Page 79 of A Tongue so Sweet and Deadly

“Don’t ever lose focus,” Merrick gloated.

Lessia blinked up at the stone ceiling, her heart thumping against her ribs until she finally could draw a breath again. Wheezing breaths whistled down her throat as she cursed Merrick, cursed the stupid elections, cursed King Rioner, cursed all Havlands.

When she could breathe normally again, she shifted up on her elbows, glaring at him.

Not even a lock of silver hair was out of place from his advance.

“Are you not going to help me up?”

If she didn’t know better, she’d have sworn he hid a smile when he reached out a hand and easily pulled her to her feet. As she let go of his grip, Merrick spun around and moved a few feet away again.

“Into position. I’ll go slower this time.”

Biting her cheek, she took up the wide stance again, her eyes fixed on his set jaw as he approached her.

Still, when his arm wrapped around her, she didn’t have a chance. He easily swept her legs out from under her, and she once again fell onto the floor, dust swirling around her, layering over her face and clothing.

Scrambling to her feet using the rope around the platform, she swore loudly. “Again.”

This time Merrick couldn’t hide the crooked smile that spread across his face, and the urge to slam her fist into his facenearly overwhelmed her.

When he approached again, she jumped to the side, shoving her hand out, but Merrick caught it with such force she lost her footing.

Only his hand wrapping around her arm kept her from falling face-first into the stone.

“Better. But you’re still not fast enough.” Merrick let go of her arm, his finger poking her gut so hard she hissed at him. “And keep your core engaged. You need to have control of every limb and every muscle if you’re to stand a chance against me. Or anyone else, for that matter.”

Letting out a sharp breath, she clenched her muscles, ignoring the black dots whirling in her vision. Merrick nodded as he paced around her, his lethal movements slow and deliberate.

But when he approached her again, he moved so quickly she didn’t have time to spin around before his arms had hers in a lock. Kicking backward, she tried to get free but only managed to allow him a better grip.

Merrick twisted her arms so hard crimson tinted her vision, and when he pulled her close and a low laugh escaped him, she felt her features twist into a sneer. Letting him pull her even closer, she relaxed for a moment, and it seemed Merrick was about to let her go; then she stomped on his foot with all her might.

A hiss blew through her hair, and a tremble shook her shoulders when the air stilled and whispers reverberated through the chamber. But Merrick only muttered “Good” before releasing her.

Panting, she whipped her head from side to side as he stalked around her in a circle, like a predator moving in on its prey. Lessia wiped at her forehead when drops of sweat formed there even in the damp, cool air, and Merrick didn’t hesitate as he took the opportunity tostrike her with such force she once again crashed to the floor.

They continued this dance until she could barely get herself up from the dusty stone.

When Merrick dragged her to her feet yet again, her body swayed, and he finally took a step back. “That’s probably enough for today. I wasn’t expecting much, but at least you have some control over your body. It’s a start.”

“Is the almighty warrior complimenting me? Why, thank you, Merrick.” Even if he couldn’t see, she exaggeratedly batted her lashes in his direction.

“Don’t push me,” he grumbled, but the corners of his mouth curled again before he stalked off toward the stairs.

As she followed him up from the cellar, she thought he wasn’t so scary after all.

Even with the bruises she’d gained from his deadly skills, when that hardness always etching his face softened, he almost seemed friendly.

Chapter

Thirty-Six

When she got back, a warm meal waited in her room, and Lessia gobbled down the soup and bread so quickly that she was worried it would all come right back up again.

But after sitting down on the bed, her stomach calmed, and she stretched out her aching limbs as she waited for the sun to indicate that it was noon.

There had been lively conversations coming from the sitting room when they’d walked up the stairs, but she wasn’t about to spend one more second with those people than she had to, so she hid in her room like a child until the sun peeked over the cliffs outside her balcony.

---