Page 86 of Glass Hearts
Five hours later, my muscles ache and I am dripping in sweat. The bastards look completely relaxed and unaffected, apparently not dying like I am.
“Alright, Vixen, come at me again,” Sylas instructs as he gets in a fighting stance. I run quickly to attack, but so swiftly he has my back to the floor. I don’t miss how gently he places me onto the floor. “You are telling me your attack plans with your eyes. Next time, try to be more impassive and instead of looking at my knees, which I knew you were going to kick out, look at my face,thenmake the action.” Before he even gets up, I hear a gigantic roar and one angry bear running up to us.
Thinking quickly, I raise my elbow, hitting Sylas in the face as he rolls over in pain.
“Fuck, I am so sorry!” I look to the bear barreling forward as Archer gets in a fighting stance. “Max! Stop! It’s okay, they are just teaching me how to fight, big guy!” This has Max slowing down but still looking menacingly at Archer.
“Are these the men that hurt your heart, Miss Ella?”
“They are, but Gwen was right; it was a misunderstanding.”
“Oh, good. Do you still want me to bite them a little?”
I laugh as Archer yells, his hands up motioning for the bear to stop, not taking his eyes off the bear. “Princess, I am assuming you are talking down the bear? Why does he still look like he wants to bite me?!”
“Because he does want to bite you.” I snort, though I turn my attention to Sylas, who is holding his nose as blood pours down. “Oh, shit! I am so sorry, Sy!”
“I’m not.” He chuckles. “That was quite the elbow to the face, Vixen. Definitely do that in a fight.”
I pull his face into my hands as I inspect his face. Worry furrows my brow. He is quick to smile.
“Are you worried about me, Vixen?” he whispers, getting closer to my face.
“Of course, you big brute.” I go to slap at his chest, but he intercepts my wrist and pulls me into him for a kiss. I can taste a bit of the copper from his blood and feel it on my lips as I pull back. He takes off his shirt, exposing me to his glorious muscled chest. He uses the shirt to wipe off the blood from my face, then his.
“I like the look of my blood on you, Vixen, but I think the bear wouldn’t be too keen.”
“Humans are strange. But everything is okay, Ella? I see you are in a romantic relations again?”
“I am okay, Max. It’s… complicated,” I say as I look into Sylas’s wolfish eyes.
He looks like he is about to say something when his smile grows. Koi and Grayer enter the forest, Koi holding a bow and arrow set.
“It’s a bit different then your set at home, but I think it would be good for you to practice something at long range,” Sylas says, keeping me close. Thankfully, his bleeding has subsided.
Home. Is Eldor even my home anymore?
“The bear tackle you or something, Sy?” Grayer jokes as he comes closer to lift me for a kiss. They really don’t do boundaries, not that I have asked for any. And I should… Yet I remain in his embrace.
“It was me, I accidentally got his face with my elbow.”
He lets out a barked laugh, throwing his head back.
“Vicious little thing, you are,” Koi says as he caresses my chin for a kiss.
Grayer finally puts me down, and I inspect the new bow and arrow. It’s beautiful. It is smaller than my previous set, as if a craftsman had made it for me.
Sylas takes me to the side to teach me how to use and properly aim at a target. I took my old one to the forest once, but I almost hit a squirrel and decided to stick to running away as my defense.
“Any little creatures around here, please be advise I have poor aim at the moment and I do not want to hurt anyone.”
Max chuckles with a few gruff huffs, I am assuming it’s a laugh, and settles onto the floor next to the other princes. Archer and Koi look a bit intimated and uncomfortable next to my friend. Sylas remains by my side, guiding me. I miss most of the makeshift targets Sylas created for me. Until finally I hit one of the leaf targets dead in the center. I drop my bow and jump in excitement. Sylas is quickly there with an impressed smile and opts to catch me mid-jump, my legs circling his waist.
“Well done, Vixen. With a bit more practice, you will be a force to be reckoned with.”
Without even thinking about it, I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him stupid. He deepens the kiss even as I hear Archer mumble, “Where is my kiss? I taught her how to fight today, too.” I get lost in Sylas’s kiss, and it starts to feel more. Like, love.
I break the kiss as my face falls. Sylas notices, and I squirm to get out of his hold. But he doesn’t let me go.
