“I really should leave,” I said, placing the vial back in her hands.
The moment my fingers brushed hers she struck out, her grip iron as her silver hands pulled on mine. Ribbons of light began seeping from her skin, wrapping around me in knots. I watched, stunned as they moved across my skin, inspecting me. The snakes of light lifted and drove into me. I tried to pull away, but it was impossible. She was laughing, giggling as her magick fingers clawed through me. I felt as they spread their chill within me.
“My boy, my boy.”
My magick stirred the moment hers brushed up against the cage within me, teasing for a release. I felt its need to join Browlin’s magick, the urgency building.
I could feel her presence reach into me more, the ribbons of light curling around my bones, moving through muscle, dancing amongst my blood. I realized my anxiety was not a product of my mind, but from my magick that screamed to cleanse my body of Browlin’s touch.
“Please, don’t,” I pleaded, aware of Browlin’s attempts to release my magick. “Please!”
A new feeling turned within me and I grasped it. The moment my consciousness made connection with it I felt my magick force Browlin out of my body.
Her blood shot eyes looked into mine. She dropped my arms, pulling herself from me in a rush. Stumbling backwards, her feet moved awkwardly to keep her upright. Her face was twisted in shock, hands trembling, her power trailing back inside her.
I wasted no time and ran for the door. It slammed against the wall beyond, but I didn’t care. I sped down the corridor, not stopping even when she called after me.
“Dragori…”
The word was no more than a whisper.
I felt sick.
I moved as fast as my feet could take me down the spiral staircase. I ran across a courtyard, the same one I’d trained with Hadrian earlier, no signs of any blood left. I ran back into the palace, not stopping until I recognized my surroundings. I ran and ran, but still felt her presence, in me, her cold whispers filling every inch of my body. The same that had plagued Petrer’s…
I stopped, landing on my knees, bile crawling up my throat.
Petrer. I’d left him with her. I crawled to the wall, bringing my knees to my chest and pressing my back against the hanging rug behind me. I wished for the shadows to swallow me whole, I wished for them to take me home.
I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing. She’d felt my power, felt the one part of me I had tried everything to conceal.
My secret was out.
MY HANDS SHRIVELLED from the soapy water in the kitchens by the time news of Hadrian’s departure reached me. I questioned the guard who’d broken the news for more details, but she resisted, giving no more information about his whereabouts, or when he’d return.
Frustrated, I slammed my wet hands on table. I needed to train, the thought of missing out on a day’s worth of sparring panicked me. The duel was just over a week away, and I wasn’t even close to being ready.
“Hit it any harder and you’ll be working extra hours to replace it,” Nyah joked. For an empath, she really didn’t know when to keep her mouth shut.
“I can’t miss a day of training. What am I to do? Wonder around the palace all day? I have no rank, and without Hadrian, I have no duties. And Goddess help me, I’m not staying in the kitchens all day!”
“You can train with us,” Nyah suggested, “if that makes you feel better. Rank Clarak is not as picky with who can join, as I’m sure you can tell.”
“You’re sure they’ll let me?”
“Honestly, calm yourself. It’ll be fine, our trainer is nothing like the Commander. I’m sure she will be happy for you to join us.”
I smiled at her, my hands submerged back into the basin of water while I carried on scrubbing burned lumps from the pile of pots. “Thanks. As long as I’m not expected to shift.”
“Don’t worry about that, we won’t make you do anything too impossible,” she replied.
There was something about the way she said “impossible” that had me squinting at her. She only smiled and carried on drying the pans.
“Thank you,” I replied through a yawn, unsure of how audible my response was.
“You look like you haven’t gotten any sleep.” Nyah stopped drying the large pan and placed it on the side. “The bags under your eyes are so… dark and that’s the hundredth time I’ve seen you yawn. What kept you up last night? Maybe that would explain where Prince Hadrian is.”
I didn’t need to see her face to know what she was hinting at. “It’s not like that with Hadrian. It’s Petrer, I’m worried about him. I couldn’t get any sleep because of it.” It wasn’t an entire lie, just a twist on the truth. I couldn’t mention Browlin.
“Well, after training with us today, you will have no problem sleeping tonight.”
“Oh, can’t wait.”
Nyah knocked my shoulder and laughed. “You think the Prince is sarcastic? You should hear yourself.”
***
I KNEW RANK Clarak was the smallest out of the three ranks, but I didn’t realize just how small until I entered the sparring room with Nyah. Besides Nyah and their trainer, there were only six others. She’d led me to a small compact room in the basement level of the palace with no source of natural light. I thought back to the room that Commander Alina used to train rank Mamlin in, realizing just how worse off Clarak was.
Flames from nearly burned out candles lit the room in patches of ominous orange and red glows. The trainer in charge, who Nyah had introduced as Sulan, was the nicest one I’d met so far. His handshake was firm yet welcoming, and he wasted no time in pulling me into the room and introducing me to the others.
“It looks like we have another sparring partner today,” he said, “Zacriah is to train with us, which I must say I am happy about. I have been hoping for a break from Nyah…” He pretended to rub his arm.
He turned to me. “Good luck with her, even Nyah could give the Commander a run for her coin.”
Nyah nodded, winking to him. “If you say so.”
It didn’t take long before we each were given wooden staffs and separated into pairs. Sulan instructed us that one was to defend and the other to attack.
“I’ll take defence and you try attack first,” Nyah said, throwing the staff at me. I caught it just before it fell to the floor.
Nyah shifted her stance, spreading her legs to gain better balance. Out of the kitchen attire, it was clear just how well built Nyah was. Her black training gear was tight fitting, hugging the curves of her muscles. I could tell before we even started how it was going to end.
With me on the floor. In pain.
I passed my staff between my hands, familiarizing myself with its weight, a trick Hadrian had taught me.
“Forget everything Princey has taught you.” Nyah jumped from foot to foot. “Let’s dance.”
I threw myself and every inch of strength I had into my first move.