Page 108 of The Throne's Undoing

"Danisina," Ellie hissed.

"What?" Dani asked, wide-eyed as she halted the blade, palming it.

Kallie struggled to stand, the dull pain slow to fade as she continued to stare at Dani. She couldn't shake the image of Dani kneeling in the water, a guttural scream pouring from her throat as Fynn's body floated toward her.

Fynn's words from one of the dreams sang in her mind:Her forgiveness will not be easy to earn.

Fynn might have thought that Kallie would be able to gain Dani's forgiveness one day, but as Kallie looked upon the woman before her, she did not believe it was possible.

Yet, despite her mind still unraveling itself, Kallie still mourned Fynn's loss. Domitius had tried to construe Fynn's death as a needed sacrifice, but that was a lie. His death had never been necessary. But Kallie could not rewrite the past. She couldn't undo it.

All she could do was live in the mess she had created and face the consequences.

Kallie read the plea in Ellie's gaze as she glared at Dani, but Kallie did not want Ellie to save her from Dani's wrath. No, Kallie deserved all of Dani's anger.

"It's fine, Ellie. She's right. You've been going easy on me."

Dani took a step forward, a fire smoldering within her hazel eyes. "You want a real challenge, Princess?" she drawled, now smiling. But the stretch of her mouth was anything but kind as she raised a brow. "Perhaps a rematch of our first dance together?"

Dani tightened her fingers around the hilt of her dagger, and a memory of Dani in a cloak, taunting Kallie as she and the other Pontians attacked Kallie's carriage surfaced. That was the fight that had started it all, the preface to the destruction and death that would follow.

"Dani, you really shouldn't--" Ellie began, but Kallie cut her off.

"I said it's fine," she snapped, shifting her stance and raising the wooden sword. If Dani wanted to release her anger on her, Kallie would let her. She couldat least give her that, even though it was not much at all in the grand scheme of things.

Dani smirked and pocketed the dagger before pulling a short sword from her hip. "Let's play with real weapons, shall we? Make it a true challenge."

"Seriously, Dani?" Ellie asked, hints of anger flushing her cheeks.

Dani's gaze flicked from Ellie to Kallie. "Unless you have an objection, Princess?"

"No objection," Kallie said smoothly, grabbing the proffered sword.

"See, Ellie?" Dani grinned, her attention never leaving Kallie's.

A hungriness illuminated Dani's gaze and flowed through her stance. And Kallie knew before they had even started by the shift in Dani's posture that this was not about pushing Kallie's limits. It was about destroying them.

Ellie reluctantly stepped back, folding her arms over her chest and mumbling something Kallie didn't quite catch as Dani struck and forced Kallie to scramble backward.

Each swing from Dani, each thrust, each dive forward was fueled by an unfiltered rage. And despite Kallie's aching muscles, she dodged each attack as if her survival instincts were kicking in.

Because while Dani was clearly not trying to help Kallie, she had been right. Elliewasholding back, which was only doing Kallie a disservice.

All the memories Kallie had tried to push away--all the nights training with Domitius and his guards, the days spent jumping through mazes--came storming back.

Kallie's own anger poured through her veins, stabilizing her and pumping strength into her arms and legs.

Dani was enraged.

But Kallie was, too.

She wasn't mad at Dani, of course. Dani hadn't done anything to deserve Kallie's anger. No, Kallie was mad at herself for believing in a man who only ever cared about his own success. She was mad that the king was able to manipulate her. She was mad that he stole the life she was supposed to live from her. She was mad that he turned her into avillain.

But Kallie was even more furious with herself that she let him have that power over her.

So, Kallie did the one thing she could at that moment: she kept her blade high, her movements strong and nimble. She didn't let Dani get the upper hand, didn't let her push her down. But Kallie didn't strike either, and soon enough, Dani realized it and groaned in frustration.

"Fight back, you little bitch!" Dani yelled, her teeth bared.

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