Page 83 of A Crown of Tears and Treason
“There are worse things out there than assassins, Blue Queen, and some of them don’t have eyes.”
Another punch. What could be worse than a human thirsty for your blood?
“Ten minutes late,” Leesa muttered.
“Your blade doesn’t even have a blood hilt,” Adara muttered under her breath.
“And it won’t have anyonit. Not if I can help it.” I focused my frustration on my fists. The last strike swayed the mannequin harder.
“With your track record, I doubt it.”
“What’sthatsupposed to mean?”
I slugged the wood like it had personally offended me. It groaned as it finally–finally–swung and hit the bone-dry ground with a satisfying thump. I jumped in the air with a roar of triumph, throwing my hands up and not even caring that it hurt to breathe.
“How are you feeling?” Adara asked.
I laughed. “Exhausted.”
“Perfect,” she said with a hint of a smile.
Then she pounced.
She came at me strong and fast, teeth bared. A weapon materialized in her right hand. I ducked as the blade hissed through the air, aimed straight at my neck.
Leesa gasped, covering her mouth.
“What in Xamor’s name are you doing?” I yelled, pivoting to the side as Adara’s sword embedded deep in the ground where I had just been standing.
I smacked the bracelet, switchblade flicking free.
“Attacking you,” she deadpanned and swung her sword at me once more. “The likeliest ambush is when you’re weak.”
I crouched as the blade whizzed past my head. “You’re insane.”
“I’m winning.”
I danced out of her way, fear moving my limbs. Adara wouldn’t actually kill me…would she?
“Use that little blade of yours andstopme.”
I bent backwards, narrowly protecting my neck, and raised my switchblade to parry.
Adara kicked me straight in the chest, sending me tumbling on my ass. I hissed as the coarse dirt dug into my forearms. As I jolted to rise, Adara impaled her sword a breath away from my left ear. I froze, not even daring to breathe.
She leaned over me, completely calm. No bead of sweat on her face, while I was completely drenched.
“Your track record is that people seem to either want to kill you or marry you. You’ve survived one, learn to live through the other,” she said.
She offered me her hand and helped me rise. My knuckles screamed as her fingers wound around my palm.
I shook my wrists, willing the ache away. Everything hurt, but for a good reason. I was getting better. “Why, Adara, is this your way of proposing to me? I’m taken, you know.”
A beat of silence passed.
“You’re spending too much time with The Dragon,” Adara said at last; I heard the hint of a smile in her voice, even as her face remained stony. “And you’re not my type.”
“Your Grace…fifteen minutes late.” Leesa sighed. “And I hear screaming from the library.”
