Page 41 of Brutal Birthright

A flare of interest in her eyes made his stomach knot. Since when had he ever given a crap about anything or anyone? Yet here he found himself far too invested in seeing her succeed in her quest to make the elite ranks of the Astrals.

Pushing her to be the best she could be, even if she despised him for his methods.

“Are you ready to bleed for me, little faerie?” He studied her closely.

The tiniest of growls left her throat.

A shudder flickered across her tanned skin.

Both hatred and desire for him was bound up in the same breath.

Well, the feeling was fucking mutual.

She chucked a sword towards him, with far more force than was necessary, but he easily caught the handle. Weaponry was connected to his magic. She could have slung it with the pointed end aimed at his chest, and he’d still have caught the damn thing with ease.

Small mercies, seeing as there was steel in the girl’s spine and menace in her dark eyes.

Rowan nodded for them to begin. Each moving forward and weighing the other’s mettle with careful steps. Eyes focused on all the small cues. Watching for the slightest shift in body positioning that could be exploited.

The little fae matched him step for step. Neither willing to be the one to make the first move.

“Do you still think I’m irresponsible?” Her eyes didn’t waver from their spot locked on his hand holding the sword. Keeping her body loose as they circled one another, just like she’d been trained to do. “Do you consider me foolish? Some silly little girl who doesn’t know anything?”

Ahh. The day of the coronation.

Of course, it would come down to that. While on the outside she’d pretended to be unaffected, there must have been something in his remarks that day that stung. Good. She needed to hear it if she was ever going to live up to her potential.

“I think you’re my student.” He crowded towards her. Using his bulk to eat up the space between them in one quick stride. Leaving her reeling backwards but far too slowly. “I think you’re Ruby’s sister.” He continued. Gaze locked on the spot where her pulse thrummed in her neck.

She back-pedalled as fast as he advanced, holding her sword between them, but he allowed his own to hang loosely at his side. There wasn’t a chance of her getting the upper hand now he had her on the run.

And fuck, his blackened heart loved to chase down his prey.

“I think you have a lot to learn, little faerie.” The edge of the training arena was fast approaching behind her. Only a few more steps and she’d be up against the wall beside the armoury.

“So you do…” Her gasping breaths came faster now. “You still think I know nothing.”

Rowan flexed his fingers around the handle of his sword.

“Only the foolish believe they have nothing left to learn, Oriana.”

Watching her dark eyes bounce all over his figure was like a drug. Her pupils dilated, and her nostrils flared as their bodies drew closer and closer. The space between them began to crackle with the presence of his magic, and he was enough of an asshole to enjoy the way it unsettled her. Sensing his power in the ether surrounding them seemed to put the girl on edge.

Two more strides forward. As she tried to evade him, her shoulders collided with the stone surface. The breath left her lungs with an audible gasp, yet she held the sword firmly before her. Pointed towards his sternum, grasped in both hands, and his cock just about leapt out of his trousers at the sight of her.

Send him to whatever hellscape he deserved right now because he was so far gone from being capable of making good decisions.

“You’re only playing at being a warrior. Your skills are mediocre at best. You’re too cocky and impulsive, and you’ll never have the dedication to realise your true potential. So get the fuck out of my sight.” The girl relayed his own words from that day back to him verbatim.

Hurt and anger and the lingering sting of what she knew was the truth played all over her face as she spat out a perfect imitation of what he’d said to her all those months ago.

“That ego of yours bruises too easily.” Fuck. Her chest rising and falling with each breath was impossible to drag his attention away from. The slight quiver in her breasts as she craned to stare up at him. Looming over her like this and using his height to his advantage was a dick move, but he felt drawn to her. Inexplicably so. Like his body physically couldn’t stand to be separated from her own.

“Nothing left to bruise when it has been torn out and stomped all over.”

Rowan surveyed her for a quiet moment through a hooded gaze. Relishing the way she squirmed under his attention.

“You asked to be a student.” A statement. Not a question. He’d suspected as much from the way she’d been so determined to prove herself in the training arena.

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