Page 11 of Foretold

He’s a walking-fucking-storm.

We head downstairs and outside, where he leads me to their armory.

He picks up a bow and quiver and points toward the swords.“Take your pick.”

I pick the first one that catches my eye, slide it out of the wooden rack, and test it out.

“So, I don’t know much about dealing with…” he trails off, biting his lower lip.

Arching my brow, I stop in front of him, sword in hand. “Heartbreak? Betrayal? Having your own mate make you look fucking stupid?”

He tilts his head to the side. “I know more than I’d like to about betrayal. But he didn’t make you look stupid, Princess. He did that to himself.”

He turns and leaves the armory, and I follow behind him. “What don’t you know much about dealing with then? Emotional women?”

Bane’s eyes flicker at me, and I know I’ve hit the mark. “You can just take it all out on me. We can spar all fucking day if you need to. Hit me, punch me, I can take it. Just don’t let it consume you.”

For someone who doesn’t know much about handling these situations, I wonder if he knows how sweet that offer is.

“If I start crying, can you make it rain so no one sees?” I ask, sighing dramatically.

“Anytime.”

We walk past the rose gardens and into a clearing. He places the bow and quiver down on the grass, pulls out the sword from his side, and gets into his fighting stance. “All right, Princess, time to show me what the fae has taught you.”

Grinning, I copy him and plant my feet apart, lean forward slightly, and my fingers grip the sword’s hilt. We start circling each other, waiting for one of us to pounce. I go for him first, slicing the blade through the air, which he blocks easily. We go back and forth, and although he’s making me work for it, I know he’s holding back. Metal clanking and my heavy breaths are all Ihear until I miss one of his strikes, and he aims his weapon at my heart before retreating.

“I’m actually impressed,” he admits, smirking.

“If this were a real battle, I would have been dead,” I reply dryly, putting my sword back in its scabbard and picking up the bow and an arrow.

“I’m one of the best warriors in the Incubus Kingdom, Princess,” he reminds me, smug amusement dancing in his dark eyes. “Did you think you’d best me?”

“No, but I wanted to,” I mutter, aiming with the arrow and letting it fire until it hits the middle of a tree trunk.

“What did that tree do to you?” he asks, facing me. “Good shot, though.”

I flashback to Rave patiently helping me with my technique, standing behind me with his arms around me.

I miss him.

And it makes me angry because he doesn’t deserve those thoughts right now.

But the bond is tugging at me to go to him, to be with him.

“What do you guys do for fun around here?” I ask Bane, feeling reckless.

He must see the glint in my eyes because he grins, flashing me his straight white teeth. “You want to get into some trouble? Because you’ve come to the right place.”

I don’t know about trouble.

I merely want to forget.

***

Incubi sure know how to party.

A few hours later, I’m in a black silk dress, wearing red lips, and at a party unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s in a tavern, I suppose, but it’s much fancier than any I’ve been to before. A live band is on the stage, and the alcohol and baddecisions are flowing.

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