Page 119 of Revenge of the Forgotten

“Well, if you’d ever like anyone to train with, I’m happy to assist in the early mornings. I haven’t slept well since leaving the mines.” The Ardor-born was handsome, devilishly so, and rumor had it he was strong, if not stronger than the original family of his land.

Vega smiled at the thought of Meyer Ignis being outfired.

“I appreciate that. You’re welcome to join me at any time. I’m here around four, four-thirty every morning.” Vega took another sip of water as her eyes trailed to Khort, who’d approached while the two were lost in conversation.

“If you’re done flirting, Acer, we have work to do.” Khort’s tone was rigid as he addressed Leo by his surname.

The fire-wielder chuckled, patting Khort on the shoulder. “Point taken. I’ll see you around, Vega.” He winked, poking the dragon further.

Vega turned her attention to Khort after waving goodbye to Leo. “Jealousy is unbecoming of you.”

“Pfft.” Khort crossed his arms over his chest.

“So what, we’re talking again?” Vega quipped, cocking her head as she put her cup on the table.

“Maybe,” Khort replied.

“Gods, Khort. We’re not teenagers anymore. If you need to scream at me, scream at me. You wanna fight it out? Let’s step in the ring, but I can’t do this with you. We have too much to worry about, too much to plan for to act like we’re feuding children again, especially over Bridger. We’ve done this before. I’m not doing it again.”

Vega watched as Khort’s features gave away every emotion crossing his face. Anger, jealousy, regret. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. My feelings about the matter still stand, though. I don’t trust him, and I don’t think there’s a place for him here.” He shrugged his shoulders as if to say, Do with that what you will.

A sigh escaped Vega’s lips. “I don’t disagree with you, but we need to keep it as an option. He’s not the same Bridger he’s been. Something is happening behind the scenes that we don’t know about.”

“Sounds like he needs to figure it out then. I’m not here to help Bridger. I’m here to help you, our people. He’s not welcome in my army.”

Vega nodded once. “Okay. For now, Bridger is the last thing on my mind. I’m focused on finding out how to end this curse.” She bent the truth slightly because Bridger, in fact, hadn’t been the last thing on her mind. Some of the nightmares that kept her up were of his death—the dagger she’d sliced through his heart being the kill shot.

“We have some books in the offices,” Khort offered up as Leo and the other men stepped into the ring to start their warm-ups.

“Yeah, books I’ve read from cover to cover hundreds of times. They don’t have what I’m looking for. I need to get to Littera.”

“No,” Khort said with finality, stepping away from Vega.

She followed him, not giving him the space he was trying to put in between her and this conversation. “I have to get to Littera. It’s not an option anymore.”

Khort spun on his heels, and Vega collided with his chest. “We don’t have allies there. It’s too dangerous.”

“You don’t have allies, but I used to,” she objected.

“Used to. It’s been fifteen years, and too much has changed.”

“I am never going to figure out how to break this curse if you guys don’t stop keeping me locked away like some helpless princess,” Vega snapped.

Khort opened his mouth, but his words were silenced by the sound of an alarm ringing through the building. Red lights flashed in the hall, shooting red beams under the door.

Vega grabbed her daggers off of the table by the mat and sheathed them at her sides. Bridger’s dagger tingled in her palm, his bond to the blade calling to her bond with its owner.

The alarms ringing meant there was trouble—an intruder.

Leo and the other soldiers scrambled to life, grabbing their weapons. They might have powers inside of them that were more dangerous than anything they could arm themselves with, but getting caught in close-distance combat without something other than gods-given abilities could be a death wish, depending on who their opponent was.

Vega didn’t wait for anyone. She burst through the training room’s door, her electricity buzzing through her body, ready to strike at any second.

Vega focused on the pull in her chest, guiding herself through the maze of hallways and the people flooding through them. She had to find Arlet.

Khort was on her heels. “Vega, go to your room and wait until I come find you!” He gripped her arm, slowing them to a jog.

“Over my dead body! I’m going to Arlet!” she called over the sound of the alarm’s wail.

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