Page 31 of Fearless

“—so I want to offer them the chance to defend themselves.” The king takes a breath. “They will train with you alongside the other Imperials.”

“Are… are you serious?” Kai stumbles over the string of words, holding in his shocked laugh. “Don’t mess with me, Kitty.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Kitt’s chuckle seems to light the darkness. “And I already have some Ordinaries for you. The few we captured from the Bowl after that third Trial.”

Shock sweeps over me.

He didn’t kill them.

Kai echoes my surprise. “They are still in the dungeons?”

“I wasn’t sure what to do with them,” Kitt says, sounding as though there is a shrug lodged in his throat. “But after that bombing, it seems time they are freed and trained.”

The Enforcer shakes his head. “You’re really going to do this? Let them go after what happened?”

“Huh.” Kitt huffs out a dull laugh. “I suppose I am.”

Clapping a hand on his brother’s shoulder, Kai murmurs, “I’m proud of you. And I’m honored to help rebuild and protect this kingdom by your side.”

They look at each other, seemingly untouched since the day I met them. In this moment, their bond resembles the one I thought I had broken. And the realization that they are stronger than my vengeance makes me smile.

“You and me, Brother.” Kitt takes a slow step back. “Always.”

When he strides back onto the path, I’m forced to press my back against the weapons’ rack and silently beg that shadows cloak me from the corner of his sight. I don’t breathe as my betrothed walks past, not even when Kai’s words have him halting.

“Try to get some sleep.”

Kitt flashes his Enforcer a smile. “You first, Kai Pie.”

I wait there until long after the king has vanished and my heartbeat has slowed. Standing on sore legs, I watch Kai rotate a sword in his hand, the motion fluid and precise. His back is to me, bare and slithering with strands of darkness as I step to the ring’s edge. When he turns to face me, I’m slightly offended by the lack of surprise at my presence.

“Couldn’t sleep without me?” he muses, sword glinting in the flickering light.

I frown. “How did you know I was here?”

“I knew you couldn’t stay away from me for much longer.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” My arms cross over the thin shirt I’m suddenly all too aware of. “How did you know?”

He gives me an unsure tilt of his head. “I guess I can sense you, in a way. It sounds odd, but the darkness helps me focus. Everything is heightened.” Kai waves a hand, as if to slash through the words he’s just spoken. “I just knew.”

“Hmm. Yet another perk of being Elite,” I say, my tone bittersweet.

He shakes his head. “Well, I’m assuming you heard everything, then?”

“I did. Thought it best he didn’t see me out here with you.” My foot taps a steady beat atop the dirt. “This is good, right? I thought he had killed those Ordinaries from the Bowl.”

Kai runs a hand through his tousled hair. “It seems good.Heseems good. Wanting to train Ordinaries is not something I expected from him.”

I nod distantly, my mind a mess of fractured pieces. Lost among my thoughts, I nearly miss Kai’s sly words. “Did the burning desire to see me wake you?”

I slowly steal the space between us, stepping quietly into the ring. My smile is sharp. “No. But the sudden urge to hit you did.”

He looms over me, his bare chest nearly brushing mine. “If you want to put your hands on me, just say that.”

A bead of water falls from the dark sky, splattering my bare shoulder. He watches it roll down my skin before swiping it away with his thumb. His rough palm grazes my arm, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind.

I lift a hand, my fingers boldly skimming across his stomach. This seems to startle him enough to suck in a quick breath, and the sound has a satisfied smile curling my lips. The tips of my fingers trail higher, tracing every dip and groove of muscle. He seems to have stopped breathing.

---