’s trying to get in as much practice as possible before the first trial
.
Which could be announced at any time.
All we know is that it will happen before the next full moon. Or at least,
we assume it will.
My eyes immediately seek out Zelle.
The commander is not just a skilled fighter; he’s also a formidable teacher. The way he teaches, guides, and pushes me in every session with just the right amount of force and encouragement reminds me of my father.
Or at least, the man my father was before my brother died. I watch him working with Zara and Oke, forcing them to fight with one hand behind their backs, as if they were injured. To make it ‘fair,’ he’s fighting them the same way. Two against one, and yet he’s still winning effortlessly.
Zara’s teeth are bared, her eyes glowering as if she’s desperate to rip open his old battle wounds and win with magic. But nobody can use their powers on Zelle. That’s his power. He’s a siphon; he blocks out other people’s magic. And from what I can tell, he can do it from a fair distance.
Sometimes, when they’ve been right on the edges of the yard, a few people have managed to use their skills, but if you’re anywhere near Zelle’s vicinity, it just doesn’t happen.
It’s a great skill for a teacher, allowing him to force people to work on their physical strength rather than relying on their magic. But against the Issen, where his presence alone is enough to neutralise their ice magic, it’s enough to win battles. It’s no wonder he’s so renowned. ‘So what kind of training do you want to do?’ Benny asks. ‘The type they’re doing?’ He nods to Zara and Oke, then Grenda and the other knights before looking back at me. ‘Or our type of training?’ ‘Which one is more likely to keep me alive?’ A grin widens on his face. ‘Our type of training it is.’
WE ARE THIRTY FEET UP, perched at the top of a sandstone wall, looking down at all the fights that are taking place below us. Benny refused to let Jonas join us because yesterday, when we were sparring, I thought it was
going well, only to discover he was using his left hand and deliberately holding back. That was when Benny stepped in. ‘You’re not helping her.’ He scowled at Jonas. ‘If anything, you’re giving her a false sense of confidence.’ That was definitely something Benny couldn’t be accused of. He had me flat on my back in a matter of minutes, then called one of the guards to join us. He blindfolded her, then handed me an axe while leaving her with nothing more than a wooden shield so I could see just how inferior a fighter I was. When he called over Loch, I wanted to throw down my axe and cry. ‘Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that you’re bad,’ he says to me today as we survey the crowded battle yard. ‘It’s just that most people here are exceptional. Except perhaps Elenor, but she’s got Shim.’ Apparently, after I left the ball, everyone learned that Zara’s brother and Elenor are a couple and have been together for years. At this point, they’re a well-oiled machine, and with Mattieu the fire wielder in the Rowell group, they’re practically indestructible.
Our group has already lost two of its members, and as I’m a powerless dud, we are at a distinct disadvantage. But as passive as Benny’s powers to slow things down and examine the details appear to be, having time to observe your opponents is more useful than I thought. ‘Okay, tell me again, what’s Shim’s weakness?’ he asks. ‘He loses balance slightly after striking with his sword because he overthrusts,’ I confirm. ‘Right. Doesn’t matter how big it is. If you overthrust, you’re going to embarrass yourself. Or so I’ve heard.’ I roll my eyes before offering the answer to the question I know he’s going to pose next. ‘I’d counter by using his momentum against him.
Sidestep to his left – his weaker side – pivot, then ideally strike him from behind so that he topples forward.’ As much as I want to believe that the trials, and not the other competitors, are the only risks to me, I know that’s not true, which is why Benny’s right. If I don’t know how to at least defend myself against them, the chance of me even getting to the Ofur, let alone winning, is close to zero. ‘Okay, what about Grenda?’ he asks next. ‘Grenda? You haven’t told me Grenda’s weaknesses.’
