Page 21 of Crowning of the Sword

“Our first open training,” said Cole, indicating Ashe and Tinth nearby. “There’s a fine line between showing the other team how formidable we are without giving away all our secrets. Fortunately, Swirl is more than capable of dealing with scrutiny.”

Lissa was eyeing Ember with open hostility, but as Ember and Cole approached, she forced a friendly smile. It was costing the other woman though; there was a faint tremble to her hands and when she said airily to Ember, “How now, little one? Have you come to cheer on our team?” she sounded as if she was chewing on broken glass.

Ember appreciated the gesture, although she didn’t much like being called ‘little one’ as though she were a child. “Good morning, Lissa. Yes, I like to be on the winning side.”

This earned her a pleased squeeze of the hand and a light kiss brushing her temple, and she closed her eyes, wishing it were just the two of them and everyone else was far, far away.

Cole dropped her hand and said, “I must see Swirl,” and when he left her side, she felt it as a physical thing, as though someone had severed a part of her from herself. She watched him go, anxiety crawling through her, unable to take her eyes from him, and was hardly aware when Ashe approached until he was right next to her.

“Good morning, Lissa. Are you guarding the human?”

“Hardly,” said Lissa, with a snort. “If you want to turn her to dust, be my guest.”

This caught Ember’s attention, and she scowled.

Ashe laughed. “It wouldn’t take much.”

Ember felt his eyes on her, raking her neck. Her hair had blown back over her shoulder, and she knew the bruises were starkly visible on her skin.

“You should ask your maid for some ointment for that,” Ashe said. “An infection may start.”

“Humans are too fragile for fae,” said Lissa. “It must be like making love to a pastry. One bite and it collapses.”

“Only fae can satisfy fae,” agreed Ashe.

Ember could feel her temper rising. “Well, perhaps you should get a move on and send me back. We’re all just waiting on you.”

Ashe looked at her in surprise, and Lissa let out a delighted gasp. “How can you speak to the prince so? Your Highness, she must be punished. If you need to present a credible witness to her audacity and lack of grace, I shall do so gladly.”

Ember gritted her teeth, forcing her hands to remain at her sides before she slapped Lissa with all her strength. She glared at Ashe with her eyebrow raised as if daring him, and when he made no move, no comment at all, she gave them both a cross curtsey. It was a bit of a clumsy one and Lissa sniggered, but Ashe remained silent, and Ember turned on her heel and walked off, fuming.

Chapter 19

Ember stomped along the path back toward the waterfall, too cross to bother calling Lily to escort her back. Part of her wanted to stay and watch Cole regardless of the others, but there was another part of her that just wanted to be on her own, away from barbed comments and veiled looks. She should just spend the rest of her time in her room, she thought resentfully. A few days confined with everything at her beck and call wouldn’t be so bad, would it? But then she thought of Cole and how he had told her he needed her, and her heart melted. She couldn’t just leave him when he was about to go into the tournament. He needed her there, watching and supporting from the sidelines.

As she approached the bend in the path by the waterfall, mists rose to greet her, cool and calming against her skin. And when she turned the corner and beheld the vista of water plunging down the falls into the valley below, the cool blue pools churning with white froth, and the gentle rise and fall of the surrounding hills, she could hardly believe that it was all real. It looked too perfect, like a movie set. Apart from one thing, way off in the distance, a stain of brown amongst the green rolling hills. She squinted, trying to make it out. It looked like a broken city skyline, just the jagged tops showing above the trees, but it was so far away, she couldn’t be sure. Perhaps it was just scrub-free hills, but she wasn’t sure about that either.

There came the sound of light footsteps and she turned, letting out a sigh of irritation when she saw Lissa was the source, golden hair gleaming in the sun, her pink skirts billowing around her like candy floss.

“What?” she said disagreeably, as Lissa drew to a halt in front of her.

“Don’t be like that,” Lissa said tartly. “It wasn’t my idea to be here. His Highness told me to escort you back to the Palace. Believe me, I’ve got better things to do.”

“Perhaps you should go and do them then,” said Ember, fully aware that she sounded like a petulant child, but unable to stop herself.

Lissa rolled her eyes. “And disobey the prince? Not likely.”

Ember took another look at the brown stain on the horizon and pointed. “What’s that way over there?”

“What’s left of the Kingdom of Shields,” Lissa said, shortly.

Ember’s eyes widened. When she’d heard that the kingdom had been destroyed, she’d had a vague idea that perhaps their castle had fallen, and everyone had moved on. She hadn’t realised it had been so final and destructive.

Lissa pointed over to the left, toward some jagged peaks on the horizon. “The Kingdom of Stones. That’s the only kingdom you can see from here. You’ll meet the rulers, Sten and Ruby, soon.”

For once, Lissa was speaking to her as though she was an equal, and Ember appreciated it, although she was fairly sure it was only because Lissa didn’t want to antagonise the princes. But her appreciation was short-lived as Lissa continued, “Be careful of them. Sten likes to collect pretty things.”

Ember refused to rise to Lissa’s mocking tone. “I don’t think Cole will let him.” There was more than a hint of smug possessiveness in her tone, and as predicted, Lissa’s hackles rose.

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