by Emma Harley
Raina slapped Kalen’s hand away as he kneeled beside her, turning her head and vomiting blood onto the floor. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and glared at the Fae males.
“I will never forgive any of you for this,” she growled, wrenching away from Kalen’s grip as he helped her to her wobbly knees. Logan’s face didn’t change as he spoke to her.
“You will get over the effects quite quickly, you haven’t been a Fae for long. Now you have no more abilities than what you had as a human, provided you keep those cuffs on.” Her canines flashed as she lunged at Logan, only to find her face slammed against a dresser and her arm twisted behind her back. Pain spiderwebbed along her jaw and her eyesight spotted as Logan shoved her roughly towards her bed.
“I would advise keeping your temper Your Highness, you would barely be a match for a human male in this state,” he stated dully, fixing his jacket collar into place. Taranis stepped in front of Logan and growled.
“You would do well to have more respect for the princess, Captain. I don’t blame her for not reciprocating your feelings if this is the attitude you have to merely being rejected.” Logan snarled, squaring off against the general before the king interrupted.
“Enough, both of you step down and control yourselves,” he ordered, a slight hint of exasperation in his voice. The king turned to Raina, his eyes softening.
“These are temporary. If you are in fact a berserker, then you are more dangerous than we could have imagined you to be,” he explained gently, “I am not going to stop you carrying out your mission, but I am going to ensure that you have sufficient training in case your magic fails.”
Raina’s glare didn’t lessen as the king gestured to Taranis.
“You will keep the cuffs on until the last moment, the general has already agreed that he will train you to use a sword. The cuffs will stop your magic running wild when your temper inevitably peaks, preventing anyone losing a limb. Allow us to train you, and you can go battle the god when you are ready.”
Raina’s shock made her mouth fall into an ‘o’.
“It’s about time you made a good decision. You aren’t going to make me bring them along are you?” she sneered. A trickle of blood ran from her nose onto her lips, the metallic taste making her cringe. Alexei quickly pushed the worry from his face and cleared his throat. “That will be non-negotiable. You will be escorted with a team. Stronger beings than you have faced this god and lost, what you are planning is a death sentence. I am simply standing aside because I sincerely hope you will change your mind before you carry out such a foolish plan,” he stated, sweeping his crown off his hair and running a hand through his thick red curls.
“Fine,” Raina snapped, “anything else I should know?” The king puffed his chest out slightly as his eyes fixed on hers.
“I hope you win. I would like to get to know my daughter and not have her taken from me once again,” he said quietly. The room stilled, and Raina’s expression remained cold.
“That’s not my problem. If I win, you can have as many children as you like with Aija, I will not be returning here.” The commanding tone in her voice made it clear she was finished talking. The king nodded slowly and stalked out, his face unfazed by her remarks. Taranis grinned, reminding her of a wolf about to devour their prey.
“Get some sleep Your Highness, training starts at first light.” He followed after the king, Logan and Kalen shadowing him. Raina flopped onto her bed and her eyes were drawn to a peculiar clock-like mechanism above her dresser. Two glass orbs, one a deep red and the other a sparkling citrine, orbited a pointed gold shaft, casting a long shadow onto strange runes. She glanced through the open doors to her balcony, hearing a muffled discussion between the guards underneath as she gazed into the darkened sky.
Stars littered the atmosphere like diamonds, twinkling and sparkling among twisting wisps of glowing pinks and lilacs. Three moons pierced through the dusk, two a soft yellow, the third a deep ruby, glowing as though it were on fire. As Raina stared, she could have sworn the red moon was shimmering almost.
She kicked off her boots and dragged on some pyjamas, desperate for sleep to consume her.
∞∞∞
“Rise and shine Your Highness,” a cheery voice pierced through her groggy veil of sleep. Raina peeked an eye open, glaring at the rosy-faced maid who bustled into her bedroom with an armful of clothing. She grumbled and pulled the blankets over her head, only to have them yanked back.
