Page 37 of A Legacy of Storms and Starlight

Zylah pulled off her cloak and apron and dropped them below Kopi’s perch, saying a silent prayer to Pallia not to let her aching body fail her. “With no weapons?” Everything her brother had taught her blurred into one before her eyes. It wasn’t much. But it was enough. It had to be.

“We’ll work our way up to weapons,” Raif said with a smirk.

At least Holt had the decency to trust her with a sword. “Worried I’ll hurt you?”

“A tiny little thing like you? Never.”

“Don’t call me that again,” Zylah muttered, spinning around and kicking Raif behind a knee.

He barely staggered forward a step, but it had been enough to take him off guard. She used everything Holt had taught her that morning about not giving away her moves and trying to read Raif’s, but she barely landed a punch.

Still, she didn’t give up. If the man last night had been one of Arnir’s, more could come. She had to be ready. She had to be prepared to move on, and this time she wouldn’t have Holt to help her. She spun around again, using her size to her advantage as much as she could, but Raif dodged her at the last moment.

“I’m impressed,” Raif said after a short while, blocking another strike. He moved as fast as Holt. Well, almost.

Zylah didn’t believe for one second that he was impressed. Surprised, maybe. But not impressed. “I had a few pointers from a friend,” she said, not ready to give up. Every muscle in her body was burning, and an idea occurred to her—he’d said no weapons, but if this was her only chance to show what she could do…

“Am I not a friend?” Raif tried to grab her wrist, but Zylah saw his intent and spun out of his grasp.

She took a step back to catch her breath. “We’ve only just met.”

“I think we’ll make good friends though, don’t you?”

His expression told her exactly the kind of friend he wanted to be. And he could be fun, couldn’t he? She needed something to take the edge off her nerves.Gods above, Zy, why are you even considering it?

His smirk turned to a grin, those godsdamned dimples of his making their appearance. “Am I distracting you with my charm?”

“I take it back, you’re truly insufferable.” She feigned dodging one of his blows to discreetly reach for the dagger in her boot, but the moment she was back on her feet, he was right in front of her, those ridiculous blue eyes burning as they looked down at her.

He held her chin lightly, but she already had her dagger pressed against his ribs.

“Don’t,” she rasped, hoping he couldn’t hear her heartbeat as loudly as she could and willing herself not to lean into his touch. Raif was trouble. The kind of trouble she could get far too carried away with.

And now she had her whole extended half Fae life ahead of her to get carried away in as many ways as she wanted. Hecouldbe a good distraction, but what if he knew the truth? If he knew she’d killed Jesper, that the wanted posters all over the city were for her—then what? He’d most likely cut her loose. She’d be too much of a risk to the uprising, or the Black Veil, whichever godsdamned organisation he was part of.

Raif leaned closer, and her gaze lowered to his mouth for one traitorous second. She spun away, her dagger slicing through flesh, shock written all over Raif’s face.

So much for not being a risk to the organisation.

Chapter Fifteen

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry.” Zylah hadn’t expected to land a blow, and it was a deep cut, crimson staining Raif’s shirt, the copper tang already flooding her nostrils. “It looks like it’s going to leave a scar.” From the edge of her vision, Kopi ruffled his feathers.

Raif watched her intensely, one hand pressed to the wound on his arm, blood leaking through his fingers. “You did good. Don’t worry, Fae don’t scar. Not like humans, anyway,” he said with a smirk. “Not unless someone’s done some real nasty shit to keep the wound open.”

“But I… my friend has a scar,” she admitted, wiping her blade on a rag she kept in her apron and thinking of the vicious scars down Holt’s neck and arm.

Raif clicked his tongue at that. “Only one Fae I know with a scar worth commenting on, and he’s a mean bastard.”

“You know Holt?” Zylah asked, shrugging her apron over her head.

“Everyone knows Holt.”

Zylah stilled.

“Shit, don’t tell me he’s the friend you’ve been training with. Are you trying to get me killed, Liss?” Raif reached for Zylah’s arm, but she shook him off. He’d taken enough liberties already today with his inability to respect her boundaries.

She grabbed her cloak and threw it over her shoulders, Kopi resuming his position and adjusting his wings as he settled. So Holt was part of the uprising? Why hadn’t he told her that?Everyone knows Holt.He didn’t owe her any explanations. He didn’t owe her anything at all.Sheowed him. But he was so guarded with what he told her, as if… as if he still didn’t trust her. And why would he? She was an escaped convict; that fact remained unchanged. Just because he’d helped her didn’t mean he had to open up to her, did it? She could feel Raif’s gaze on her but ignored it as she fastened her cloak. “Holt doesn’t speak for me, Raif.”

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