Page 190 of Fated to be Enemies

“You do have a sword.” He tossed the belt at me and grabbed my hand, placing the sword into my palm. “This one. It’s yours.”

I must have misunderstood him. “This has a snowflake decoration.”

“And I’m giving it to you. We’re allies, and no, there’s nothing wrong with it.” He winked as if that explained everything. “Come on. Time to train.”

He moved to the center of the room and lifted his sword. “Let’s fight.”

After fastening the belt, I followed suit, hoping like hell I wasn’t falling into a trap. I never knew with him. “We don’t have armor.”

“You won’t get me. You’ll see. And I won’t strike you. I need you to get comfortable with the weapon first. Lift your sword and wield it like a dagger. The moves still work, but you’ll need to adjust to the longer blade.” He readied, waiting for me to engage.

I readied myself and lunged. I jerked forward, aiming the edge of the blade at his shoulder. The motion was bumpy and not even, as the sword was heavier than my dagger. He countered, knocking the sword out of my hand, and the weapon clanged on the floor.

Gritting my teeth, I retrieved it, watching him.

“Again.” He raised his sword again.

Determined to get one good strike in, I slashed downward, aiming for his side. He pivoted, and my sword caught only air. I stumbled forward. I managed to catch myself and spin back toward him, striking again.

I tried, time after time, my body slick with sweat. No matter what I did, he managed to counter, and my competitive side hated that I couldn’t get a lick in.

Time seemed to go still as I attacked him again and again. The awkwardness between us was gone, and fighting with him felt natural. When I lunged at him and he swatted the blade away, the impact forcing my arm across my body, I glanced outside and noticed that the sky was dark, but I focused back on him and swung again.

Our swords clashed for once at a standstill. My heart leaped—maybe I’d finally get a strike in. I didn’t want to make him bleed, but I wanted to feel as if I had the upper hand. I moved my sword to the side and up, then swiped down when he moved his to the side. When I thrust down to catch the edge of his chest, he spun away, grabbed my wrist, and placed the sword to my neck.

He’d won.

That made my blood boil, and I took a step back. “You couldn’t even pretend to let me get one hit in?” We’d been at this all fucking day, and he’d deflected me every damn time. I hadn’t gotten close once.

A crooked grin stretched across his face as he lowered his sword. “Princess, what good would that accomplish? It would give you a false sense of how far you’d come.”

I hated that he was right. I sheathed my sword. “Confidence. And please, I haven’t improved at all.”

“You have.” He placed his sword at his waist. “You went from jabbing to swiping. You’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with your weapon. Tomorrow, you need to bring armor.”

A lump formed in my throat. “You think?”

“I do. You’re a natural and a fast learner.”

I hated that his praise had me standing taller. I cleared my throat, needing to get out of here before I did something foolish. “Isn’t it time to eat?”

“Yes, it is. Everyone should already be down there. Why don’t you go first? I’ll get my coat back on and head down a few minutes after you.”

“Good idea.” I removed the belt and handed it to him. It wasn’t as if I could go down there with it on me. “Do you mind if I wash off quickly?” I didn’t want to have dinner drenched in sweat. I at least wanted to dab myself clean.

He gestured to the door next to the dresser. “Of course.”

Hurrying into the bathroom, I took in the charcoal walls and tub that looked carved out of frosted ice. I walked around the tub to the white sink and turned on the water. Next to the sink was a rack of gray towels, and I took one and dabbed it in the water. I wiped off my face and chest, the water rejuvenating me. I didn’t know how water worked here, but it was magic.

I finished and set the towel on the sink, then went back into the bedroom to find him slipping on his black jacket.

I already missed seeing him in only the shirt, sleeves rolled up. He looked like a different person. With his entire suit on, he screamed sexy, dangerous Winter King once more.

I licked my lips. “I’ll see you down there,” I murmured as I slipped out his door.

Tiptoeing down the hallway, I heard voices in the entry hall drifting up the stairs, so I paused.

“That’s what I’m saying,” Curry murmured, but since he was the only one talking in the large room, I could make out every word. “We need to agree to this.”

---