AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nylah’s eyes glittered. “Ren and I are both five hundred years old.”
I gasped. I knew the Fae grew much older than humans, but fivehundred?
“I’m twenty-one,” I said meekly.
She smiled. “It doesn’t matter how many years you have. It matters what you do with them. Some Fae can live a millennium and have nothing to show for it.”
I blinked at her. A millennium? Really?
“What I mean to say,” Nylah went on, picking up where I’d interrupted her. “Ren and I spent a lot of time together over the years, but that doesn’t mean it’s what it takes to forge a friendship. You have a friend in me, Ellie.”
“You see me as a friend?” I asked, surprised.
She nodded. “Of course.”
I already felt more welcome and wanted than anywhere else in my life, no matter how long I’d been there.
Was it crazy to see this place as home?
11
It was a week later when I stepped into the arena, and I expected to see Nylah. She had been training me in the mornings along with Dex.
Instead of Nylah meeting me, King Rainier stood in the arena, upright and proud. He wore training leather, much like what Dex usually wore, but golden thread created an intricate embroidered design on his chest and sleeves. His dark hair, usually neat, was messy, as if he’d spent his time pushing his hands into it. I wanted to touch it, to push my hands into it, too, to see what it felt like.
“Your Highness,” I said with an awkward curtsy. He smirked when I did, and I felt silly. “Is everything okay?”
He nodded. “Perfectly fine. Nylah had to take care of business, so I’m going to train you for the day.”
I stared at him. TheKingwas going to train me?
“Don’t look so shocked,” he said. “I was here once, too, you know. Dex and I trained side by side.”
Of course, that had been centuries ago, but that was true. I had to remember that despite being a powerful ruler, he must have started somewhere. Although, he had magic, so he would always be more powerful than me.
“Let’s get to training,” he said.
Without warning, he spun around and threw magic my way. It came out of the blue, but I did what Nylah had taught me. I sank into my center, turning my focus inward.
King Rainier’s power was much stronger than what Nylah had been using on me, and fighting it wasn’t easy. But I did it—the power bounced off me after fighting to get through my block.
When I looked up, the King looked impressed.
“You’re stronger than you look.”
“I’ve been practicing.”
I did what Nylah had suggested. Every night before bed, I meditated and practiced focusing, finding my center, and keeping my focus there, even when I had my eyes open and did other things. Like brushing my hair or my teeth.
The King attacked again. This time, the power was almost too much to handle. I deflected it, but he attacked at the same time. He spun around, lifting his leg to place a kick in my gut. I blocked that, although it was clumsy. When he hit me, I blocked the blow and countered.
He was holding back. He had a lot more in him, but I was proud of what I’d done. This was the first time I’d had to face magic and physical attacks at once. I’d worked on blocking magic with Nylah and fighting with Dex, but never together.
“You’re getting there,” the King said, nodding. “I’m pleased.”
“Thank you.” I beamed, pleased with myself.
The King attacked again, and again, and again. It turned out he was a tougher trainer than Dex. He was hard on me, insisting I push myself harder, faster.
