Page 44 of Duskbound

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The metallic tangof blood filled my mouth as my cheek slammed against the cold training mat. The impact rattled through my skull, vision blurring at the edges. The vast stone room spun for a moment before settling back into focus.

Aether had thrown me. Again.

I sucked in a sharp breath and pushed up onto my hands; the ache spreading through my arms as I glared at him. Last night’s revelations churned in my gut. This wasn’t about choosing sides anymore. This was about stopping something far worse than anything I’d imagined. If Valkan gained enough power, if his army of Damphyre grew strong enough to take control... both realms would suffer. The thought of those milky eyes turning towards Sídhe, towards civilians who didn’t even know a war was coming, made my blood run cold.

And I was undoubtedly out of shape.

Aether stood above me, infuriatingly calm, with barely a drop of sweat on his brow. The dulled light filtering through the high windows caught on his piercings, making them gleam like tiny daggers.

“You’re slow,” he said, his voice low and even, like he wasn’t just taunting me but delivering a fact. His shadow stretched across the mat between us.

I growled under my breath, shoving myself upright. “I’m not done.”

“Good,” he replied, his golden eyes sharp and assessing. He kept his hands folded behind his back, motioning for me to come at him with a nod. “Try again.”

I didn’t waste time. Lunging forward, I aimed a punch straight for his ribs, putting all my weight behind it. But Aether shifted, just slightly, and my fist grazed air. The momentum carried me forward, leaving me exposed. Before I could recover, he caught my wrist, twisting it sharply enough to send a jolt of pain up my arm. His foot hooked around my ankle, and suddenly, I was on the mat again, my back slamming into the ground this time.

I gasped, the breath knocked from my lungs. Fury burned in my chest as I rolled away, narrowly avoiding the follow-up strike he could have delivered but didn’t. The smell of sweat and leather filled my nose, mingling with the metallic taste that still lingered in my mouth.

That had been my favorite move. The one Laryk had taught me, back when I thought I knew who the real monsters were. Now I wasn’t so sure. The Umbra might be ruthless, but at least they didn’t feed on their own people. At least they were trying to protect something beyond themselves.

“Sloppy,” he muttered. Each word felt like another weight pressing down on me, reminding me how weak I’d become through the weeks of solitude.

I shot to my feet, ignoring the ache in my ribs. “Say that again,” I spat, my fists tightening.

He tilted his head, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Sloppy,” he repeated, slow and deliberate.

This time, I didn’t think. I lunged, feinting a punch beforepivoting into a low kick. My shin connected with his calf, and he staggered—just for a moment—but it was enough to reignite my confidence.

I pressed the advantage, surging forward and locking his arm in a grapple. For half a second, I thought I had him. But then Aether shifted, his strength surging against mine.

In one fluid motion, he flipped me again. The mat rushed up to meet me, my shoulder hitting first this time. Pain flared, and I bit back a curse as he pinned me, one knee pressed firmly into my side and his forearm lightly braced against my throat.

“Better,” he said, his voice calm, almost bored. “But not good enough.”

I glared up at him, my chest heaving with frustration and exhaustion. “Get off me,” I growled.

He arched a brow, the faintest glint of amusement in his eyes. “Not until you learn.”

“I had months of training. It’s not about learning, it’s about regaining my strength.”

His look dripped with skepticism.

I twisted under him, trying to break his hold, but he didn’t budge. My muscles burned, and the sting of failure gnawed at me. The weight of him, the heat radiating from his body, made it hard to think clearly. The morning light caught his eyes, turning them to liquid gold, and for a moment, I forgot to struggle.

“Again,” I demanded, my voice hoarse.

Aether leaned back, releasing me without protest. He stood and offered a hand, his expression unreadable in the shifting light from above.

I slapped it away, climbing to my feet on my own. My body screamed in protest, but I ignored it, resetting my stance. The silence of the training room pressed in around us, broken only by our breathing.

“Where was the Queen last night?” I asked, the question thathad been nagging at me finally breaking free. “Shouldn’t she have been at the conference?”

Aether’s expression hardened, but he didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he motioned for me to attack again. The shadows beneath his eyes seemed to deepen.

I stayed where I was. “The way everyone talked around her absence... is she ill?” The Council’s careful avoidance of mentioning their ruler hadn’t escaped my notice.

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