Page 94 of A Crown of Tears and Treason
“You’ve lost weight,” Adara said instead of a hello as I marched into the inner courtyard after another brutal week with no news about Zandyr and his warriors. Adara still went down to the bars in the port every day to gather information. None so far. No rumors, no whispers, no hushed warnings. The number of civilians coming into the Capital had lowered dramatically, but I still sent the same amount of food every day. Nobody in the Capital would go hungry while I was here.
I was getting worried, tossing and turning all night whenever I managed to crawl into bed. Zandyr haunted me both in sweet dreams, where his fingers danced across my heated flesh, and in my bloody nightmares, in which he roared my name.
I wiped the dregs of fitful sleep from my eyes. “Good morning to you, too.”
No mannequins flanked the fence today.
Adara glowered and threw me a sword. I caught it by the hilt and my wrist didn’t even bend.
I was stronger and faster. Her training was working. Allie’s however…I’d singed the first pages off a book yesterday. I hoped they had a copy, or Eric the Eccentric’s mad tales written in prison would be lost forever.
Adara faced me, a grim angle to her mouth. “Stance.”
I placed my feet shoulder-width apart, bent my elbows, and raised my blade, just like she taught me.
I anticipated her first blow and blocked it with a loud metal clank. Adara always went for the shins. But she used that momentum to spin down into a crouch and sweep my feet rightfrom under me. I fell with an unceremonious thud and my aching, exhausted body didn’t want to rise again.
“Get up,” Adara hissed as she yanked me back up and didn’t let go of my arm. “The guards are watching.”
They peered from behind the fence, helmets shining. I hadn’t seen the big guard with the rough salt voice and kindness in his eyes since Zandyr had left.
“It’s your choice what they see. A victor or a loser.” Adara pushed me away. “Again.”
I clenched my jaw and raised my weapon.
Adara’s next blow was more powerful. The force shoved me to the side, straining my ankles. But I stood upright and swung my sword right back at her, adrenaline pumping through my veins.
She ducked and kicked me back down. “Get up.”
I steadied myself on my elbows, coarse dirt digging into my skin. “What’s gotten into you?”
Adara was unforgiving in her training and demanded more of me than I thought possible, but she’d never been brutal.
“You.” She pointed the tip of her sword at me. There was fury in her eyes. “I didn’t agree to our training sessions to see you wasting away. You will be queen–”
“I know–”
Adara was upon me in a flash. She trapped my arms against my body and leaned over me menacingly.
“Youdon’tknow,” she hissed. “You don’t know what’s waiting for you. The hurt that will come once you have that crown on your pretty head. Be prepared for it. Be stronger.”
I thrashed underneath her, but it was useless. She had a steel grip on me and wouldn’t let go. “I’m trying!”
“You know what they’re whispering about in the ports? About secret shipments of jewels and golden brocade for theblasted wedding.” She spit the words like they had burned her tongue. “Andyou.”
She grabbed the back of my head, fingers digging into my scalp.
My bodyguard was gone. Instead, I was staring into the furious face of the mercenary. “They’re calling you The Blue Death. Those people you blinded have regained their sight, but they’reterrifiedof you. ”
My insides turned leaden. “I tried to save them.”
“It doesn’t matter. All they saw was a Protectorate member they don’t know killing people and destroying their temple. The whispers are growing louder in the Dragon’s absence.” Adara’s eyes blazed. “Blood Brotherhood respects andexpectspower from their leadersforthem. Nothing else.Bepowerful.”
Adara’s words hurt–but not as much as the flare of magic in my chest.
“Get off me. Get away!” I bucked and, in my panic, managed to throw her off.
Or maybe she sensed the blue tendrils roaring to break free from me.
