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Chapter16
Kallie knelt in the forest,her hair disheveled, her clothes ill-fitting. The ride through the trees had warped her appearance. She no longer looked like the daughter of the legendary king of Ardentol, the ruler of the lands filled with diamonds.
And Kallie supposed she wasn't.
After Graeson had agreed to her plan, he let her dismount while he hid in the trees, watching. Waiting.
Soon, a single soldier broke through the trees. Upon seeing her, he pulled his horse to a stop mid-sprint, its front hooves rearing and kicking the air. The sight made her heart pump faster. And for once, she was thankful for being skittish of horses. The fear that shook her body was very much real, making her look like a damsel in need of rescuing.
When the soldier dismounted, he unsheathed his sword. She did not recognize the soldier, but she did recognize the crest embroidered on the sheath. The Ardentolian crest contained three mountain peaks split by a river. And even from her place on the ground, she knew the words lining the bottom:You must climb the mountain to rule the world.
She had lived by those words her entire life, and even with the confusion that now surrounded her upbringing, she still lived by them. Kallie's goal had not changed. Just the route she would take to achieve it.
When the soldier was no more than an arm's reach away, he stopped. He knelt, his breathing ragged, either from the ride or from the nerves spiking his body. From this distance, she noted the soft, boyish cheeks, the patches of stubble lining his jaw, the naivety shining in his gaze. He was a recent recruit to the Ardentolian military.
"My lady? Is that you?" He whispered as though she would fly off like a bird in the night.
Kallie feigned a sniffle and forced her body to shake while keeping her head down as she nodded.
"Princess?" He leaned forward. "Are you injured?" He extended his free hand. With smooth, shaky fingers he lifted her chin. When his eyes met hers, she laced her words with her gift.
Upon hearing the whispered command, the haze filled his gaze. Kallie smirked behind the shadow of her hair as the soldier's hand dropped. He stood. She hoped Graeson was still watching from the shadows of the trees so he could see that he was wrong. He had no right to doubt her gift. One day, Graeson would learn the consequences of doubting her ability.
As the soldier returned to his horse, a breeze caught her hair, blocking her vision. Goosebumps scaled her arms. Nearby, leaves crunched and a horse's scream followed.
Kallie stood, the blood rushing from her head as she prepared for an ambush. She reached for her dagger only to remember its absence. Her breath escaped her.
The soldier was dead on the ground, his throat slit. Blood dripped fromherdagger as Graeson stood over the boy's body.
"By the gods! Why did you do that?" Her heart pounded against her chest. She hadn't even heard the man scream.
Graeson dragged his attention from the dead soldier, his face void of emotion. No remorse, no regret. And Kallie did not understand. The man had done nothing. Had she missed something?
"Graeson, answer me," she commanded.
He looked from Kallie to the body and then to the weapon in his hand. He dug a dark cloth from his pocket and wiped the blade clean, and he kept his focus on the blade. "I told you I couldn't trust you. We do not know how long your gift lasts. He was a threat. He—"
"He was aboy,"Kallie interrupted.
When he looked at her, fury colored his face. "So was I once. And now look at me, Princess."
Their eyes locked onto each other, and neither of them spoke. Their stubbornness would have kept them there longer, but shouts from the forest pulled their attention from each other as Terin broke through the trees on horseback, his face pallid. Deep maroon splotches covered his clothes.
Terin brought his horse to a stop before them. "Graeson, we need you.Now."
* * *
Surrounded by a hoard of soldiers,Dani and Fynn stood back-to-back. Three soldiers lay on the ground, but eight remained standing. The two Pontians swung their weapons in a harmonious rhythm as though they were performing a dance they had rehearsed for years. But with every twist, Fynn grimaced. The twitch in his face was slight, unnoticeable to a stranger, but Kallie had spent the past week studying the Pontians. And while Dani was fierce, it was clear their movements were slowing. They were losing.
"Stay with her," Graeson told Terin as he jumped off his horse.
When Terin nodded and Graeson handed Kallie the reins, Kallie opened her mouth to protest, but she hesitated. The look on his face made the hairs on her next stand.
"Do not test me right now, Princess." Graeson shoved the reins at her. "Stay with Terin," he commanded, and this time, she took them begrudgingly.
Graeson weaved between the trees as Kallie shifted in her seat, readying herself to dismount. She would not allow him to command her.
"You will only get in his way," Terin said next to her, making Kallie freeze in place.
