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“Take her to a sparring ring.” I heard Malina whisper before I felt her follow Nikan down the corridor to the staircase.
That argument was just as bad, if not worse than the one we had before. I didn’t understand what it was about us, but Nikan and I always found a way to get under each other’s skin and turn a simple conversation into a heated fight.
Atara was always a sensitive subject with any of us. We rarely talked about it with anyone, even each other. But I hadn’t really thought about why Nikan was so much more accepting of Morah, so content and happy there. I had always assumed that he had adjusted more easily than Malina and I because of his age, and he was planning on leaving Atara anyway. That’s why he was gone in the first place when Atara was destroyed. He had left his family, who lived in the center of Atara, to visit Ulrik, considering taking citizenship there once he reached his staying age. The Glaev had hit before he ever made it to Ulrik, taking his parents and his sister.
His sister.
Gods I was so stupid. I never put two and two together.
He wants to protect Mal and I because he couldn’t protect Tsirra.
I turned around to face Ryker who was standing just inside the room dressed in his usual Lord attire, with a black button up with the sleeves rolled up and his hands tucked into his pant pockets. He waited patiently for me to speak, but I didn’t want to talk.
“Let’s go.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Ryker
Kya’s anger pulsed through the bond as she stood before me with her fighting leathers and weapons in the sparring ring inside the training area. Even without feeling her rage through the bond, I knew that she was furious. Her body was red hot in only a shirt and leather pants, and she didn’t shiver when a cold blast of wind cut through. I was able to use my fire to keep myself warm, but she wasn’t. Despite the midday sun, the temperature was near freezing up in the mountains this time of year, as winter was nearly upon us. I had offered to be the one to spar with Kya. Malina had told me to bring her out here, and I was willing to be an outlet for her temper.
“No elements.” The lethal calm of her voice had me hesitating for a fleeting moment.
I had never heard her sound like that and I liked it more than I should have. My powerful, formidable mate. I was eager to see her truly fight with emotion fueling her. Not only was she a trained Roav, but she was Worthy. She had to be good to have survived the Trial.
She barely gave me the time to get into a stance before she came at me with her blades drawn. I had opted for no weapon,she wouldn’t harm me. She couldn’t. No more than I could harm her.
I had been falling for her for weeks. Her ferocity and passion, that beautiful fucking mind, her smart witty comments and stunning body, I loved it all. Even though I didn’t know much about her, I knew who she was. I knew her soul and her heart. It called to me. I would voice how I felt, but now wasn’t the time.
She threw her outrage toward me, blades slashing through the air as I blocked with my arms and ducked out of the way but didn’t counter. She was stronger than she seemed and just as swift as the wind as she spun and jabbed. Over and over and over.
I had to put in quite a bit of effort blocking her, more than I had anticipated.
Maybe she would hurt me. She certainlycould. Such a sharp little gem.
Taking away the risk of serious injury, I grabbed her outstretched wrists and twisted them until she was forced to drop the daggers. I grinned at her vicious snarl, her fierceness excited me, that sound and the fire in her eyes made my cock twitch. My hands still gripping her wrists, I held her stare and stepped closer to her as I caressed the bond to calm her overwhelmed soul.
But she wasn’t ready for that.
She took that opportunity to drive her knee into my side. Grunting and letting go of her wrist, she used her free hand to push me and swept her leg out, causing me to fall flat on my back and pulling her down on top of me. That seemed to snap her out of her enraged state.
She blinked down at me before slowly lowering her head to rest on my bare chest. I released her wrist and brushed my hand down her braid, my other wrapped around her waist. Taking the daggers from her back, I tossed them aside. Just to be safe.
Her panting breaths were cool against my hot skin as we lay on the stone in the sun. Being in this position only excited me further and I hardened underneath her. If she noticed, she didn’t say anything.
We didn’t speak for several minutes while her heart rate came down—mine having only increased. She lifted her head off my chest and reached up to cup my cheek.
“Thank you.” The edges of her lips curved into a small smile.
I bent forward to kiss her forehead. “Of course.”
“You already think it’s Vicria so why don’t you just go grab her? We could put her—” Hakoa cut off when Kya interjected.
“If it’s not her, then we could risk whoever it is lashing out. We don’t have confirmation, but we’re certain that she’s involved somehow.”
Hakoa came to my study to continue to look over the reports from the last Glaev attack in Helerie and determine where some of the forces might be best distributed. Reports were still trickling in from the Noavo and Vaavi with recounts of the events from survivors and witnesses.
“And if she’s working alone?” Hakoa asked.
