by Karen Lynch
I turned my head to look at him. “And it’s available to everyone at court?”
Faris laughed and shook his head. “I doubt most people here even know where to find it. We don’t need to exercise to keep fit like humans do. Some of us train to serve the crown and others because they have roles that could put them in danger.”
“Like Lukas?”
“Yes. He has trained alongside us since we were children. After Faolin, he is the most skilled fighter in Unseelie,” Faris said, his voice full of pride.
The lift stopped, and we got off. Faris led me down a hallway I hadn’t used yet, and we came to a set of rough-hewn wooden doors that reminded me of something from a medieval castle. The whole ground level had that feel, now that I thought about it, and I kind of liked it. It was as if we had gone back in time.
He opened one of the doors and waved me into a windowless room that had to be as big as the gymnasium at my old high school. The walls and ceiling were rough stone, and the floor was covered in gray padding.
On every wall were racks of weapons used for hand-to-hand combat, and a thrill of excitement and fear went through me at the sight of them. None of my previous training had involved weapons, and I was eager to start.
The room was occupied by at least thirty people, who mostly ignored us as they trained alone or in pairs. Two females sparred with swords, their movements so fluid and powerful they would make a samurai jealous. I wondered if I would be that good someday.
We kicked off our shoes at the door and crossed the room to where Faolin was moving through the steps of an intricate staff routine. I’d seen him use a staff at Lukas’s place in New York, but it was clear that he’d been holding back. I’d never seen anyone move so fast or with such precision, and trying to follow his movements made me a little dizzy.
Faolin ended the routine abruptly, facing us. “Today, you start weapons training. We will begin with the staff.”
“Good morning to you too,” I said dryly.
His sharp eyes skimmed me, taking in my blue T-shirt, black leggings, and my hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. It was the same basic outfit I’d worn for our training back home.
“Good morning. I trust you are well rested despite your early rise,” he replied with a trace of mockery.
Faris snickered softly beside me, and I huffed out a breath. I should have known Conlan would blab to the others.
Faolin picked up a wooden staff leaning against the wall and handed it to me. I stood it on end, noticing it was shorter than the one he used and had no metal on the tips.
“This is a training staff,” he informed me. “You will use it until you are proficient enough to handle a combat staff.”
I hefted the weapon. “Okay. Where do we start?”
“First, you will learn how to stand and hold it properly. There are different holds, but this is the one you will begin with.” He repositioned my hands on the center third of the staff. Then he demonstrated the various stances and showed me which one to use now.
“We will begin with basic strikes and blocks so you can get used to the feel of the weapon. Once you can execute all the strikes, you will learn how to use them together. After that, you can practice sparring with a partner.”
“How long will it take to get to sparring?” I asked.
He walked over to pick up his own staff. “That depends on you.”
And so began my first training session with the staff. Faolin demonstrated a strike, and I had to ask him to slow it down and repeat it several times. Then I tried it, and he corrected my position and follow-through. It was tedious work, and he was critical of every move I made, but I was rewarded with a thrill of satisfaction whenever he gave a curt nod of approval and switched to the next strike.
As I got more comfortable with the staff, I noticed how much better my balance and agility were. Some of it was because I was Fae, but I suspected part of it was due to my months of training with Faolin and the others. It was good to know all that running up and down stairs hadn’t been for nothing.
After two hours of barking orders at me, Faolin had to leave. He told me to continue practicing for at least another hour today, and we would pick up where we left off tomorrow. My arms and shoulders were tired, but I kept at it, determined to master the strikes he’d taught me so far.
“You are a natural with the staff,” said one of a group of female guards who had been training across the room from me. “It took me days to execute one strike to my trainer’s satisfaction.”
I stopped practicing to face her. She had black hair and a friendly smile, something I wasn’t used to seeing on the females at court. There was something vaguely familiar about her, but I couldn’t recall seeing her among the guards on duty.
I grimaced. “I don’t suppose your trainer was Faolin?”
The guard laughed. “Goddess, no. You are braver than most of us.”
“Or I’m not as smart as the rest of you.”
The other females joined in laughing, and I took a moment to check out their outfits. They wore fitted black pants and black tops with a laced bodice and thin sleeves. Their feet were bare, and there was a pile of black boots nearby.
“It is good that you don’t fear him,” said a blonde guard. “If you survive training under him, you will be a fierce warrior someday.”
Me, a warrior? I liked the sound of that.
“I like your hair,” the brunette said. “I have never seen a color like that.”
“I guess you’ve never been to my realm. It’s common there, especially in certain parts of the world.”
She shook her head dejectedly. “I hope to go someday.”
I waved a hand at their outfits. “I like those clothes. They look a lot more comfortable than the normal court clothes.”
“You don’t like your clothes?” she asked.
“They’re nice,” I rushed to say, not wanting to insult the court fashions. “It’s just that I’m used to more casual clothes. I always feel overdressed here.”
The guards chuckled, and the first one said, “I will send my personal tailor to you. She makes all of our clothes.”
“That would be great. Thanks.” I stepped forward. “I’m sorry. I haven’t even introduced myself.”
