Page 18 of Hellbound

And you said you were ready for this challenge. Vornaya’s saccharine voice barbed her.

“She’s for the festivities.” Varka waved dismissively. “Thought I’d try to earn back some goodwill with our dear king this year.”

His eyes narrowed, assessing Ksenia. “An entrant to the festivities attacking me on sight?” His lip curled. “Interesting strategy. What are you playing at, Varka?”

“Need I explain more?” Varka’s smile cut like a knife. “I saw potential, thought I’d test it against a formidable opponent.” She glanced at Ksenia over her shoulder, one brow raised in warning. “She’s got fire, if not sense.”

“This one won’t make it,” Bohdan corrected.

“Fuck you—” Ksenia lunged, proving Varka’s point perfectly.

Varka hooked her arm and clamped a gruff hand over her mouth, yanking Ksenia back. “Easy, there.”

Ksenia stilled at the warning in her low voice.

Then louder—to Bohdan—she said, “We’ll see, won’t we? The festival will prove which of us is right.”

He straightened his cloak, relishing the fury in Ksenia’s face a moment longer. “Charge or not, I will kill her the next time she steps out of line.”

“Of course, Captain,” Varka said smoothly, dipping her chin as Bohdan slunk down the pathway.

Once he was out of earshot, Varka turned sharply.

“What do you think you’re doing? Targeting a man in broad daylight? And not just any man.” Varka shoved her back a step, eyes narrowed. “The prince, bastard as he may be, has been trained by the best fighters in two kingdoms. You must have a death wish.”

Ksenia snorted, but she continued, undeterred. “And it doesn’t matter if you have a soulbound blade like that—it’ll just bring you to the executioner sooner.”

Ksenia glared. “What difference does it make.” Her near-death experience had loosened her tongue.

Varka frowned, confused, and Ksenia took the opening, lunging forward.

Varka turned away at the last second and raised her brow as she crowded her space, sizing her up.

Ksenia growled, leaning in with a quick slash, missing. Varka spun on her heel and was at her side in the blink of an eye.

She grasped Ksenia’s arm and forced her momentum forward, disarming her in one fluid motion.

Pain and searing heat burst behind Ksenia’s eyes as humiliation branded itself in her gut.

Disappointing.

Ksenia’s red-rimmed stare pierced Varka, and she imagined how she looked: rage lining her body, sweat on her face, murderous contempt in her golden orbs.

“You really are mad, you know that?”

Ksenia let the words wash over her, lunging for Caromir—anything to stop the blazing poker needling her skull.

Varka calmly tossed it, and instant relief flooded her when she caught it, restoring equilibrium.

“Interesting words for a law-abiding citizen. I made up that excuse I gave Bohdan, but perhaps it isn’t as outlandish as I thought.”

The adrenaline-induced fog was lifting in Ksenia’s mind. “What are you talking about?”

“The festivities. Have you ever even heard of the Sevrant trials?”

Ksenia kept the wicked point of her blade trained on Varka. “No.”

“Odd behavior toward someone who just saved your life.” She sniffed. “Especially considering I didn’t kill you just now for attacking me.”