AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My eyes shot open.
Isiah hovered over my bed, watching me in that knowing way of his.
His steel-colored eyes creased at the sides, and I could swear the man saw into my soul and to the darkness that lay beneath. He never shied away though, not in all the years we’d been together, not even when I snapped at him. He’d merely grunt and leave me to sulk, and then show up the next day with coffee and freshly baked goods from the palace kitchens. I suspected the sweets were more for him, though.
“The recruits are ready,” he said. “I told Harlow you’d arrive shortly, but he seems impatient today. Impatient and grumpy.”
“He’s always impatient, and he’s rarelynotgrumpy,” I replied, rising from bed and shaking off my nightmare and the cloaked woman whose face I’d been denied. I yanked my old shirt off and snatched a fresh one, going about dressing. “Harlow smiles less than I do.”
This earned me a laugh, and Ialmostsmiled.
“Gods, you’re both insufferable.” Isiah ruffled my hair like he did when I was younger, and I glowered. He was about a decade older than I, and he often acted as if I were his pesky little brother instead of Asidia’s most illustrious assassin.
“Well, hurry up, then, and try not to frighten off too many recruits today,” he added over his shoulder, leaving the room.
I’d argue I did no such thing, but then I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror above my dresser. Sighing, I ran a hand through my disorderly hair.
Shewasn’t afraid of you.
The thought came unbidden, and against my will, I returned to the bathing suite, to the girl who’d stared at my face in wonder, not in fear, and…smiled.Thathad been the most unsettling part.
Shoving away from the dresser with another scowl, I grabbed my boots and yanked them on before heading out the door.
Today, Harlow would line the recruits up in the ring and get a feel for their strengths. I’d watch from afar, noting who stood out and who might be qualified to join our ranks. The lieutenant was unrelenting, worse than I, but he would prepare them for what was to come.
When I reached the outskirts of the ring, I leaned against the walls of the corridor, hiding myself in the shadows.
I always did like this room the best.
The massive chandelier dangling from the ceiling illuminated every inch of the space in an incandescent glow. The finely crafted weapons bracketed to the walls beckoned me closer, but I held my ground and crossed my arms against my chest.
There had to be around thirty bows and over a hundred various designs of daggers and swords. Some shone with jewels embedded in the hilts; others were leaner and deadly. I never wasted time on the ornamental blades, drawn more to the austere steel that could slice through bone without useless baubles.
Boots pounded as Harlow entered the ring, the subtle red in his hair shining like a halo of fire. I tore my attention from the weapons with reluctance and focused on the huddling boys watching the lieutenant with fear in their eyes.
Good. They should be afraid.
“Recruits!” Harlow barked, stopping in the very center of the ring. “I hope you’re all rested, for today begins your training.”
A lull fell over the crowd of boys, about forty in number.
“Every week,” Harlow began, clasping his hands behind his back as he strode leisurely around the trembling trainees, “your number will diminish.”
A flash of red caught my eye.Kiara. Her vibrant hair had her standing out from the rest, and I was unable to look anywhere else. At her side, a tall, freckled boy pushed closer, whispering something in her ear. Her lips quirked at whatever he said, and I noted how her eyes traveled to the wall of weapons.
That damned heat I’d felt last night resurfaced.
Harlow continued. “Only the best will serve the Knights of the Eternal Star, and those we deem unworthy will be sent to work in the Guard.” One corner of his mouth curled in sick delight.
Kiara’s face fell. Maybe she’d thought dismissal meant a return ticket home. The Guard boasted nothing but long, grueling days and certain death. The king had far too many enemies for soldiers to live a long life in his ranks. Not that the Knights offered much safety, either.
“Everyone. Backs to the walls,” Harlow ordered, the recruits hastening to follow his instructions.
Harlow strolled about the room, scrutinizing the boys he passed with disdain. When he made it to Kiara, he wavered, thin lips twitching into an acrid smirk.
My breath caught, but he continued, passing her. I exhaled my disappointment. I’d selfishly wanted to see her fight again, to showcase the impressive skill that had captivated me. A memory that had yet to release me from its punishing and hypnotizing hold.
“You.” Harlow pointed to a muscled lad with cropped black hair and rich brown skin. “In the center.”