She met me halfway, her eyes sparkling with laughter. “Oh, I know who you are, Jesse James. I’ve heard so much about you from my brother.”
“Your brother?”
“Vaerik.” She gave me a wide smile. “I am Roswen. I had hoped to meet you last night, but it seems a drakkan had other plans for you.”
“Princess Roswen,” I stammered. I stared at her like an idiot because I had no clue how you were supposed to greet a member of the royal family outside of social settings.
“Please, call me Roswen,” she said. “After hearing Vaerik’s stories about you, I already feel like we are friends.”
“Okay,” I replied slowly, wondering what exactly Lukas had told her. “I’d like that.”
She beamed as if I’d handed her a gift. I hadn’t been sure what to expect when I met Lukas’s sister, but it wasn’t this friendly, down-to-earth girl who trained like one of the guards.
“These are my personal guards and best friends.” Roswen pointed to her four companions, starting with the blonde. “Parisa, Tiannan, Cyrene, and Ellette. Parisa is head of my security, but she’s nice and not nearly as scary as Faolin.”
“Not unless I need to be.” The blonde gave me a pretend snarl that made them all smile.
I smiled back, hoping I would remember their names. “Hi.”
“Now that we are friends, we want to hear all about your adventure.” Roswen took my hand and tugged me down to sit on the floor with her. The others followed suit, and they all listened raptly as I explained how I’d rescued Gus in New York and had to send him back to Faerie. Then I told them about my reunion with him yesterday.
“The whole court thought you were gone for good,” Roswen said, and the others nodded. “Nothing lik
e that has ever happened before.”
I made a face. “For a while, I thought I was a goner, too.”
Ellette leaned in. “You made quite the entrance upon your return. Rashari and Delphine will not soon forget it.”
“Why?” I asked over their laughter. I’d never heard of Delphine, and I assumed Rashari was the same one I’d met.
“Because your drakkan knocked them into the lake,” Tiannan said gleefully. “Goddess, I wish I had been there to witness it. I heard they came out covered in slimy mud.”
Parisa scowled. “It’s past time someone dunked the pair of them. Goddess help us if either of them is chosen as Vaerik’s consort.”
“Or Dariyah,” Cyrene piped in. “She is the worst of them all.”
It felt like someone had punched me in the gut. Was it common knowledge and expected that Lukas would take one of his father’s acceptable matches as his mate and consort?
“Vaerik is too smart to not see them for what they are, and he will not choose someone to please our father,” Roswen declared. She looked at me. “Only a strong, selfless female with a kind heart could win my brother’s devotion.”
I smiled at her obvious attempt to reassure me, but I couldn’t dispel the tiny knot of insecurity that had settled in my stomach. Lukas cared about me, and the way he kissed me left no doubt he was attracted to me. But we’d never talked about our feelings for each other. Was that because he knew there could be nothing more between us, and he didn’t want to hurt me?
A liveried male approached us, and Parisa immediately stood to face him. “Yes?” she asked him.
“Consort Maurelle wishes for Princess Roswen to ride with her this morning,” the male answered.
Roswen’s face lit up. “Tell her I will be there within the hour.”
“Yes, Princess.” The male bowed to her and left.
The rest of us stood, and Roswen turned to me. “Riding is one of my favorite pastimes. Do you ride?”
“No.” I thought about the huge majestic tarrans Conlan and the others had ridden when we went to town. “Not yet.”
“Then you must ask Vaerik to take you riding. It is so much fun, and he is a good teacher. He taught me to ride.” She retrieved her boots and pulled them on. “I am so happy I finally got to meet you, Jesse. Maybe we will see each other here tomorrow.”
“I’ll be here bright and early.” I picked up my practice staff. “As long as I don’t slip and clobber myself with this.”
Roswen laughed. “You won’t. I can already tell you’re a natural.”
She gave me a little wave and walked to the door with her guards. A wave of loneliness washed over me as I watched them leave, and I missed Violet so much it hurt. We’d never been apart this long, and I couldn’t even pick up a phone and call her.
Shaking off my melancholy, I went back to practicing with a vengeance. The sooner I learned to fight and defend myself, the sooner I could go home without fear of Davian and his goons. I gritted my teeth and repeated the strikes I’d learned over and over until not even Faolin would find fault with them.
* * *
A cool breeze tossed the hair that wasn’t clinging to my sweaty face as I walked past the siren’s lake toward the manicured grounds. I ignored the curious stares of the people around me because I was used to them by now. I would have thought they’d be used to seeing me too, but I’d underestimated the interest span of people with nothing to do.
The water splashed, and I stopped hoping to catch sight of the elusive sirens, but all I got was a glimpse of the tip of a silver tail. Damn, they were fast. I’d walked past the lake twice a day for a week, and I had yet to see one of them.
On my second day of staff training with Faolin, he’d told me about a low rise nearby that would be good for conditioning and building endurance. It was where he, Lukas, and the others had started before they began their real training. I’d asked him to show me where it was, and I’d burst out laughing at the steep rocky hill he called a rise.
