Page 102 of Riftborne
“You’re wrong about him, you know. We’ve spoken almost every evening since the clearing, and he is more of a gentleman than any boy or man I’ve met thus far. And you’re blind if you think he’s not attractive, so stop making that face already.” She bumped me with her hip, and I had to steady myself to avoid twisting my ankle.
“I don’t think you understand. He was best friends with Baelor. You know, the one who tried to burn you alive?”
“That's Baelor, not Nazul. Plus, he isn’t best friends with him at all. He protected me,” she countered.
I shook my head. I didn’t believe it for a second.
“Fia, I know how protective you are of me, but I will tell you this right now.” Osta approached our front door and paused before opening it, turning to me. “I’m going to continue to explore this with Nazul whether you like it or not. I’m an adult who can make her own choices, and I will go into this knowing the risks. Please respect that.” Osta spoke so clearly, I forgot she had been drinking all evening. She was serious about this.
“Okay…but I swear to Eibhlín if he hurts you, I’ll kill him myself.”
CHAPTER 36
The next day,Briar chased me down outside the Compound gates, offering apologies and pinning the blame on the heightened number of cocktails. Forgiveness wasn’t something I felt in the moment, but I forced myself to move on, even though I harbored doubts about his sincerity. Briar seemed to have grown a new distaste for me since Raine took my side about his outburst.
A few weeks of relentless training had passed since then.
My sparring game had improved, with my strategy shifting towards defense. I learned to dodge with precision, navigate the mat with quick footwork, and execute graceful rolls to tire out my opponents. Briar and I traded wins in our two encounters, marking my first victory in the class.
But facing off against Nazul was a different challenge. His skill and lifelong training made me apprehensive. I felt a surge of pride in executing a move that brought him down—a high leap that sent him tumbling to the mat with my legs wrapped around his shoulders. Even Mercer seemed impressed.
I continued to practice similar maneuvers in the followingweeks, recognizing my proficiency lay more in leveraging the strength and agility of my lower body rather than relying solely on hand strikes.
The extra practice had been incredibly useful in my final spar against Raine, where I finally bested her.
Mercer, on the other hand, won every match he participated in. But that hadn’t come as a shock to any of us.
The General remained in Luminaria, but his availability was essentially nonexistent. Strategizing over the threat in the West didn’t just stop because he was back.
Blood Clot was at his side nearly every free moment he had. I had become accustomed to taming the rage that burned in me at the sight of her.
Our training sessions were few and far between. I knew there were bigger issues to focus on, so I tried not to think too much of it. Even knowing that, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment on the days we used to train together.
Troops were constantly being sent to the front lines. Only the recruits and a handful of initiates and officers remained in Luminaria. The Compound had become something of a ghost town. But the level of training for all of us had increased.
Laryk was the only General who seemed to stay in Luminaria for any long period of time. None of us could figure out why. I attributed it to him being the King’s favorite in command, and therefore requiring easy access to him.
Osta and I had said a tearful goodbye the day she moved to the Soleil Estate. I had accompanied her, helping her deliver her boxes upon boxes of clothing and materials. After a few days of living in our apartment by myself, loneliness crept in. I had never lived on my own. I guess I hadn’t realized how much I relied on her proximity or companionship.
I applied for residency at the Compound. It was easy to justify once I realized the inevitability of our deployment to the West. Idid get lucky, seeing as Raine was the only other female recruit in our faction. The head of lodging immediately approved my request and assigned me to her room.
Moving my belongings to the Compound wasn’t nearly as much of an ordeal as moving Osta’s. All of my clothes fit into a single box. I wasn’t particularly sentimental, but leaving our recycled furniture behind did tug at my heart in a ferocious way.
Being a recruit of the Guard had never felt so real. From the structured infantry formations in the morning, artillery storming up the metal stairs at all hours of the night, and the scheduled mealtimes, my daily routine had been turned on its head. Even getting a lick of privacy was difficult.
But I didn’t mind sharing a space with Raine. Since moving in, we had grown even closer, much to Briar’s annoyance. Although he and I had mended things, a discomfort lingered.
After two weeks at the Compound, Raine and I walked into the sparring gym to find Lieutenant Mercer and Laryk on a mat in the back.
The sight was certainly one to behold.
The two men danced around each other with unwavering precision. I had never seen Laryk in action before… and I never wanted it to end.
“Fia, close your mouth,” Raine whispered, clearly not affected in the same way. I bit back a goofy grin.
Lean muscles rippled through Laryk’s fitted training shirt, now drenched with sweat as he moved at a near impossible speed. His hair was loosely tied at the nape of his neck; a few pieces had escaped to frame his face. His jawline clenched to perfection as he dodged a blow from Mercer.
Suddenly, Laryk rolled past his opponent, coming up into a predatory crouch. The look in his eyes was feral, yet methodical. Like his sole purpose was to vanquish, defeat, even kill.
