Page 56 of Crown of Light and Ashes
"Primarily?" I echo, catching the qualifier instantly like the predator I am. "Who else participated in that particular aspect of your education,hatun?"
The bond between us pulses with sudden tension—anger, embarrassment, and something fiercely possessive that mirrors my own growing fury.
"Aslan," she finally spits, his name steals the breath from my lungs.
"Aslan was brought in as my training partner when I turned eighteen."
My shadows lash violently around us in response to my explosive rage, cracking a nearby vase and sending books flying as fury boils through me like molten metal. The image of him touching her, training her, knowing her body before I did makes my blood burn with an intensity that threatens to consume me entirely.
"Stand up," I command, rising abruptly from my seat as power crackles through the air, my shadows moving the chairs aside to clear the center of the room.
She eyes me warily, recognizing the danger in my tone. "Why?"
"Because," I snarl, my shadows pushing the remaining furniture back against the walls with violent efficiency, "I want you to show me exactly what your precious Aslan taught you. Every. Single. Thing."
She stands reluctantly, golden eyes narrowed with growingsuspicion and something that might be anticipation. "What exactly do you want me to demonstrate?"
"Everything," I growl, stalking toward her as we face each other in the cleared space. "Did he stand close like this?" I circle her predatorily, my breath hot against her neck, close enough to smell the intoxicating scent of her skin. "Did his hands linger when adjusting your stance? Did he whisper instructions in your ear while pressed against your back?"
"Stop," she warns, but I can feel her body's treacherous response through our weakened bond, a flicker of unwanted heat that she can't quite suppress.
"Show me how you fight," I command suddenly, stepping back just far enough to give her room to move. "Attack me as if you mean to kill me. As if I'm standing between you and everything you've ever wanted."
She hesitates only a moment before reaching into one of her hidden pockets, withdrawing a dagger with practiced speed. The blade gleams wickedly in the firelight as she lunges with deadly precision that would have gutted a lesser opponent, but I sidestep with inhuman speed, my shadows capturing her wrist.
"Pathetic," I taunt, twisting until the blade clatters to the floor with a sharp ring. "Is that really how the famous Order of the Silent Blade trains its killers? Or did you spend more time on your back than in actual combat training?"
Fury explodes across her face like wildfire, transforming her from composed lady to deadly predator in an instant. This time when she moves, it's with a ferocity that catches even me off guard. Her foot connects with my sternum hard enough to send me back several steps, and a second dagger—drawn from another concealed pocket—misses my throat by mere inches.
My shadows surge forward with lethal intent, but she's alreadymoving, shrugging off her outer robe in one fluid motion to reveal the simpler dress beneath that allows for greater mobility. Two more blades appear in her hands as she attacks with mesmerizing skill and breathtaking speed, each weapon drawn from carefully hidden sheaths throughout her clothing.
"That's better," I laugh with genuine exhilaration as one blade draws blood across my forearm, the sting sharp and delicious. "The kitten has claws after all. Show me more."
She responds with a complex series of strikes that force me to concentrate fully, her body moving with lethal grace that's hypnotic to watch. Each movement flows seamlessly into the next, her fighting style combining deadly precision with raw, animalistic power.
"Did he fuck you after training sessions like this?" I ask, blocking a vicious strike aimed at my face while my shadows dance around us both. "When you were both sweating and blood-hot from combat? Did you wrap those lovely thighs around him right there on the training mats while your hearts were still racing?"
"Shut your filthy mouth," she snarls, attacking with renewed vigor that makes my pulse spike with arousal.
"I'd rather have your mouth around my cock," I reply with deliberate crudeness designed to shatter her control. "Like he had, I imagine. Did you swallow for him, little assassin? Did you moan his name when he buried himself inside your tight cunt?"
With a scream of pure rage that reverberates through the room, she lunges at me recklessly, abandoning technique for raw fury. My shadows seize the opportunity immediately, wrapping around her in mid-air and slamming her against the wall with enough force to knock the breath from her lungs. Still, she struggles magnificently, refusing to yield even when completely at my mercy.
I approach slowly, savoring her helplessness as my shadows pin her arms above her head, her chest heaving with exertion and fury. "Was that the complete truth? That the man who I tore from the inside out,was your lover, your trainer, your first?"
"Yes," she hisses through clenched teeth, golden eyes blazing with hatred so pure it's almost beautiful. "Are you satisfied now, you bastard?"
"Not even close," I murmur, tracing my finger along her jaw with deceptive gentleness while violence simmers just beneath my skin. "Tell me the second truth. What else do you hope to gain from our arrangement besides your brother's safety?"
She goes perfectly still, calculation visible in her golden eyes as she weighs her options carefully. "Freedom," she finally whispers, the word carrying the weight of desperation. "For myself. For my people. For everyone trapped in this endless cycle of violence."
I laugh with genuine amusement at her audacity. "And how exactly do you plan to achieve that lofty goal while bound to me by blood magic that grows stronger every day?"
"I'll find a way," she promises with absolute conviction that sends a thrill through me. "I always do."
"Such fire," I observe, leaning closer until my lips brush her ear and I can feel her shiver. "Did Aslan understand what burns beneath that carefully constructed facade? Or did he only know the parts of you that you allowed him to see? The sweet, gentle Nesilhan who played at being normal?"
"Don't speak his name," she warns, struggling futilely against my shadows.
