Page 79 of A Story of Sinners

I finished tying her dress and stared at our reflection. “You look lovely. If it were up to me, I would dress to match, and we could have breakfast at the waterfront.”

Today was a training day, physical training, and I would need to clothe myself in fighting leathers, though I could always pull a Gabriella and sit it out. Gabriella protested at anything of a physical nature, and I didn’t blame her.

I hated it too. I wasn’t a fighter, at least not physically. I’d played around with the boys when I was younger, but now, I realized they’d taken it easy on me, allowing me to believe I was some fearsome female warrior. Instead, I was nothing more than delicate and very ill suited for hand-to-hand combat, relying on my magic when the training became too rough.

I only trained in combat for Eulalia. From what she’d claimed to hear of my future, I would need to be strong and well prepared. From the small details she’d let slip, my future wouldn’t be pretty. Hopefully, that future had already passed. Unfortunately, considering the threat that lay within my dream last night, it remained a terrifyingly real possibility.

Gabriella’s eyes lit up at the complement. “How about you get dressed for training and I watch? Then, the three of us can have lunch at the waterfront afterwards.”

“That would be great,” I answered, forcing a smile onto my face.

I would give anything to make this peace last, to stay in Faerie for all eternity with my friends, hopefully soon with Ryken. To my great dismay, the likelihood of that seemed slim to none, no matter how hard I tried to pretend otherwise.

* * *

Eulalia’s familiar, Silas, squawked about the training pit as Gregor beat the leaving hell out of me. Armed with my wooden sword and a small shield, I defended myself as much as I could against the onslaught of his attacks with the star staff. The staff struck my legs and sent me sprawling into the sand while Gregor stood above me laughing.

Gods, physical training was the worst, but at least my fighting skills were getting fractionally better.

Gabriella’s voice echoed across the yard. “You can do this, Dahlia! Go for his member!”

I chuckled, sand spilling from my mouth as I shifted to see Gabriella, Isadora, Eulalia, and Kathryn with her baby seated to the side, observing the fight. Eulalia could easily take the mage down with the slightest pressure of her fingers, and she’d taught me the skill. If only I could get my hands on him.

“I already tried!” I shouted back, twisting my gaze to Gregor towering over me.

The mage chuckled and retreated a step, allowing me the opportunity to rise. I gritted my teeth, glaring at the spot I typically retaliated against—a man’s weakest area. It was safe to say that Gregor would not be making more babies anytime soon. The mage had caught on after countless attacks to his manhood, and now donned a silver codpiece and an overly arrogant attitude. I pushed myself from the ground and bent my knees, taking a fighting stance.

“Don’t be so full of yourself, Gregor. There is always a way, and I do have magic to fall back on.”

Gregor’s eyes widened, and one hand swiftly moved to cover the codpiece. “You wouldn’t.”

I raised a brow and lifted my hand, intent lighting my eyes, though I had no plans to use magic. My win would be cemented without those skills, fair and square, achieved through psychological warfare.

Gregor stilled at the look in my eyes and dropped his staff to shield the area of my feigned intent, making it clear that I had scarred him for life. I dove for the area, wooden sword in hand, then dropped the weapon at the last minute, using his momentary distraction to dig my fingers into the pressure point at his neck. My fingers struck true, and he dropped to the ground.

I blinked at him for a moment, filled with disbelief and completely aghast that I had finally managed to knock him out. Countless months spent attempting to drive him to the ground, most of them using the same, repeated process, and I’d finally done it.

It was that easy.

I cheered with excitement, and the trainees of the sandpit momentarily halted. “I did it! I finally did it!”

My success was followed with a small jig performed in celebration of myself. Modesty be damned—I finally won. But when I glanced to the side at Eulalia and Gabriella, they did not join in my celebration. Eulalia scrubbed a hand down her face while Gabriella shouted, “Behind you!”

My legs were soon swiped out from under me, the back of my head slammed against the ground. The sand slightly cushioned the fall, but not enough to soften the flashing pain that rattled my skull. I groaned and pressed my hands firmly to the sides of my head, blocking out any outside noises. Maybe my win should have been handled with a small fraction of humility.

When the ringing in my ears subsided, I pushed myself onto my elbows and gazed around the sandpit, expecting the standard hazing. But there was no gloating, nor laughter—only deafening silence and the kneeled forms of mages and a handful of witches. I looked to Gregor as he crouched with one knee to the ground and a bowed head.

I’d completely missed their arrival. Kieran, Fin, Redmond, and Ryken. The air knocked from my lungs as I pushed myself up and dusted the sand from my leathers. Fin already had his arm wrapped around Eulalia, and Gabriella stood at Kieran’s side, awkward and fumbling. Ryken and Redmond stood at the middle of the group, both finding humor at my haggard state.

I didn’t move until the mages rose, and when they finally did, I bolted towards the group, wind pushing at my back. I didn’t know what I was doing. Ryken and I weren’t in a place in our relationship that called for a gleeful embrace. I slid to a screeching stop in front of him, my breathing coming out in quick little bursts. We locked eyes for a moment, both of us frozen with shock or fear or regret—I wasn’t sure which.

Then, I was tackled, my stomach flipping at the sudden blow. A bony body slammed into mine, grabbing ahold of my arms and twisting me around before I hit the ground. Redmond’s arms wrapped around me, dragging me into a tight embrace that lifted my feet from the ground.

Laughter, honest to goodness gut twisting laughter, wracked my body at Redmond’s maneuver, and I squeezed him back, smelling the odd scent of him, a mixture of chemicals and earth. His behavior was childish for such a mature man, but I knew why he did it: to ease the tension between Ryken and I.

“I missed you,” he whispered. “Are you still upset with me?”

“No,” I answered, breathing into his shoulder.

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