Page 56 of The Blood that Binds Us

“It wasn’t just your life you risked, Singard. If you kill me after we take out Legion, at least I’ll die knowing I was protecting the innocent. You could have taken that away from me today. If I lost control, if I had hurt you… hurt others, then I’d be no better than you and your father who would rather kill my family for simply being what they are.”

“There will never be peace so long as their kind continues to wreak havoc in the cities,” he says, calmer now. The bored king.

“Most of Legion’s soldiers aren’t even transcendents! They’re just people who don’t want to be controlled, who don’t want to worry that they, or their loved ones, are the kingdom’s next target.”

“You say that like you support them.”

I shake my head. “No. I say that because humans are more monstrous than any transcendent I’ve ever met. The shifters that are fighting with Legion… they’rescared.They have a right to live in peace, just as I do. Your kingdom is cruel,” I say, drawing out my final word.

“How can you say that after what they did to you? They stole you, chained you up like a fuckingpet,and you dare point a finger atmewhen all I did was show you that you have the means to put an end to them.”

“If you have to justify your actions against those of Cathal’s, what do you think that makes of you?” I spit back at him.

“If I hadn’t done that—hadn’t shown you that maybe,just maybe, you shedding blood won’t turn you into some horrendous monster, you would never fight how Ineedyou to fight.”

“You are sadly mistaken if you think I won’t give up my life for my sister’s freedom and my family’s safety without a second thought. When the time comes, Iwillkillfor them, even if doing so does turn me into some legendary beast because I’m certain you hadn’t planned on letting me live long after the war anyway. Isn’t that right,YourGrace?”

“You’re a fast learner, little witch.”

I swear the temperature around us drops a few degrees as his stare turns razor-sharp. If looks could kill…

Rising to my feet, I slap my hands against my tunic to send the dirt flying off it. I want to storm far away from here, from him, but I linger for a moment, looking at him over my shoulder. “Should I send a healer?”

I hate myself for asking, for showing that there is a part of me that still feels guilty for hurting him, even if he did weaken his shield on purpose.

“No. I can walk back.”

Nodding, I leave him and head towards the castle, unable to stop myself from imagining the kind of power the Black Art spoke of. A power without limits, restrictions… without fear. Ihadshown control earlier, and I can’t help but wonder just how far that control can stretch.

The morning after I nearly ate the Black Art, Aldred reported to my room and explained he’d been assigned to lead my training. The commander offered no explanation as to why the sudden switch in my training partner, and I didn’t bother to ask. Though I suppose licking my lips at the sight of his open wounds would be enough to prompt the bravest of warriors to take a step back.

Aldred and I have been sparring the past week, mostly with swords but with some hand-to-hand combat sprinkled in too. Occasionally, I spot Sin making his rounds through the courtyard, overseeing his armies and stepping in as needed, but never veering too close to where we trained.

He must have paid Anika a visit the night of our altercation because he prowls the grounds with no signs of injury, as if the incident never happened at all. His eyes never even glance our direction when he comes near, perhaps because he trusts his commander enough to leave us alone, or maybe he simply doesn’t want to be close to me. Either way, I’m content to be rid of his ever so sunny disposition.

Aldred is pleasant enough. He doesn’t bore me with small talk and lets me take short breaks when I need to. Additionally, he doesn’t seem to mind training with a bloodwitch. The commander has never brought up what I am, and I suppose I respect him for that reason alone.

With the castle at my rear, I don’t see him approach. And my mind is too focused on perfecting the elbow-to-chin strike Aldred showed me to hear his footsteps. It isn’t until Aldred suddenly snaps to attention and jerks his hand to his brow in a salute that I sense him behind me, courtesy of the tugging on the phantom tether between us.

“How is our favorite bloodwitch performing, Commander?” Sin asks from behind me. Though I can’t see him, Ifeelhis eyes burning into the back of my head, like a deer knowing a wolf lurks just out of sight. Watching.

Always watching.

Aldred drops his arm to his side as he rattles off a report of the techniques we’ve covered, what we are currently working on, and my overall progress. I laugh once without humor and tug my bottom lip between my teeth as they talkaboutme, like I’m a child being handed over to her nanny.

Sin moves so he stands perpendicular to me, the side of my shoulder nearly brushing against his chest. “Learn any new tricks?” he asks, the smugness in his tone sending my fingers curling into my palms.

Desperate to swipe that infuriating smirk from his face, I whirl towards him, my right hand slipping into the waist of my trousers and grabbing the athame I tucked inside my pants. I halt the blade an inch from the underside of his chin.

“I learned to never rely on one weapon. First rule of combat, Blackheart.” I tilt my head to the side, flashing him a smile as sweet as iced violet tea.

Sin’s mouth widens into a wicked smile as I spew his earlier words back at him. The distinct sound of a sword being pulled from its leather holster licks at my ears, and Sin throws a hand out towards Aldred, a silent order for him to back down.

The Black Art drags his tongue against the fronts of his teeth in a movement that is pure predator, and looks down at me from under those dark brows, absolute amusement gleaming in his vivid green eyes. He wraps a hand around mine and lowers the knife between us before uncurling my fingers from the dagger and prying it from my hands. Turning it over in his hand, Sin studies the athame from hilt to blade.

“Elysande?” he asks with a note of surprise.

I nod. “Is there a problem with that?”

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