Page 41 of Fear the Flames
“This isn’t your whole army?” I gesture to the space in front of us. It’s huge. There are soldiers wherever I look, all practicing some deadly act with swift precision; archery, sparring, spear throwing, knife throwing, ax throwing. Honestly, after watching Cayden fight, I shouldn’t be surprised. His army is a representation of the deadly grace he fights with—a bloodlust reverence.
“Not even close.” There’s a smile in his voice, but the same smile that reflects on my face isn’t forged in happiness. It’s the teeth-baring grin of two people who are going to rain hellfire down upon their enemies. “This is headquarters,” Cayden explains, taking a step closer to me so he can point out different things while we stand on top of the hill.
“That’s the banging you heard—it’s an armory. Some of the best blacksmiths on the continent work there.” My eyes follow his hand and land on the largest arsenal I’ve ever seen. All the arsenals I’ve seen in my life could probably fit into this one. Hundreds of swords, spears, arrows, and daggers all line up in varying sizes and detail, ready to be used. But the arsenal isn’t just for handheld weapons; no…this arsenal was made for winning wars. I’ve heard about catapults being implemented in armies, but I’ve never seen one until now, and it’s clear that Vareveth has no shortage of them.
If I was a religious person, I would sink to my knees with open arms to thank the gods for this opportunity, but the gods didn’t get me here. I did. A mixture of hope and accomplishment swirls in my chest. I never knew what it would feel like to be proud of myself, but I am. I got myself here because I pushed myself to survive until I could feel alive, which is exactly how I feel at this moment.
My eyes well up with tears that I quickly blink away. We’re far enough from everyone that they can’t see my face but crying in public is a big no for me. I’m so tired of being stepped on, overlooked, shoved into corners, and never having the means to extract the revenge I’ve always desired. But now it’s right in front of me. I’m standing side by side with the person that commands all of this because he wanted a deal with me rather than anyone else. It’s relieving for someone else to tell you that you’re good enough through their actions rather than words.
“It’s…” I shake my head, trying to come up with a word that encompasses what I feel. My eyes flick over to Cayden and find him already looking at me. He rakes a hand through his hair and rolls his shoulders—he looks anxious. “Cayden, it’s amazing.” His shoulders visibly loosen, he lets out a slow breath, and one of the corners of his lips tilts upward. Maybe he’s not as cocky as he wants me to believe he is. “Can I see more?”
“Absolutely,” he grins while leading me down the hill. The more he explains, the more pride fills his eyes. He commands one of the most powerful armies in the world; he has every right to feel this way. “Up on that hill,” he points at the hill to the right of us, “is the archery field. Every throwing weapon has its own field. We also have paths throughout the forest that lead to the border for the archers to practice on horseback.” I make a mental note to tell Finnian about those trails.
“Which way is the border?”
He must notice the hint of curiosity in my tone because he stops dead in his tracks. I spin on my heels; he’s smirking with his arms crossed over his chest while shaking his head back and forth. “Don’t even think about it.”
“You don’t even know what I’m thinking.” I plant my hands on my hips, which only widens his smirk.
“I know you better than you think I do, Atarah.” Well, that’s slightly unnerving. “It’s that way, through the town,” he says, pointing to several buildings to the left of the training area, “but don’t get any ideas about sneaking off.”
“I wasn’t making plans to sneak off,” I argue. I was onlyconsideringmaking plans. I’m still on the same page as last night of not wanting to run headfirst into Garrick’s army—but I would just sneak a peek and then come back.
“It’s all in your eyes.” He wiggles his finger in front of my face and I swat it away.
“Stop trying to read me,” I retort.
“I’m nottryingto do anything; I am reading you,” he insists.
“Well, I can read you too, Veles.” I tilt my chin high.
“Oh yeah?” He quirks a brow.
“Mhmm, like a book.” I poke him in the chest. “Moving on from this—”
“No, no, no, not so fast,” he cuts me off. “Tell me how you read me.”
“I’m not sharing my secret stash of knowledge with you.” I pivot on my heels to look toward the buildings. “What’s in the town?”
“It’s where most of my soldiers live when they’re not on the border—houses, taverns, shops, the works,” Cayden informs me.
“Is it separate from Verendus?”
“Not exactly, some people call it Ladislava, but it’s not an official name. We usually call the part of Verendus you saw the Inner Kingdom,” he shrugs. “Anyway, we’re not going into town.”
“Where are we going?” I ask.
He takes a few strides toward me and points to an open field, a wicked smirk covering his face, “We’re going to train together.”
Excitement flares through me. I need an outlet after this morning, and a training session sounds perfect. Even if I had a momentary respite, I know my anger will flare up the second I see Ailliard unless I work it off. I usually train every day, but I haven’t trained in over two weeks given everything that’s happened. He puts his hands on my shoulders and ushers me toward the field; I have to run just to keep up with his strides. When we stop in the center, I realize we’re surrounded by a circle of targets. There’s somewhere to aim wherever I turn. Cayden leaves me in the center.
“Begin,” he calls over his shoulder before spinning on his heels and standing along the edge of the target circle.
I scrunch my brows, “Back up.”
“You can come over here and make me move if you want, angel.” He looks far too calm—hands tucked into pockets in a leisurely stance.
“What if I miss?”
