Page 106 of An Empress of Fire & Steel

“Not allowed?” Her nose scrunched up.

Artem cut in. “The Supreme thinks we are too violent to train in her palace.” He smiled like it was a compliment.

“I wish I could show her how violent I can really be,” Torin said with casual coolness, which stopped Emara’s heart.

“She acts like we are barbaric,” Artem scoffed. “Even her guards need to train outside.”

Emara just raised one eyebrow as she investigated the space for anyone she knew.

Closer to a rocky path that led up the mountain, she noticed a green cloak and fire-red hair blowing in the wind.

“Sybil’s here?” She looked to Torin before glancing back over to where the Earth Witch stood beside Gideon. They were speaking, and it looked intense, but she couldn’t quite work out what it was about.

“She heard whisperings of you being trained and decided to come and watch,” Torin said as he unsheathed his sword from his back. “Gideon invited her, knowing how much it helped you in the early stages of dealing with your grief.”

It still did.

The grit, the adrenaline, the pain everywhere else in her body other than her heart—it felt euphoric.

“Maybe she will get involved. Gideon said something about how she wakes up screaming every night and doesn’t want to end up like her sister. Although she has magic, she was never trained to fight.”

Torin’s words punched into Emara’s stomach.

She didn’t want to end up like her dead sister.

Emara knew how hopelessness felt. She knew what it was like for fear to control her thoughts, telling her that something would attack at any moment, and she wouldn’t know how to survive. She looked over at the Earth Witch again as Sybil’s face paled from watching Marcus spar with another male.

Sybil caught her eye and Emara gave her a small wave, chased with a smile, encouraging her to be here.

“It’s good I will finally be sparring with a woman.” She turned back to her guards. “It will be a nice change from you brutes.”

A laugh sounded between both Artem and Torin, and they looked at one another like they knew a secret that she didn’t.

“What?” Emara’s tone was demanding as she dragged her gaze over them both.

“Oh no, angel.” Torin’s eyes sparkled like polished sapphires and his voice sounded like warm honey. “You are far more trained than she is.” He paused. “And much more equipped to handle us. We couldn’t pair you two together.”

“You spar with the big boys now.” Artem’s eyebrows danced up and he rolled his shoulders—a grin, of course, on his face.

Emara’s hopes of having an easy session went flying into the wind. “Please don’t say ‘big boys’ ever again.” She shot a look at Artem, and the boys chuckled. “I feel disturbed.”

“It’s true,” Torin cut in with a chuckle. “You are not at the beginner level now.” He looked her over in a way that made her heart hitch in her chest. “You are better than that. You have gained a few skills. You are stronger, faster, and you know a good amount of combat. If we matched you two against each other in a sparring fight, with you not qualified to actually teach combat, it could be messy. One of you could get hurt.”

It was true; she didn’t know how to teach. She looked over at Gideon, who was showing Sybil how to warm up, and she knew how much guts it must have taken her to attempt it, especially in front of all these warriors.

“Have there been any sightings?” Emara asked, not sure if it was only hunters that got to know that kind of official information.

“Not on the mountains,” was all Torin said.

So there had been sightings or maybe other killings, just not here.

But before she could pry for more information, Artem threw a sparring stick at her, causing her mouth to close. She caught it with ease.

“You better watch that she doesn’t charge at you with that.” Torin laughed, nodding to the stick.

“That’s exactly what I want her to do,” Artem revealed with a cunning smile.

“Your wish is my command, hunter,” Emara said, straightening herself.

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