Page 86 of Enchanted Crown
Violent pretty things?
Dex was apparently feeling as restless as I was, so he took that opportunity to tackle me to the ground. He had to have known I was distracted talking to her. The knucklehead.
We went rolling, halfheartedly swinging at each other in the process. He got me in the corner of the mouth, but I lifted through my legs and threw myself over his behemoth size to pin him to the sand on his stomach.
“The hell is she doing?” Dex asked.
I stilled from where I was applying pressure on Dex’s back. Esta had a sword in hand as black as the polished onyx set in its hilt. Her dark hair was braided back out of her way. And she was wearing the damn leather again.
She and Malachi had just started up training against one another. I had heard of her skills in this ring but hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.
“You will not go easy on me,” she commanded Malachi as she deflected his first advance.
“Did I ever?” he shot back.
Esta had told me she and Malachi had become close in trainingbecause he refused to treat her differently. Where everyone else was afraid to train her and hurt her because she was an heir, Malachi had made it his mission to go hard on her. An unlikely friendship formed, and when Esta took the throne, he was the first general she chose, not Amory.
And then they were moving. My breath was lodged in my chest, unable to get free with every clang of their swords against one another.
My initial worry quickly wore off as I watched Esta move. It took Esta a few swings to get back into the groove of training like this, but then she settled; I felt it in her heart rate and saw it in her body language as well. Instead of only defending, she began getting attacks in with a grace and a smoothness that only came from hours upon hours of practicing in this ring.
I was unable to take my eyes away from them, even as Dex managed to wiggle free of my grip and flip us to pin me to the sand. I grunted with his weight on top of me.
“Yield,” I offered immediately. “I yield.”
Dex laughed and patted me on the cheek. “You have it bad, boss. That was the easiest yield I’ve ever gotten from you.”
I hadn’t known women like Esta existed before I met her. Yes, because of her dragon form, but so much of what made Estaherwas in both forms. An intelligent viciousness that would make any king take heed. A way of defending and protecting her people which made me proud every day to know her. It defied her shifter form, defied her gender, defied the very essence of being human itself. It was a soul deep grit that was rarer than the rarest of jewels.
Keir?Esta asked down the bond as she swung out and dove downward for a double hit against Malachi’s sword.
Yes, sweetheart?
Could you not think about whatever you are thinking about so I can focus? I haven’t trained in a while and would prefer to keep breathing.
I laughed as Dex moved to help me up. She must have felt my adoration chasing down the bond.
Emric and the rest of us soon finished our matches in order to watch Esta and Malachi. We stood against the walls of the training pit and enjoyed the show.
Every time I thought Malachi would gain the upperhand, Esta would somehow maneuver herself away and free. He might tower over her, but she was faster, more flexible. The strong arms throwing her sword paired with her sure steps made me fall a little more in love.
Malachi moved quickly across the sand toward the rest of us, and I swore I saw Esta’s scales trying to come forward for a moment.
“Do not,” she bit out. “Do not bring Keir into this.”
Malachi shot me a grin. “I just know how to win. That’s all.”
“Then have the honor to do so fairly,” she bit out before unleashing multiple strikes and moves against him.
It was all I could do to watch and keep breathing. Or not stride across the sand and kiss her. The dragon queen was fierce, even in the way her one dimple haunted me.
In the end, Malachi had stopped, sweat pouring down his back, and said, “Enough.”
“So you yield?” Esta panted back.
He shook his head. “No. But I want us both to be able to move tomorrow.”
She gave him a little nod and spun to leave. “Do not even think of attacking a dragon with her back turned.”
