Page 42 of The Demon King's Destiny

“Like you don’t already know.”

She didn’t know. Well, she knew, she just forgot. Still, it wasn’t relevant. He was one of her father’s men. They all took turns training the king’s daughters. He hadn’t been around lately, so he was due to take a turn.

Without a retort, Evelyn lumbered out of the kitchen and returned to her room. She couldn’t help but think sparring with Jaspar was a bad idea. He hadn’t come on to her since the incident, but he was a terrible flirt. An incredibly handsome one, too.

Evelyn doubted Marrok would appreciate her being so close to Jasper, yet she couldn’t refuse to train.

Lifting her dress over her head, she looked at the new definitionin her frame, at the shallow lines forming outlines of her muscles. She could see the curve of her biceps, the roundness in her shoulders. Her thighs, though lean, were firm, reminding her of all the running and jumping she’d done.

Evelyn felt strong, even more so now that she looked it.Vigorous training was finally paying off.Plus, she was convinced mixing blood with a demon had added to the effect. She would take any advantage she could get.

She slid her body into her sparring attire, feeling more confident than ever. She could handle Jasper—shewouldhandle Jasper. All she had to do was outlast him and not allow him close enough to pin her.

Armed with nothing other than her plan, she ran down the stairs.

* * *

“You’re serious?” Evelyn asked her grandfather, Flynn, who was also her father’s Second in Command.

“Yes. The three of you have spent a lot of time in the sparring ring. Your skills are good. Now we’re escalating things.”

Her head swiveled back to the forest, where a group of soldiers stood nearby. She ignored the one trying to catch her eye.

Nora and Eden had already gone through the exercise in the woods and moved on to the next activity. They were rotating stations and now it was Evelyn’s turn at this one.

“Who’s chasing me?” she asked.

“It’s not a chase, Evie. You’ll be tracked and attacked. The goal is to either capture you or subdue you.”

“Fine. Who is tracking me?”

“I am.”

Evelyn didn’t have to look to know which of the soldiers had replied. Sparring with Jasper in the ring was one thing. There she had some advantages, namely she could see his movements. In the forest, he wouldn’t be coming from the front. The element of surprise was on his side.

She couldn’t outrun him. She wasn’t supposed to use her powers to take him down. The idea was to figure out how to survive when weakened or unable to call forth the elements.

Flynn nudged her towards the closest trail. “You’ll have three minutes before I send him in.”

“A full three minutes, huh?”

Her grandfather’s eyes gleamed. “Yes, smart mouth. Now get to it.” He two-hand pushed her and she stumbled onto the path.

Some girls had doting grandfathers who whittled them toys and told fond stories of their youth. Evelyn had a grandfather who preferred being called Flynn and loved ‘toughening up his girls’ as he often said.

Evelyn gave a small salute and sprinted off down the path. She waited until it curved and she was out of sight of the males before she darted off in a different direction.

She zigzagged back and forth, jumping over logs and rocks, touching as little foliage as she could manage. She knew a little bit of tracking and tried to avoid the things that would make it obvious in which direction she’d gone.

She half expected Jasper to jump out at any moment. She paused every minute to listen for his approach. Only the usual sounds of the forest drifted around her. He couldn’t be far behind. He was one of the fastest in her father’s regiment.

After what she thought must have been at least ten minutes, she started searching for places to hide. If she could evade him completely, she could win. She finally settled down between two enormous trees covered in Gwydion’s thick, purple ivy. It was often used to make rope because it was malleable yet strong.

Squatting, making herself small but also holding a position where she could bolt,Evelyn used the surrounding vegetation to cover her body. She kept her breaths shallow and quiet, listening for Jasper’s approach.

The minutes ticked by. A noise to her left had her frozen in place. Another sound—a twig breaking?—a little further away echoed under the canopy. If it was him, he was moving away from her.

Evelyn released the exhale she’d been holding.

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