Page 72 of Royal Bite
Stormey’s heart picked up slightly as she watched the sleeping child.
“You’re all she talks about,” Emily said.
“She’s such a sweet girl. What happened to her parents?” Stormey asked. Maisie was such a wonderful child, and it pained her that she was without a family. She was lucky to be in Emily’s care. Not all orphanages were as wonderful and caring as the Fountain of Hope. She lifted her hand as Maisie rolled over onto her stomach, a small snore escaping her.
“Well, her mother was a single mom. Her father sounded like he was never in the picture.” Emily reached out and poured hot water in her teacup. She finished doctoring her tea and raised it along with the saucer and took a sip. She glanced over at Maisie, her eyes softening when her gaze landed on her. “From what I know, she had lived with her mother and grandmother. There was a home invasion where both her mother and grandmother were killed. Maisie was found hiding in the crawlspace underneath the house.”
Stormey’s heart ached for the little one. She had already been through so much at a young age and she was still able to put a smile on her face. They all could learn so much from these children.
“And there’s been no interest in anyone adopting her?” Stormey asked.
Emily shook her head and set her cup and saucer down on the small table. “Unfortunately, adoption has been at an all-time low lately. Not many families can afford to adopt. The fees are outrageously high, and most can’t afford them.”
“Fees instilled by who?”
“Why, the human government, of course. They are foul and money-hungry. They don’t care if any of these children find homes. They want to make money off anything they can,” Emily said.
Stormey glanced down at Maisie and would bring this up to Hegna. Something had to be done about this.
Stormey swung her staff around, feeling more comfortable with it. She cried out as it struck Zeke’s. The force of the two sticks hitting each other sent a strong vibration coursing up her arms. Her workouts with the vampire had been very helpful in boosting her confidence, and she’d even noticed she had shed some weight.
“Good.” Zeke stepped back from her. He grinned at her and stepped closer. He motioned for her to lift the stick. “When you swing the stick toward an enemy like that, make sure you grip it with both hands.”
He dropped his staff on the mat and helped position her hands. He moved behind her and guided her through a motion. He adjusted her elbow and brought it up higher. She bit her lip and ignored the sense of wanting to put more room between them. She stiffened slightly, and he must have picked up on it and backed away from her.
“Swing again and let me see,” he said. He grabbed his stick from the floor and took a few paces back.
She went through the move and noticed a difference when she swung her staff. Using this weapon came easy to her. She wasn’t sure she would be able to stab anyone with a knife, but Zeke wanted her to learn both.
“That does feel a little better,” she murmured. She paused and stood to her full height.
They were practicing in the sparring room as they did each session. Today, there were only a few other pairs utilizing the room.
“Come. Let’s take a break.” He motioned over to the wall where a few bottles of water sat.
She blew out a deep breath and walked with him. She tossed her staff on the mat, anxious to have a swig of water. They had been working out for a couple of hours. Her body was not as sore as it used to be when she’d first started working out.
Stormey plopped down on the floor and reached for the ice-cold bottle of water. She twisted off the top and took a long pull from the bottle. She leaned her head back on the wall and closed her eyes. She felt sweaty, and her leggings were sticking to her. She made a mental note to go straight to her shower once she left here.
“You are doing really well,” Zeke said.
She opened her eyes and found him staring at her. Something crossed in his eyes she couldn’t put a finger on. He blinked and looked down at the water in his hands.
“Thanks. I’ve had a great teacher,” she said. It was the truth; he had the patience of a saint. She had thought fighting with a staff would be easy, but it was anything but. She could do basic self-defense now, but there was no way she could run out into battle with the warriors. “I don’t see how you all can train and wield weapons like you do. I have great respect for you and the other warriors.”
Stormey knew she would never be able to do what they did. Violence wasn’t something she had in her, and it took a special person to be able to inflict harm and kill another. She was glad the men and women who served Hegna and her family were so dedicated to their calling as a warrior. She’d visited their training sessions before and could barely keep up with how fast they moved.
“It is an honor to work with you, my lady,” Zeke said. His gaze dropped down to her exposed neck where Hegna had drank from her. He swallowed hard a few times then turned away.
This was odd. She didn’t know what was going on, but he had been acting weird the last few weeks. She checked around the room and saw it was only the two of them, the others having left.
“Is something wrong?” She wanted to clear the air between the two of them. She liked Zeke as a friend, and he was always kind to her. She watched him, sensing something was wrong. “If I’ve done something to—”
“You can never do anything, my lady,” he interjected. He flicked his gaze to her before glancing down at his hands. “You are perfect.”
Her eyes widened as he stood from where he sat. He peeked at the door where Jasper appeared. Her guard stood glaring at Zeke who faced her and held out a hand. He helped her up from the floor. She wasn’t sure where this had come from.
“I can assure you that I’m not,” Stormey said softly.
