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"Of course I did. My face is too pretty to get fucked up by you constantly."
With a laugh, Viola turns back to everyone. "Split up, pick a partner, and spar. Fae, no magic. Remember, no pulling punches. I have new Healing magic and should learn to use it." She turns to me and runs her hands over me, searching for injuries. Her hands linger over my torso and I feel the warmth of her magic heal whatever damage she managed to do there.
"You're impressive," I say softly, all my prior humiliation forgottenin the face of the woman I love.
"I know," she says with a grin before kissing me softly on the lips. I taste the copper of her blood from the hit I got on her nose.
"Let's let Plume heal you," I say, looking for our friend.
Viola laughs, shaking her head. "No need to interrupt her sparring. This is minor." She pats me on the shoulder as she walks towards Jaz, muttering something in their ear.
My pride stings a little at my hit being called minor, but I did pull my punch, after all.
As everyone splits off into their pairs, and the sound of flesh upon flesh and the clink of blades fills the air, Viola and Jaz walk around, correcting form, giving instructions, and making suggestions as they fight. I take a long pull of water from my canteen, and when I lower it, I see Viola talking to Avidor on the edge of the group.
When did he get here?
Avidor has been quiet since he arrived yesterday, not interacting with the citizens of Rainworth very much. Sometimes, it feels like he's studying us. If someone approaches him, he happily converses with them, but I'm starting to feel like he only has eyes for one person.
Crossing quickly, I arrive just in time to hear him say, "… is why I learned long ago never to underestimate a powerful woman." His voice is soft and gentle, but the words make the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Something about him doesn't sit right with me at all.
"Viola is never one to be underestimated, that is for sure," I say, moving beside her. I don't wrap my arm around her waist or physically claim her despite wanting to. Something tells me she would not appreciate me trying to mark my territory.
"So I saw. How's your throat?" Avidor asks with a tone that implies concern. "It had a blade to it for quite some time."
"Luckily, my partner knows her way around them, and she kept me quite comfortable between her thighs."
Well, so much for not marking my territory.
Viola huffs, taking a step backward and holding her hands up. "I've got forms to correct," she says, turning around and walking back to the sparring pairs.
Avidor, wearing a white tunic, a pair of brown trousers, and bare feet, looks at me curiously. "Which of my magic is your main?"
"Influence and Decay," I say, keeping him in my peripheral vision as I watch Viola work with Morrow on learning how to balance himself now that he has only one arm. He looks resigned, close to giving up, but he's still pushing through and listening to what she has to say.
"Hmm," Avidor says, holding his arms behind his back. I turn to face him fully, pinning him with a glare. He raises his hands, takes a step back, and laughs. "I am just surprised. I figured the Shadowweaver would have a stronger partner, is all."
He turns his back to me and struts away from the group of fighters.
Chapter 31
Viola
Tulip's hair slips between my fingers as I braid it in one long braid down her back. She hums to herself, munching on a crisp green fruit Jaz and Plume found foraging this morning.
"Have you tried this yet, Lola?" she asks, holding it in the air.
I lean forward and take a noisy bite, juice squirting out at the impact. It's tart and makes me wrinkle my nose, but the texture makes my teeth feel clean in a way that I quite like. "What's it called?" I say through my full mouth.
"An apple is what Jaz said. Never seen one before," she responds, taking a bite herself.
"That's because there isn't greenery at home like there is here. I don't know about you, but we never had much fruit at all." I wrap the end of her braid with a thin strip of leather and tap her shoulders. "All set."
She jumps to her feet, smoothing out the flowy brown pants she wears today.
Since I absorbed the power from the Spring artifact, subsequently ruining my ears, Plume's magic has experienced a significant boost. It only took a day for her to get a large farm set up at thebottom of the hill, and with Mace's Prosperity magic, they were able to harvest it quickly. With the influx of cotton and hemp, we now have fresh clothing that hasn't been worn across the realm. Tulip has taken advantage of it, wearing a wrapped blouse that's been stained a lovely shade of pink with a wide neckline that exposes the tops of her shoulders.