My first attempt had me dragging my ass to the top where I’d needed time to recover before I went back down. The second day, I learned to pace myself better. I was now on day five, and I could finish the climb without feeling like I needed an oxygen mask.
The hill wasn’t the only challenge I’d thrown myself into. I trained on the staff for two hours every morning with Faolin or Faris. After that, I practiced alone for an hour, and my hard work had paid off. Within a few days, I’d advanced to sparring, which I enjoyed a lot more than going through the moves alone.
Most days, Roswen and her guards were in the training room, and we made time to chat. I liked all of them, and it felt good to be making friends here outside of Lukas and his men. They even took turns sparring with me, although they had to go easy on me. As the personal guard to the princess, Parisa and the others were among the top fighters in Unseelie, and Roswen was almost as good as them.
Feminine laughter drew my attention from the lake to the group of four people walking beside the lake toward me. My good mood dulled when I saw Rashari and another blonde I now recognized as her friend Delphine. They were accompanied by a dark-haired male I’d seen them with before and Sereia, the rude tailor who had made my first wardrobe here. Why was I not surprised to see her in the company of Rashari and her friends?
I thought about cutting across the grass to avoid them, but Rashari had already seen me. There was no way I was letting her think for a second that she had scared me off. I turned back to the lake and waited for the group to reach me.
“She looks positively wild,” Rashari said, and I heard the sneer in her voice. “Does she even bathe?”
“Careful. She might be feral,” Delphine quipped, and it was followed by titters.
Sereia spoke. “She won’t wear the clothes I made for her.” She lowered her voice but not enough that I couldn’t hear her. “And I heard she trains with the guards every day.”
Rashari scoffed. “What do you expect from someone so low-born? I still cannot believe she was given those quarters on our level. It is an affront to us all.”
I smiled at the water as I listened to them talk about me. It was no secret they disliked me and my friendship with Lukas, so none of what they said bothered me. They were speaking in Fae, which meant they probably didn’t mean for me to overhear their conversation. Only the people I spoke to often knew I was now fluent in the language.
Rashari switched to English as they drew near. “Hello, Jesse. Out for your daily trek in the wild?”
I faced them with my smile fixed in place and replied in English. “It’s very refreshing. You should try it.”
She looked down her perfect nose at me. “I have better ways to occupy my time.”
I knew how they spent their time. Except for those in service to the crown, most of the blue bloods living at court focused their time and energy on gaining or keeping favor with the royal family. It involved a lot of socializing, parties, and scheming, and it sounded like a miserable way to live.
I nodded. “It must take a lot of work to be as beautiful as you are.”
She smiled vainly until the double meaning of my words sank in. Then her eyes took on a satisfied gleam, and I knew what was coming next.
“I confess I do like to take a little extra time to prepare when I’m invited to dine with Prince Vaerik at the king’s table.” She cocked her head slightly to one side. “Twice since he’s returned to court.”
The barb hurt, but not as much as she intended. Roswen had complained yesterday about having to attend her father’s boring “matchmaking” dinners for Vaerik. I hadn’t been able to hide my reaction fast enough, and she’d hurried to say that Vaerik hated them even more than she did. According to her, the only people who truly enjoyed the parties were the females invited by the king to sit beside Vaerik.
Delphine slanted a dark look at her friend that told me she was a lot more upset by Rashari’s comments than I was. It made me wonder if they were real friends or two competitor
s keeping their enemies close.
“I can see why Prince Vaerik keeps her around,” said the male in Fae as he leered at me. “She’s different, and I bet she’s a fun plaything when she is clean.”
“More like a half-breed pet,” Rashari retorted in their language, and they all tittered. “She can’t even dress herself properly.”
“You don’t like my clothes?” I asked in Fae, taking delight in their shocked expressions. “Roswen sent me her personal tailor to make me the same outfits she and her guards wear. I think I look nice.”
None of them spoke. Sereia looked a little horrified. The male shifted uncomfortably. Rashari and Delphine seemed to be trying to figure out how to respond without inadvertently insulting the princess.
“But then,” I went on cheerfully, “maybe these clothes are not to your taste. I think I heard somewhere that lake slime is the newest fashion.”
Delphine sucked in a breath. Rashari’s eyes narrowed into slits, and she balled her hands into fists. I tensed in anticipation of an attack that never came.
“Jesse.”
The five of us turned to look at Lukas striding toward us. One glance at his serious expression made me forget all about the others. He was supposed to be in meetings with his father all morning, and his presence here could only mean one thing.
I brushed past Rashari and ran to him. “Something happened to my family. Are they okay?”
He placed his hands on my shoulders. “They’re okay. Your father sent word that your mother had a small setback, and he asked me to bring you to them.”
A setback? Fear churned my stomach. It had to be bad for Dad to send for me, and I knew the thing we’d worried about had happened.
Mom’s memory had returned.
Chapter 13
Dad was waiting for me when Lukas and I stepped out of the portal into the large living room of Lukas’s island house. The exhaustion stamped on my father’s face had me running into his arms. He enfolded me in a tight embrace for a long moment like he would never let me go.