“And I should’ve known better than to overestimate your skill.”
His brows lifted. “Is that so?”
“Even a novice knows to never turn their back on someone with a sword.” I made a quick, clean swipe with the blade along the back of his neck, nicking a piece of hair that had fallen free of the knot.
He spun on me, his eyes narrowing. Someone let out a low whistle as the lock of hair fell to the hard, gray soil.
“Huh.” I feigned wide eyes. “These shadowstone swords are sharp.”
“Touché.” He struck out, not nearly as fast as I knew he could, but the blow of his sword connecting with mine rattled my entire arm, proving he wasn’t entirely holding back.
“If you want, I could use a trim.” I thrust the sword at his chest.
He cut the blow with a swipe of his blade. “I would never dare even think of cutting one strand of hair on your head.”
“Too bad.” Secretly pleased, I tracked his movements as he circled me, keeping the sword partially lowered. It was far lighter than the one he carried, but I knew my muscles would grow tired, nonetheless. I also knew I had no hope of holding my own against him if he truly decided to stop holding back.
But this wasn’t about winning.
“Now that I have your attention,” I began, watching him carefully.
“You have my full, undivided attention now.” He practically purred the words, chin dipped and eyes glowing from behind his lashes.
Muscles low in my stomach curled. “I understand that I need to be watched.”
“That’s good to hear since we’ve already discussed that to the point of it being repetitive.” He thrust.
I parried, lifting my sword with both hands and blocking his strike. “I wasn’t finished.”
“My apologies.” He started to bow—
Shooting forward, I spun and swung back with the hilt of the sword, slamming it into his stomach. Nyktos grunted out a harsh curse.
Muffled laughs and whistles echoed through the courtyard as I danced out of arm’s reach when he snapped upright.
“Ouch,” he coughed out with a laugh.
I faced him, smiling not so tightly. “As I was saying, I understand you feel it necessary, even though I’m sure Saion would rather babysit Jadis while Reaver avoids her than follow me from chamber to chamber.”
“You know,” Saion drawled from the boulder he now sat upon, “I would actually have to think long and hard about which one would be preferable.”
“I’ll watch over her,” a guard offered, and I gave him a quick glance. All I had time to see was that he was the fair-haired guard I’d first seen Nyktos with. “Seems like it would be an entertaining duty.”
“That won’t be necessary, Kars,” Nyktos growled, his fangs appearing.
Pleased by his reaction, it took a lot to stop my grin. “Nor will I be forced to remain in my bedchamber to read or knit or whatever.”
“No one said you needed to stay in your bedchamber at all times.” Nyktos stalked toward me, sword raised as he stopped. “Wait. You knit?”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t know.” He dragged his fangs over his lower lip. “But I have a feeling you’d do terrible things with a knitting needle.”
“Give me a pair and you’ll find out.” I swung on him.
Nyktos shot forward, blocking my blow as he caught my sword arm with his other hand. He hauled me toward him. My breath snagged at the feel of his chest against mine. “As much as I enjoy your threats of violence, you should spend less time making them and more time getting to the point behind why you interrupted me.”
“But I so enjoy threatening you,” I said, driving my knee up. Several curses exploded from the onlookers.
Nyktos dropped my wrist, using his thigh to avoid a direct hit to a very sensitive place. “The gown you were in yesterday was a distraction,” he whispered, his gaze dropping to where the swells of my breasts strained against the black lace of the bodice. “But this one is rather indecent.”
“As I said before, your failings to keep your gaze from straying is no reflection upon me.”
“I would have to be made of stone for my gaze not to stray.” A strand of reddish-brown hair fell against his cheek as his chin tipped down. “But I’m only flesh and blood, and you are…”
“What am I?”
“You are flesh and fire.”
“Then you should be careful,” I taunted, “lest you become nothing more than ember and ash.” Twisting sharply, I broke his grip and backed off, winking at him. “I need something to do.”
“Other than being a distraction?”
“In addition to that.”
Nyktos laughed, making his move then. He swung hard—hard enough that if he’d connected with my sword, he surely would’ve disarmed me. I darted to the left and spun, swinging my blade down. The impact echoed through the courtyard.
“Nice,” someone shouted—possibly this Kars or Ector. I wasn’t sure.
There was no fighting my smile as it spread across my face. “I need to be training.”
Nyktos brushed the now-shorter strand of hair back from his face as he straightened. “You do realize that if you wanted to train, all you had to do was ask.”
My eyes narrowed. “Really?”
“Really.” He swung again.
I dipped under his arm and spun, kicking out. My slippered foot connected with his midsection as I arced the sword up and around. The guards shouted as Nyktos leaned back. My sword cut through the air where his chest had been. He backed off, his eyes glimmering in a way Holland’s did whenever I surprised him in training, and he approved of whatever I’d done.
I was practically floating as I circled him. “I’m asking now.”
“I’m sure there is more.” His sword was at the ready. “Unless you plan to spend all day training. If not, tell me what you want.”
“I want to attend Court,” I said after a moment. “Now. I don’t want to wait.”
“Should I be taking notes?” Rhain asked from where he leaned against the boulder Saion sat on.
“No need.” Those silver eyes were locked onto mine. “I won’t forget a thing.” He wiggled his sword at me. “What else, Sera?”
He spoke my name like a kiss. I barely suppressed a shiver. “I want to be involved in any plans regarding Kolis instead of being told about them after the fact,” I said. “Or not told at all. I want the truth when it comes to your plans regarding him.”
“Is there more?”
There was, and it came to me just then—something that should’ve been apparent the moment Attes left after delivering his message. I lowered my voice so only Saion and those by the boulder could hear. “I don’t want to wait to go to the Vale. We need to act on that, sooner rather than later, no matter the risks involved.”
A muscle flexed in Nyktos’s jaw. “Anything else?”
“I want to see my stepsister.”
“Sera—”
My sword clattered off Nyktos’s. “I know the charm only works on me while I’m in the Shadowlands, and that going into the mortal realm is also a risk, but it is one I’m willing to take. That is my right.”
That muscle in his jaw was ticking even faster.
“And I know you are trying to keep the embers safe—”
“Not just the embers.” He deflected my blow. “You.”
I stumbled, quickly regaining my footing. “I…I appreciate that, but it is my choice, and I have gone along with everything you’ve wanted…”—I saw the incredulous lift of his brows—“mostly. I need to let Ezra know that we are doing what we can to stop the Rot but that she should prepare just in case something goes wrong.”