e's poin

y night he keeps coming out, it's as if he antici

I froze, fingers still brushing the edge of the stone slit whe

el

t, but I forced myself to

Vladim

of Ly

could not af

ver irises catching the torchlight li

, sharp like a boy's. "I couldn't sleep. Thought I'd

ould feel it, his suspici

stepping closer, "were you

said with a forced shrug. "Didn't wa

e. A b

risingly,

Training gr

ked. "

d unreadable. "You don't tremble like t

nd him, and vanished into the

slow, shar

g? With

gainst the cold sto

't beli

n't expose

e

ce walls when the horns blared acros

chest bound tight, hair tucked beneath my cap. The courtyard was filled wi

me like

e pup?" o

new pet," an

nto the sand-packed ring with

tle-scarred-tossed me a wooden sword

at me ha

was

d his knee sideways, and shoved the

ng wen

Then jeers.

ight-footed, ruthless. My limbs remembered what my soul couldn't for

nent flat on his back, I heard the

rained

eful for

fast,cal

ilence again,he

d arr

f the training ring, arms

to spar,

e crowd. Guards stepped back. No on

dried. "Yo

asked, cock

sword. "Just wondering ho

e. A few horrif

n gr

e, t

ld fell away,the guards, the court, the bi

first,clea

te strength but with skill. I used my smaller size to move q

when I nick

ing," he

ted it,"

anced backward, used the angle to throw him off

ked

d r

his sword fr

exploded

houts. W

ove. I did

a moment, then looked

up

ile curle

arked, not taking

ds mumbling, eyes flicking back a

slave who best

on my heel, and walked

were a blur of w

ts avo

s tes

n... wat

by training dummies. Not saying a word. Just s

, it was always s

our sword l

at souther

ll to have been r

ed with a shrug, a j

his curiosi

afford this

eded

ded s

to protec

caught the atten

-

lipped away fro

he surface of the water with a sigh, letting the heat loosen the knots in my body. My sh

il the water

door cre

fr

shadow again,silen

he

bare, muscles carved like marble.

avoid me,

is was the se

n the

ike mist around a ghost. He crouched by the edge

ke a woman,"

d turne

" I cr

fight like a woman. Think

-I

closer. In

s voice was soft n

are you