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“You wanted me to climb this thing so bad, yeah? Well, you got what you demanded.”
“And now you’re trying my patience. Get down.”
“I’ll catch you later, Tal.” His friend laughed. “Good luck with that one.”
Talon ignored him and started after me. “Impossible, human. You have a death wish, don’t you?”
My palms stung from the bristly rope, but I kept climbing, kept pushing, and hoping my hands wouldn’t become slick again.
His fingers wrapped around my ankle—still raw from the metal cuffs—and I let out a yelp. The pain caused me to falter, and my other foot slipped, connecting with Talon’s face.
A growl rumbled from his chest, and he charged after me with swift ease, slipping an arm around my waist and pulling me back.
We fell toward the ground, the distance twice as high as when I fell earlier. We tumbled and turned, and he pulled me to him, twisting before we hit the ground.
Cushioning my fall, his body lay under me until the air returned to my lungs. A beat too long to notice the golden flakes in his green eyes.
I shook the fog from my head.
His hand slid off my back, releasing me, and I jumped away. Being in such a precarious position, being so close to him—against his hard body—disgusted me.
Talon stood up, straightening his leather breastplate. “You immature, foolish human. I have half the nerve to lock you back up in the dungeons for that stunt. Showing off in front of the other guards.” The veins in his neck bulged.
I clenched my fists. He had some nerve barking at me like I was scum. Treating me like swine. Screw him! I came here to help my mother—I wasn’t some criminal.
Before I could counter, he added, “Why did I bother with you? I should’ve let you fall to the ground and break your bones. Go back to your chambers and remain there for the rest of the day. I’m sick of looking at you.”
We silently battled it out before I turned on my heel, exiting the training room with a hundred different retorts on my tongue, but none of them came out. The only sign I felt anything at all was the sting of tears on my cheeks.
Talon Warwick—youngest guard in Faerway history—could go fuck himself.
I couldn’t move my arms. Like at all. They burned with even the smallest of twitches, making it next to impossible to pull on my nightgown. Which, unlike my training leathers, was baggy—borderline frumpy.
My body strained as I lay on the bed, screaming in protest.
I tucked my knees into the shirt. It didn’t take long before my eyelids grew heavy. It was everything I needed after training with that sadist of a fae. I couldn’t remember the last decent night of sleep I’d gotten.
“They let you out of the dungeon, I see,” a familiar voice squeaked.
I groaned, rolling onto my other side to see Pipion lying on my pillow. “Yeah, only to put me in another prison.”
Her nose twitched. “At least you smell better.”
“Thanks. I could finally take a bath and get the nasty river water off me. Although, I swear I still smell like sewage.” Bringing a strand of hair to my nose, I took a sniff to double-check, but only the residual scent of soap and something earthy remained.
“I heard you almost didn’t place at assessments yesterday. This surprises me.”
“Why does that surprise you? Have you seen my ankles? They barely support me. Some of those other competitors look like they lift weights for fun. I got lucky. I don’t know how I’ll make it through the trials.”
Saying it out loud made my insides crawl.
To think I’d believed getting across the river was going to be the most troublesome part about getting the nightingale. I hadn’t had time to process everything that followed. Getting attacked, being imprisoned, talking animals, arrogant fae. Hadn’t stopped to think about my mother or how she was doing. I’d become too focused on surviving. Too focused on my selfish mistakes.
Pipion scratched behind her ear. “I was told Sir Warwick volunteered to train you as well. Is this true?”
“Yeah, lucky me.”
“Curious. Warwick has never taken part in these trials. Some say it’s to spite the king.” Her brown and white fluffy tail fanned the pillow, deep in thought. “This is very curious. The power. You’ll be undefeated. Whatever the case, what’s your plan?”