‘And that’s because she hasn’t got any. Not that I can spot. If Grenda’s after you … you run. And then you climb something. That’s the one advantage you’ve got on her. On most people.’ He’s not just flattering me. This is the second time we’ve scaled the wall to get to this viewpoint, and each time, I’ve been comfortably seated long before he’s reached his final handhold. Although he was right in saying it’s only an advantage over most people, not everyone. Not with the way Kyor scaled the temple. Instinctively, I search the crowded training grounds for the prince, only to find him missing. Obviously, he doesn’t think he needs to be here. ‘If it does turn into sparring,’ Benny carries on, still talking about Grenda, ‘try to get three on one at a minimum. That’s the only way any of us will stand a chance. That said, from what Loch’s heard, she’s pretty honourable. I can’t imagine you needing to watch out for any of the knights, to be honest, unless the whole trial is just to kill as many people as possible.
In that case, you’re screwed, but so are most of us.’ At the mention of Loch’s name, I seek out the islander. Since the vow ceremony, he hasn’t said more than ten words around me. It’s good to know that he’s still talking to Benny.
Benny and I remain there for the next half hour before heading back down the wall. I take a different route down, choosing to go as much horizontally as vertically. The workout it gives my arms is just as good as swinging a sword.
I’m about ten feet from the bottom when I jump down, but as my feet hit the ground, I notice something. Markings on the wall. Knife marks.
Hundreds of them scratched in a tally. They stretch several metres across, the older ones looking as though they’ve been there for years, if not decades. Though there are hundreds of new ones, too, where the chiselled rock is still sharp, the wind and rain not having yet had time to weather it down. I run my fingers over some of the smoother notches, my eyes drawn to certain ones. Ones where the marks are stained deep brown. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to them, no pattern, so maybe it’s to do with the knife used to cut them into the stone.
I push the mystery of the marks aside and head back into the centre of the arena. Knowing why they’re there won’t help me stay alive.
Zelle is free and drinking from a water fountain. My plan is to ask him for a daylight session, but as I approach, a shadow sweeps past me,
brushing against my arm. ‘Hey old man. Time to have a proper fight?’ The intonation of Kyor’s address makes it sound like a term of endearment. ‘I think Kultavaris was just coming to ask me the same,’ Zelle replies with a flash of a smile. He really is everything Kyor isn’t. Honourable.
Polite. Not an arsehole.
At the sound of my name, Kyor twists around and looks at me as if he wasn’t aware he’d pushed straight past me. Yup. Arsehole. He sniffs once, then turns back to Zelle . ‘Well, how about I tire you out for a bit? Then there might be the slightest chance Thorn can last two minutes.’ Zelle looks at me. It’s clear he won’t accept without me agreeing, but the last thing I want is Kyor watching while I practise my footwork. ‘As you will, Your Royal Highness.’ I shrug as if I couldn’t care less.
I smile a little as he bristles at the remark, but a moment later, he’s walking out into the arena and stripping his top off. ‘It looks like I came at the right time,’ Llinos says, admiring the prince’s physique.
It’s the first time I’ve seen her since Benny and I left the library and I can’t help but rush to apologise. ‘Llin! I’m so sorry. I swear, it didn’t even cross my mind that Caroline—’ ‘It’s fine.’ She squeezes my shoulder as she beams. ‘It’s fine. I know you didn’t know. And we’re together again now.’ ‘I’m so happy for you.’ A surprising heat burns behind my eyes as I remember the way she spoke about Caz. My everything. ‘Me too.’ She grins. ‘By the Mother, I’m not letting her go again. Good Gods, have you seen the muscles on that man?’ Her eyes shift away from me, and I know exactly who she’s looking at. ‘I’m sorry, but weren’t you just saying how happy you are to be reunited with the love of your life?’ ‘I’m just appreciating the human form,’ she replies. ‘Yeah, well, that particular human is an evil narcissist who ruins lives.’ ‘Oh, I know. I just find it funny that you’re still looking given it’s your life he ruined.’ She’s not wrong. It’s hard not to look. Having stripped off his top, Kyor is now walking barefoot across the sand. Those circles of Wrohelm aren’t
the only tattoos on his body. There’s also an orthogonal-shaped rune at the top of his forearm that I’ve never noticed before.