“Now now, you have training today. You would do yourself many favours if General Taranis did not have to come looking for you,” she chirped, setting out a collection of loose fitting clothes, “You can choose what you prefer from these outfits. They are going to get all muddied up in that training field anyway.”
Raina swung her legs onto the cold floor and padded towards her bags.
“I have training clothes already, you can keep that crap,” she grumbling, fishing out her cropped sports top and leggings. The leggings were specially designed by the military, flexible and comfortable, but slash proof. Her sports top left little to the imagination, but it stopped her breasts bouncing painfully while she trained. The long scar across her abdomen was visible, as well as two smaller scars under her ribs. The triple rose tattoo she had gotten on her waist encompassed the length of skin showing on that side, and she quietly hoped that it wouldn’t get ruined by an ugly scar.
Raina brushed out her hair before wrapping it in a tight plait. Swordfighting shouldn’t be too difficult. Army grunts had to learn how to use various weapons to cover all possibilities, and despite never learning with swords, she had easily grown accustomed to using a staff. She wrenched open her door to find Taranis sitting, a smug grin across his cocky face. Logan was leaning on the wall beside him, in what she only assumed could be their training gear. “That’s what you train in?” she sneered, eyeing the tight shorts that accented everything underneath. Taranis looked blank.
“I suppose you want us to wear whatever that is you’re wearing?” he queried, almost sounding innocent if it wasn’t for the cocky expression. Raina rolled her eyes and walked past him.
“Don’t blame me if I cut your balls off then,” she sighed, aware that they had both started following her, “where do I go for training then?” Logan pointed to the dining hall.
“You’ll need breakfast first. And don’t argue.”
He stormed ahead and she followed him grumpily. The squad sat dreary eyed, with the king and queen beside them. Several tables filled with other grunts eyed her curiously as she stalked past, grabbing an apple. The monarchs looked at her wide eyed.
“Raina what on earth are you wearing?” the queen asked, aghast, “and what is that on your waist?” Raina grabbed an apple.
“This is my training gear, and this is a tattoo. Everything else is scars.” She bit down with a loud crunch and plopped into a chair. No one on the squad even bothered to look at her until the heavy cuffs clinked against the silver plate.
“Is it necessary for me to have these dead weights on my wrists if I have to learn swordfighting?” Raina fumed, tapping a finger against one, “it’s just getting in my way.” Aija dropped her head to her plate and Alexei smirked.
“Yes it is necessary. Unfortunately since they are anti-magic, we can’t cast a spell to make them lighter. You may just have to learn with them on,” he demanded. Raina grumbled and grimaced at a glass of incredibly sweet juice, opting for iced water instead. The queen glanced back at her.
“You will need to eat more to gain weight, you are incredibly gaunt for a female your age,” she offered gently. Raina gulped down the glass and ignored the comment, slapping two bits of meat between buttered bread after picking off the fatty rinds. Taranis pointed his fork at the discarded rinds and frowned.
“You will need the fat girl. Don’t think I’ll be going easy on you because you’re a princess,” he ordered, wolfing down mounds of meat and eggs. Raina scowled at him.
“I am a general, not a princess,�
�� she snapped through her mouthful. Taranis only smirked, ignoring Logan’s warning looks.
“I’ll make you a deal little one, if you manage to knock me on my feet, I’ll refer to you solely as General Phoenix. If you fail, I’ll call you whatever I want,” he offered, his smug expression boring into her as she felt the attention shift to them. Raina didn’t smile back. “That seems unlikely since I’m no better than a human with these cuffs, maybe you should have a handicap too.” Taranis smirked. “You’re the one wanting to live as a human again. Why would I soften the blows for you? This is what you pride yourself on being is it not?”
Raina felt the first flicker of rage burning through her chest, melting the numbing feeling she had felt since yesterday. She took a deep breath to calm herself, steeling her expression to look thoughtful.
“Fine. And if I win, I get to run a sword through your leg, just for fun.” Taranis turned to Logan.
“Bit stabby this one, isn’t she?”
