Page 34 of Of Withering Dreams
Gavrel dipped his head, a small smile threatening to spread as he looked at me from under his thick lashes. “Uh, I have to wash as well. Shall we head up?”
“But, of course, Commander Larkin. We wouldn’t want to offend anyone with our musk.”
We left Letti at the dining hall and walked to our rooms. We weren’t in a rush, so I took in the mesmerizing paintings lining the hallways as we walked. One of my favorites depicted Morpheus.
It was in the hallway near our rooms, and I often stopped to study it. His golden hair and robes whipped around him as a rainbow of colors spilled from his hands, dancing and twirling through the air. Everything beyond him was in shades of white and gray—until his ember touched and filled them with sparkling, vivid hues. It’s exactly how I imagined Surrelia had been created in all its brilliance.
“Thank you for the lesson,” I said, turning my attention to Gavrel.
“It’s no trouble. With enough practice, you’ll be a fair swordswoman.” A note of pride laced his words. “Would you be interested in working with some other weapon? You’re swift on your feet, so you might enjoy trying a smaller blade.”
“Oh, that sounds intriguing. Yes, I think I would.” A wide grin spread across my face.
“Brilliant. I’ll enlist Breena. I’ve observed her over the last few days. She has quite the talent with a dagger.”
“Good morn, early risers,” Kaden called from down the hall, shutting his door behind him. He wore green attire now. I still wore white. I didn’t think the Elders knew what to make of my gifts. Ancients knewIstill didn’t have a clue.
“How did your swordplay go? I see you don’t have any new wounds,” he teased, walking up to us. He tickled my side, and I laughed, swatting his hand away.
“I’ll have you know, I did just fine. Thank you very much.”
“She’ll do well with more practice,” Gavrel added, his mouth tilting to one side, his lips politely suppressing a smile.
Kaden chuckled as I huffed, crossing my aching arms across my chest. “I’ll find you later, Kade. I want to practice with my ember after work.”
He nodded, and I switched my focus to Gavrel. “Thank you for your help. Same time tomorrow?”
He dipped his head, looking at me through his thick, dark lashes. “Of course, Little Star.”
Kaden squinted at Gavrel, a line of displeasure etched between his brows. I tilted my head to the side, my eyebrows lifting, my lips pressing together. Spinning, I entered my sanctuary and shut the door on the brothers.
My hand rested on my chest as a strange uncertainty pumped through my musings. I wondered if this was how the sun experienced its existence—bound between rising and setting—its power and path influenced by the cosmos.
“Thrust with your whole body, woman!”Breena commanded, standing behind me. She pushed and pulled my limbs into position like a doll made of straw. “You aren’t just stabbing with your arm. Step into it. The blade is an extension of you.”
I did as she instructed, stepping into my thrust and aiming for the soft parts. The belly. Neck. Eyes. If you wanted the heart, you had to go from under the breastbone and stab up. One could stab directly into the chest, but there were ribs and a dense wall of muscle to contend with.
I wiped the sweat from my brow, thinking of the combat advice Breena had poured into our lessons over the last few weeks; the information branded my thoughts. She delighted in describing the gory details of how a blade could damage the body.I did this to myself, I thought, a wry laugh escaping me.
“Shift your grip on the hilt, Seryn. The goal is to stab your opponent, not yourself,” Gavrel interjected. I paused, turning my head and blinking at him once. He was lucky my eyes were the only things throwing daggers his way. One corner of his lips quirked in amusement.
I pushed an errant curl behind my ear, sighing, and stabilized my stance, ready to spar with Breena once more. Her eyes were bright with glee. I gulped, tightening my grip on the wooden dagger.
She enjoyed attacking abruptly, not one to wait for action to commence. I preferred to study my opponent. A quiver of their hand. A tiny shift in their eyes.
Escaped tendrils from my braid drifted over my cheeks, carried by a cool breeze. The corners of Breena’s eyes crinkled ever so slightly, and I tightened my grip on the dagger’s hilt.
Her weapon jabbed toward my chest with stunning speed, like that of a threatened snake. I twisted my torso to my left, using my hand to push the trajectory of her blade away from my body. In a fluid motion, I slashed the dagger in my other hand horizontally under her arm and into her flank.
Breena grunted, her eyes bright as she stepped away from me. “Finally! Well played.” She clapped excitedly.
I rolled my eyes but laughed. “I’ve gotten many strikes in over the last few weeks.”
“You’ve come a long way,” Gavrel agreed, squeezing my shoulder.
“Thank you both for all your help. It’s been … quite the journey.” I smiled, putting my hand on Breena’s shoulder. She grinned, shrugging my hand from her shoulder and pulling me into a tight, damp hug.
“Anything for a friend.” She held my shoulders at arm’s length. “I think we can all agree I’m the most qualified to teach you the majestic ways of the dagger. Without my intervention, I can’t fathom what would’ve happened. These men and their toys. Am I right?” She stepped from our embrace and squared up again, her blade ready.