As he and Zelle begin moving, it’s absolutely impossible to drag my eyes away. The way he holds his sword is so light, so gentle, and yet as he swings the blade in towards Zelle, the amount of power in the strike is phenomenal. The clatter of metal sounds out around us, drawing the attention of anyone in the arena who hasn’t yet stopped to watch. Light reflects off Kyor’s skin, highlighting each curve of his muscles. His pivots are perfect, and his body moves in a fluid arc as he leans away from Zelle’s blade.
His eyes meet mine, and though it’s only for a moment, a millisecond, I know exactly what he’s saying. He’s telling me that when I get to the arena, he’s what I’ll be up against. And I’m toast. ‘Benny,’ I say, whipping to my side. ‘Tell me he’s got a weakness?’ ‘He’s too close to Zelle for me to tell,’ he says. ‘You want to climb the wall and check?’ Yes is the sensible answer. I should absolutely want to go and study the weapon that is Kyor Knavin if I’m going to have any chance of defending myself against him. But the words don’t come out. Because going up high to watch will mean looking away, and I’m not sure I can.
My mind is a hundred percent full of Kyor. The focus in his eyes, the scars etched into his skin. The way his torso twists, and his bare feet pull across the sand as he swerves and ducks another strike from Zelle. He’s not even attempting to bring the older man down. Zelle, on the other hand, is giving it his all. His knuckles are white and his teeth are gritted as he aims for every exposed part of the prince. But Kyor makes each block look effortless. ‘Does anyone know what Kyor’s power is?’ I ask without looking. ‘Shh, you’re distracting from the moment.’ I don’t know who speaks, but they’re probably right.
He swings his sword faster and faster. I didn’t know it was possible to move that quickly. His body is a complete and utter masterpiece. ‘He can’t beat Zelle, can he?’ Llinos whispers. ‘I’ve seen the commander take on the knights three to one. There’s no chance the prince is actually that good, is there?’ I don’t reply. There’s no need because we’re all witnessing the answer.
Yes, Kyor is that good.
There’s a reason he’s not been in the battle yard on any of the other days. It’s not just because he doesn’t need it; it’s also because he wanted this. He wanted the rest of the Rettlings to be blindsided by just how fucking good he is. He wants us to see, and know, that the gifting is his to lose.
So much for it being nepotism that put him at the head of the army. If this is how he fights in battle, then he deserves everything that’s been given to him.
For a split second, Zelle gets an edge back and my heart stutters, but then a smile flickers on Kyor’s lips, and I realise it was all a ploy. He’s going in for the final strike.
In a move that is as beautiful as it is deadly, Kyor lifts his leg and smashes it right into Zelle’s chest. The instructor stumbles back, momentum taking him all the way to the ground. A second later, Kyor has his sword at Zelle’s throat. ‘Don’t be mad, old man,’ he says when he finally moves the blade out of the way, replacing it with his hand to help Zelle up. ‘I had a pretty good teacher.’ ‘You know, if I were in my prime, I would have got you at the beginning when you were playing with that sword like a circus performer,’ Zelle complains as he stands upright. ‘So you say.’ Kyor grins. ‘But we both know I would’ve kicked your arse then, too.’ The pair seem completely oblivious to us all watching on and would probably have stayed that way if Zara hadn’t stepped forward, breaking the moment. ‘Prince Kyor,’ she says, bowing in a way that’s so sycophantic it makes me nauseous. ‘It would be the greatest honour of my life if you would train with me. Train me,’ she clarifies.
Silence falls again as every pair of eyes shifts from Zelle and Kyor to Zara and the prince. My heart is beating so damn fast. It’s probably just because they’d be a deadly combination together … with me at the top of their kill list. Yes, that’s undoubtedly the reason I feel like I can’t breathe.
It’s definitely not because Zara training with Kyor would mean her getting to see him sweaty and half-naked more often. No, I would have to be completely insane to be thinking something like that.
For a moment, his eyes narrowing on Zara, Kyor doesn’t speak.
‘You’re the one who got rid of the … runts? You wanted to make sure
only the best got through?’ ‘That’s me.’ She beams with pride.
I watch the twitch of his lips and somehow already know what he’s going to say. ‘I’d rather train Kultavaris than you,’ he says, nodding towards me before meeting my eyes with that icy gaze.