Raina waited until the males had guzzled down their breakfast and followed the crowd out to the training fields behind the castle. She noticed the squad had followed too, keeping well away from her. Loud whispers went throughout the crowd as she followed their gaze to see the king, standing watch with the male she had met last night, Raubyn’s father. Alexei swept down to the crowd, holding something long wrapped in silks and they all bowed low, except Raina. He unsheathed a sword with a whine and handed it to her.
“This was always supposed to be yours. If you’re going to learn how to wield one you may as well learn with this.”
Raina gripped the sparkling gold hilt, before noticing it was designed like a golden phoenix with rubies for eyes and the swirling tail feathers wrapping around the base of the blade. She silently nodded as he handed her the sheath and belt, ignoring the whispers as he walked away. Logan began barking orders at the guards as Taranis handed her a wooden sword.
“We’ll be practising with these. I don’t fancy having my balls cut off if you lose,” he jeered. Raina remained silent as she set the king’s sword down beside his, brushing a lose strand of hair behind her ear.
Taranis gave no warning as he lunged, swiping and swinging with unrelenting skill. Raina parried and blocked as many blows as she could, each missing swing earning her a strike on the knuckles. He was faster than any of the human soldiers she had ever trained with, his blows were so quick she had no option to even land an attack. Manoeuvring her sword around his own, she twisted around and slapped her sword against his back, using the split second of surprise to launch her own flurry of attacks. He deflected with ease, his smug grin infuriating her.
“If I go any softer on you I’ll be standing still,” he yawned, his eyes narrowing as her own flashed with ire.
Raina felt the cuffs pressing down harder as a small worm of magic attempted to wriggle free. She pushed, striking and swinging with all her might as the tiny tendril wriggled relentlessly to her fingertips against her will. The general’s eyes went wide as her speed increased, his grin widening. Raina gritted her teeth as a ribbon of fire slithered around her sword like a blazing snake, and she slapped the sword from the general’s hand with a sickening clap. She lunged, but smirked as she feinted with a graceful twist under his outstretched arm and barrel rolled into his legs. Taranis landed on his knee with a thud and Raina touched the sword to his head, panting heavily.
“I win.”
He smirked and stood, dusting himself off.
“This is a bad time to tell you that I let you. Use of magic is banned during sword training. You need to learn how to wield a weapon since your powers are uncontrollable and cannot be relied upon. Now fix yourself up and begin again.” Raina raised a finger.
“You didn’t state terms, you only said if I knocked you off your feet. You didn’t say how.” Taranis shrugged.
“I’ll give you that, but your movements were sloppy. Poor footwork, and your parries were pathetic. If you’re blocking a blow use the flat side of your sword or your blade will be dull. And keep your feet apart, I’m too tempted to reach out and push you over.”
Raina scowled and shuffled her feet in the dirt to copy the general. Training dragged through the morning, and only ended when Logan sent everyone to the showers before lunch.
A vast majority of the males had ditched their shirts in the burning glare of the sun, Logan and Taranis were no exception. Sweat gleaming on their muscled torsos, they leaned against the wall and gulped down bottles of water. They were jarringly similar in appearance when standing side by side. The silver and gold eyes marking the largest difference between the pair. Raina did a double take as she stormed past them, even their unimpressed expressions were strikingly similar. A variety of scars and tattoos peppered their tanned muscles, the general had large black tattoos encompassing his entire left arm, halting mere inches away from his wrist.
Kalen had kindly formed a block of ice to keep the water cool while they trained. Raina reserved her dignity and ignored all thoughts of sticking her tongue to the block, instead dropping to her knees and pressing her clammy forehead against it. Elias grinned and tossed her a bottle.
“How was your first lesson?” he jeered, his black hair plastered to his forehead. Raina shrugged and tore her eyes away from his muscled back, which was covered from neck to waist in tattoos. Alicia jogged over from where she had been sparring to grab a bottle of water, the boys following warily after her. The king had offered training to the squad as well, and they were all too eager to take part. Sweat was beading down Raina’s face and she was desperate to get into a shower. Sitting under a blazing sun with a group of sweaty, topless men and Fae was doing nothing to help her mood. The silence was awkwardly stifling until JJ spoke up.
