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“She’s got claws,” he said with a chuckle.
“Aiden,” Grae snapped, using his friend’s name as a reprimand. He sheathed his sword and held up his fists. “Trying to make it fair,” he murmured.
“It wasn’t fair the moment you brought us to this place.” I chucked the dagger at his feet. “You’ve blindfolded us with your smiles and fake friendship.”
Grae paused, lowering his hands at my words, and I struck like an asp, punching him across the jaw.
Aiden guffawed, and the rest of the guards paused from their training. I thought they might attack me for that—for taking a cheap shot at their prince—but they snickered as if hiding their delight.
Grae held a hand to his bruised cheek. “I suppose I deserved that.”
“What happened to your eye?” I asked, still holding my clenched fists aloft.
“Are you going to even it out?” Grae turned his face, offering me his unbruised eye.
“We got a little rowdy training before,” Aiden said, walking up and clapping Grae on the shoulder.
Grae smiled—a fake smile—and I knew it was a lie.
“It doesn’t seem like you’re too concerned about the prince’s bruises, though.” Aiden chuckled, inspecting Grae’s jaw. “Seeing as you’ve given him another one. Come.” Aiden gave me a wary glance. “Let the girl train in peace. You’ve got a wedding to prepare for.”
I curled my lip at the word “girl.” I had always hated being calledgirl, even when I’d been the right age for the word, though I resented being calledladyjust as much now. Why call me such trivial things when I could be called a warrior, a Wolf, a royal?
Grae turned back to me, words dying on his lips. Whatever he was going to say, I didn’t care anymore. I didn’t want to hear any more of his lies.
“Go,” I gritted out. “Your bride awaits.” I hated how petty it was. I hated how bitter I sounded.
Taking a step closer to me, Grae lowered his head until his breath brushed my hair, making my skin ripple. “You say that as if you care, Calla.”
I forced myself to look up into those beautiful, dark eyes—the ones that bewitched me the moment I first saw them—and said, “I don’t.”
“Why not?”
My mouth dropped open. Why not? What in the Moon’s name was that supposed to mean? Why would he want me to care about something I could never have?
Aiden dropped his hand on Grae’s shoulder and steered him toward the doorway. “Come on. Let them train,” he said.
My body felt boneless as I watched him walk away, steered by his father’s guard like cattle through the archway.
“This wedding has made him broodier than a snow snake with a fresh kill,” Sadie muttered.
“That’s rich coming from you,” Maez said, making the shorter guard frown. “You’re as gloomy as they come, Sads.”
Sadie rolled her eyes. Standing from the bench, she circled the splintering dagger in her hands. “Everyone is edgy around the full moon.”
“Then your world must be full of full moons,” Hector taunted.
Maez hit him in the hip with the broadside of her training sword.
Sadie stooped to where my discarded dagger lay in the dirt and picked it up. She flipped it over, holding the hilt out at me. “Again?”
I took the weapon, grateful for the distraction. “Thanks.”
“Few people understand the mind of a warrior.” Sadie shrugged. “We get you.”
Hector and Maez returned to sparring. The thwack of their wooden swords brought a steadying rhythm that slowed my pulse. There was sanity in training, the repetition pulling us back in on ourselves.
Sadie advanced again before I could think on it. I fell back into that dance, my mind honing down to each footstep and blink. For so long I’d tried to understand Briar, to put myself in the shoes of a princess, but it made as little sense to me as trying to understand the shoes I should be wearing. Here, though, with these guards, they understood. They understood the calmof training, the confidence born of discipline, the calloused hands and sore muscles and minds that only worked when in motion. And even when the world felt like it was crashing down around me, I’d have this, and I knew these three would help me blunt the sting of what was to come.
