Page 41 of The Stolen Kingdom

Isen nodded. “Done.”

Valda let out a tired sigh, then raised her gaze to Isen. He stood unmoving, looking at her expectantly. “Yes?” she asked, her tone sharper than intended.

“How are you?” His nonchalant question would’ve sat well with Valda, if it wasn’t condescending.

Valda scoffed. “I am fine.”

“You keep saying that, but you almost killed another trainee during sparring,” Isen said, shaking his head.

“He was weak,” she snapped, her jaw tightening.

“He is young,” Isen corrected.

“He needs to get stronger,” she shot right back.

“Valda…” Isen exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“Arwin’s men are stronger, more capable. If I’d killed that boy, it would’ve been a favor to us.”

“We don’t kill our own.”

“Yeah, tell that to your general,” Valda muttered as she stood, brushing past him. “Send people to Agenor’s Islands. Make sure there are no Vulcanians there. Kill anyone who tries to stand between us and shut down their entryway.” Valda turned to her room before Isen called out to her.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to rest,” she lied.

“Are you still trying to get in touch with her?”

Valda sighed and scratched her neck in annoyance. “Always.”

Isen placed his hands on his hips. “Have a good night, Valda.”

Valda nodded and left Isen’s room, heading to her own. It wasn’t a big room, but enough for her to be comfortable for the time being. As she sat on the bed, the wood creaking at her weight, Cerberus jumped from under the bed, patting one paw against Valda’s thigh.

A soft chuckle escaped Valda as she scratched under Cerberus’s jaw. The animal leaned into the touch, her eyes fluttering shut as a loud purr vibrated in the quiet room.

“You could’ve left with Maris,” Valda said, scratching behind Cerberus’s ear. “You’d be spoiled rotten by now.”

Cerberus’ purrs grew louder, and she leaned her head lower until she flopped onto her side. Valda’s caresses then moved to her soft stomach. “You wouldn’t abandon me, would you, Cerberus?”

Shaking her head, Cerberus twisted her body until her stomach was completely exposed and her paws stretched out over her head. Valda laughed and lay on the bed with Cerberus.

Her muscles ached as her days were filled with training sessions. For the past four months, she hadn’t stopped training. Although she was still recuperating, her body was getting stronger than before she was blind. Getting civilians to join her was draining both mentally and physically. It was hard to trust people, scared that one of them would turn their backs on her and run to Arwin. She was sure Arwin had a bounty not only for her but also for Isen, Maris and Melvian.

Local blacksmiths and artisans slowly but surely made more weapons for her. Thanks to Lasmeer, her network of spies had helped her stay away from Arwin and Eris’s way long enough to stay alive. She was thankful for all their help, but she couldn’t wait for the right moment to hit Arwin back with all the power she had been recuperating. Tonight, however, her body called for rest.

Valda hated nights like these. When exhaustion weighed too heavily on her, the likelihood of dreaming faded. And she wanted to dream—desperately. If dreaming meant seeing Maris, she would embrace sleep every single night. Valda prayed she would dream tonight. It had been too many nights since she last saw Maris, and her earlier conversation with Isen had left her uneasy. Perhaps seeing Maris’s smile would make the night bearable.

Sighing tiredly, Valda pulled Cerberus closer to her. The warm furry body snuggled against her. The cat nestled into the nook under Valda’s chin and purred loudly.

Her imagination ran wild, fueled by the anxiety. She relived her last training session, her conversations with her men and Isen. She couldn’t focus on something that would allow her mind to rest. Until the image of Maris appeared in her mind.

The echoing sound of voices around Valda dimmed, muffled by the sudden gust of cold air wafting through the chamber.

Maris’s lower lip shivered. She took one large gulp from her glass and walked back inside, not before closing the balcony doors. She put the glass on one of the night tables and rubbed her arms, the royal sleeping garments with Skylian colors contrasted beautifully with her darker skin and blue hair.

The Sealian stepped into the living space, stood in the center of the room, and suddenly froze. Maris frowned, her gaze lingering over the walls and decorations across the space as if she were lost.

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