Page 25 of What Fury Brings
Olerra removed her weapons and set them outside their makeshift ring. She moved her head from side to side, stretching her neck and swinging her arms to loosen the muscles.
When she was ready, she matched Ydra’s stance and swung a fist.
She met air. Ydra was quick, but not nearly so quick as Olerra. Olerra had spent her entire life training to be the very best. She did not have the magic, so it was the only way she could protect herself. Every day she worked her muscles until they wouldn’t move anymore. She lifted weights or ran until she couldn’t breathe. She sparred with Ydra or anyone else willing to take her on.
Few dared.
In another twenty seconds, Olerra had Ydra flat on her back.
The second woman coughed. “How do you do that? Every damned time.”
Olerra could handle all manner of weaponry, like all women from Amarra, but hand-to-hand combat was her favorite.
“Just lucky, I guess.”
“Yeah, lucky to have been born with bones harder than rock.”
Olerra was proud of her shape. She was a large woman. Taller than most, with wide thighs and a stomach that rounded outward almost as far as her breasts, she was physically more intimidating than many women. Still, there were several who outweighed her. She liked fighting against those the most.
“Don’t forget I have a face to make men and sirems swoon.”
Ydra rolled her eyes. “You’re just lucky I can’t use the Gift against you. Then you’d be in trouble.”
It was true. No woman could use the magic against another woman. Nor could it be used against madorns—individuals born into masculine bodies who identified as female, or madereo—individuals who were neither male nor female or fluctuated between the two.
It was a discerning magic, one that saw true genders, and yet, it had rejected Olerra.
For the longest time, she thought perhaps she was madae—individuals born into female bodies who identified as male. But she knew in her mind and heart she was female. Maybe there was something about her that was broken.
Or maybe the goddess saw shame in the union of a sire who would kill his wife, and Olerra bore the punishment as a result. They say there was a storm unlike any Amarra had ever seen on the day of Olerra’s birth. Perhaps her very existence displeased the goddess.
“Whatever you’re thinking, stop it,” Ydra said as the two took up starting positions again.
Olerra looked over her shoulder to ensure the prince was still sleeping. Ydra used the opportunity to hook a foot around one of her ankles. Olerra rolled the moment she hit the ground and came back up on her feet.
“I just… I want him to like me.”
“He will,” Ydra said. “But first he’ll hate you. He has to for the sake of his pride. Besides, you should be more worried about whether you’ll like him. What if he’s awful?”
“Then he’s a means to an end. I’ll bed him, wed him, and—”
“Behead him?”
“Very funny. I was going to say I’ll let him go once he’s served his purpose.”
Ydra slapped Olerra’s hands away when she tried to grab her. “Do you want to like him?”
She was torn. She wanted a partner. She wanted someone to love and be loved by. But she also couldn’t risk him learning her secret. It would certainly be easier if he was unlikable. He could be a pretty face in her court, help her win her throne, and then he could live the rest of his days wherever he wanted doing whatever he wanted.
“I don’t know,” Olerra said honestly. “Either way, I will attempt to win him over.”
Then she charged her friend, slamming her into the ground. Ydra threw an elbow down onto her shoulder blade, so Olerra moved her arm to cover her friend’s throat.
Ydra glared at her as she slapped her arm twice.
Olerra rose and held down a hand to help her up.
When she looked over Ydra’s shoulder, she saw Andrastus watching the two of them. They were too far for him to hear their words, but she wondered if he’d meant what he’d said earlier. Could he turn off his attraction so easily? Did he truly no longer want her?
