Page 41 of Vicious Princess
A few fae pass me, running faster. But not long after, I overtake them while they’re bent over the side of the path, retching the contents of their stomachs into the pristine bushes.
“Morons,” I murmur to myself and push forwards.
Two more laps.
By the end of it, I’m hot all over, sweat pouring down my face. My lungs ache while I pant, bent over with my hands braced on my knees. I lost a lot of my muscle and strength while I was trying to find my way to Ekios.
Long way to climb to the top.
Daegel claps to draw everyone’s attention to him without giving us a moment to recover from the run.
“Get into formation. Four by four,” he says.
We get into the formation, with Daegel at the front. He removes his leather jacket and tosses it to the side. I bite the inside of my cheek and avert my gaze.
Oh, dear gods give me strength.
His shoulders are broad and strong, and his tanned chest is carved out of smooth marble. Each lean muscle shifts under his skin when he moves, and it makes heat curl low in my stomach.
And that sculpted V that disappears below the waist of his leather pants…
Get yourself together, Phoenix.
I need someone to slap me.
“To be an Ezkai means to be in the perfect physical state of being. Your superior Decarios strength, agility, and speed means nothing if you don’t hone it. I’ll walk you through a series of exercises you need to master,” he says. “You’ll know once you’vedone it, when you can flow from one practice onto the next one without breaking the rhythm.”
I roll my shoulders.How hard can that be?
Apparently, excruciatingly hard.
Daegel moves with confidence and ease, going through the positions without breaking a sweat. We, on the other hand, are panting and grunting while we try to mimic his movements.
I’m rusty from the break I took from my training. And it drives me wild to know that I lost all the strength I worked so hard to build over the years.
When Daegel gracefully dives chest forwards, bracing his palms on the ground to catch himself while keeping his back bent, legs in the air, I want to puke.
Someone in the second line does.
My wrists scream from pain, and my biceps tremble so bad that I’m afraid they might give up on me and I’ll have to kiss the stone a few inches away from me. Sharp pain shoots up my side into my hip.
I pant and sneer. But I keep myself in this damn position until Daegel lowers his legs and gets into a low plank. We don’t remain in this position for long. Daegel pulls himself up straight and so do we.
Two cadets are down.
“Why are you standing there looking at me like a bunch of lost puppies?” Daegel arches an eyebrow and clasps his hands behind his back. “Repeat the sequence again. I didn’t see any of you do it effortlessly.”
Oh, fuck me.
I exhale a breath and then start the sequence over despite my quivering muscles.
After the second time around, Daegel orders us to go again.
And again.
All the way until lunchtime.
When he tells us we’re allowed to take a thirty-minute break to eat, I’m on the verge of tears. Silently, I pull myself to my feet and make my way to the dining hall. I eat alone, in the same corner as always, and once I’m done, I return to the physical-training hall.
