Page 74 of The Last Heir of Elsewhere

In answer, he jerked his head toward the bow of the ship, where the short, dark haired woman from the other day was standing at the wheel. “My first mate, I suppose one would call it. Although, as she does far more in the way of navigating than I do, she’s really the captain in all but name.” He grinned. “Now, stop changing the subject, you’re here to learn.”

I grimaced. “I should warn you, I’m awful at combat.”

His brow wrinkled. “I don’t believe that.”

I laughed. “Then you haven’t been watching me very carefully.”

He gave me an odd look, and ran his tongue over his bottom lip. “On the contrary, love. There’s hardly been a moment since you were eighteen that I’ve been able to look away.”

A sudden warmth spread across my cheeks. “Why? How would you have even known of me for that long?”

He grinned. “A question for another time, love. Let me see you wield the sword.”

My cheeks still warm, and feeling incredibly foolish, I whipped the blade through the air a few times. He grimaced, and I stopped, growing defensive. “I told you, this is entirely pointless.”

“It’s not,” he said quickly. “For starters, try not to flop your wrist so much, you’ll break it the moment anyone combats you with any measure of force, and keep your sword as close to the center of your body as possible,” he held out his hand to demonstrate.

With a hesitant grip, I grasped the weight of the sword in my hand, following his instructions to swing it through the air. The blade whistled, flowing in a wide arc. I turned my gaze toward Ambrose, eagerly awaiting his praise for my efforts. However, his face remained unreadable.

“You’re too stiff,” he said.

“Well, I did sleep on the floor for the better part of a week,” I snapped, growing seriously annoyed.

Without commenting, he walked around to stand behind me and gently took hold of my sword arm. “Bend your elbow,” he directed. “Don’t stab, like you’re using a fire poker. Slash, like this…”

His rough, calloused grip shifted my arm, and guided my movements in fluid motions.

“Fine,” I breathed, and repeated the motion.

“That’s better.” he nodded and stepped closer. He placed his hands on my hips, his fingers pressing firmly into my skin as he shifted my stance. “You need to loosen up. Allow your body to move, like you’re dancing.”

A spark of desire shot through me, beginning where his hands burned into my sides, and flooding my entire body. I shivered involuntarily, feeling his words on the back of my neck.Oh gods.

I took a large step forward, breaking our contact. “I’ve got it.”

A tense and drawn-out silence hung in the air before he finally emerged from behind me and retreated to his previous position, keeping a safe distance between us. Pressing his lips together in a flat line, he gestured for me to try again. And again.And again.

The sun had moved from overhead to low in the west before he declared that I was even holding the sword correctly.

I ran my sleeve across my forehead, wiping away the sweat dripping down my face. My body ached and I let out an exhausted sigh, shifting my weight to ease the tension in my stiff muscles. “I can’t keep doing this.”

Ambrose, who looked just the same as he had this morning having not exerted himself at all, raised his eyebrow at me. “But we haven’t even gotten to spar yet.”

I shook my head, and my skull pounded. “And we never will if you force me to continue because I’ll drop dead right here and now.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Do you really mean that, or has your ability to lie returned at last?”

I fixed him with a withering stare, and turned to stomp back toward the cabin. “What do you think?”

30

SCION

UNDERNEATH

The last golden fingers of the sun clawed at the horizon as we reached the city of Underneath.

Smoke rose in the distance, and the air was thick with the smell of roasting meats and unwashed bodies—a stark contrast to the sterile desert that lay beyond the Hedge.

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