Page 103 of Vicious Princess
Just as it consumes the fae pinning me to the floor. His eyes widen and turn to glass. When he blinks, a tear escapes. It lands on my cheek and rolls down onto my neck.
A heartbreaking wail tears its way out of his chest, and his grip on my hands weakens. He crumples on top of me, sobs racking his body so deeply, he trembles. I only need to give him a little push, and he rolls away and into a ball on his side.
Breathing heavily, I close my senses again before I’m consumed by the dark, gloomy sadness and its cold, wet claws.
“Excellent, Cadet Wildarrow!” Ezkai Cassandra claps for me, too.
Swiftly, I get on my feet and dip my chin at her. When my gaze locks with Kata’s, I can’t help the satisfied smirk that curls my lips.
My smugness doesn’t last long.
From the way her lips curl into a snarl, I know the worst is yet to come. Fear gets ahold of my insides, twisting them into a tight knot.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
“You’re angry with me,” Daegel says the moment I step foot into his home library.
Fuck yeah, I’m angry with you.So many things are on the line. With the upcoming mission that will determine my future, there’s so much tension weighing on me that I can barely hold it all together.
And Daegel pretends as if everything is fucking golden. As if Kata fucking Nightingale hasn’t been tormenting me for months now, swinging like a bladed pendulum inches away from my neck.
He says he’s handling it.
Yet I don’t see him handling anything. And the worst part? He’s keeping things from me.I’m too fucking tired for this shit.
“No, I’m not,” I say, voice level. “What makes you say that?”
Our gazes lock.
He arches an eyebrow.
I say nothing.
He says nothing, too.
After a couple of long heartbeats, he clicks his tongue and says, “We’ll train outside. My back gardens will be our drill field for the evening.”
With a curt nod, I follow him out.
The cool night air wraps me in its soothing embrace, the salty breeze caresses my cheeks. I inhale my lungs full and try to ignore the ache forming inside my chest now that the anger has receded.
“You sure you don’t want to talk about whatever is weighing on your shoulders?”
His voice is soft against my ear, warm breath tickling my neck. I press my lips into a thin line, step forwards, and whirl on my heel. With my chin high, I tell him, “Let’s not waste precious time. Tell me what we’re doing today.”
There’s a light frown between his eyebrows, but Daegel doesn’t push any further. He gestures at the gardens behind me.
“I’ve put up targets all over. There are ten in total, scattered. I want you to practice your skill with a bow at the same time as your combat skills. You need to be able to focus and strike true, while also managing to fight if you’re attacked at your station.”
“Sounds good.”
I remove the bow from its place across my back and test the string. For weeks now, my bow has been calm. It feels…right, when it rests in my palm. As if the bow is part of me.
Yet I’m still hesitant to celebrate my victory. I haven’t figured out its name. Until then, I need to be cautious.
Daegel draws a dagger and tosses it in the air before catching it. The blade glints in the moonlight, and then it’s flying at me.
Arching my back, I lean backwards. The knife whizzes inches away from my face, then lands in one of the plum trees a few feet away.