“How are you feeling today Phoenix?” he asked quietly. Raina cocked her head slightly.
“No different. Could use a shower though,” she mumbled, wiping the dampness off her brow. Kalen chuckled and raised an eyebrow. A chilling wind breezed over them all, sending goosebumps down Raina’s arms and making her shiver. She chuckled lightly.
“Unexpected, but refreshing. Thank you,” she smiled softly. Elias’ eyes went wide and Taranis grinned.
“Looks like your emotions don’t stay away for long Your Highness.”
“What are you talking about,” Raina scowled. The general curled his lips and pointed his bottle at her.
“You can’t feel gratitude or feel like laughing if you have no emotions. They’re coming back slowly,” he explained. Raina rolled her eyes and stalked off.
“Have you felt anything else today?” Raina turned to see Alicia facing her, a mixture of worry and disdain on her face. Raina paused for a moment, her eyes falling on the wooden swords as she grabbed the sword the king had let her borrow.
“Rage.”
She sauntered off with a wave of her hand, unable to shake the image of everyone’s pitiful expressions as she made her way up to her room to shower. The heat was soothing against her straining muscles as she stood under the jets, her mind flashing back to when Logan stripped her off and washed her under the shower before forcing her to eat. Raina wrapped her hair and a towel and dried off before slipping into a pair of shorts and a crop top.
The tattoo on her thigh was stark against her pale skin, a thin circle, crescent moon and a star interlinked with tiny beads and droplet jewels. She smiled softly at it in the mirror despite the clawing in her chest, her own little tribute to her mother.
Stomach growling, Raina sped down the stairs to the dining room and piled her plate, scowling at the smiles and indiscreet glances between the others. After finishing, she mumbled a hasty excuse and rushed off.
Past the training fields lay running tracks and a large expanse of woodland, exactly what Raina was looking for. Skimming through the boxes of training equipment, she strapped her hands in thick wraps. She jogged quickly to the edge, the soft grassy ground putting some spring in her step as her eyes narrowed and she took off running with preternatural sp
eed.
Dodging between trees and leaping over twisted roots was exhilarating. The forest seemed to shift out of her way, her body avoiding every danger and obstacle with ease as she flew over the knotted ground. Raina slowed as she approached a lake, scattering tiny pebbles and twigs into the water as she skid to a halt. The sun was beating down now, castling sparkling light over the water like waves of crushed diamond.
Raina hoisted herself up over huge boulders before perching atop the highest slab. The sun scalded her cheeks, soothed only by the small lick of cooling wind that brushed by occasionally. The water was so unnaturally clear. Nowhere in the human world would have lakes like this, they were clouded and brown usually. This one was a beautiful aquamarine pool, as clear as cut crystal. Raina could even spot colourful creatures looping around tiny little plants in the lake bed. She pulled off her shoes and socks and sat them neatly atop a rock before slipping down with a splash. The water was cool, but still quite warm thanks to the blazing heat of the sun.
Digging her toes into the sandy bed, she giggled softly as she spotted an odd looking crab sidle away from her, furiously clicking its claws as though she had disturbed his sleep.
“Well don’t you look radiant when you smile.”
Raina jumped, instinctually reaching for a gun that wasn’t there as Taranis smirked at her from the rock pile.
“Are you following me?” she snapped, slapping away his hand as he offered to pull her up. She leapt onto the rocks with feline grace, ignoring the infuriating grin on the general’s face.
“I did tell your parents I would keep an eye on you. And seeing a flighty little princess rush off into the forest is a good reason to follow her,” he chuckled, skimming a pebble off the glassy lake surface. Raina slipped her shoes on and looked down at the lake. “You have to stop calling me a princess.”
Taranis raised an eyebrow, skimming another pebble into the water. “That’s what you are Your Highness. What else do you expect me to call you?” Raina sighed, knowing exactly what he was prodding at.