Page 41 of Where We Belong

“Decorating.” Nyk emerges from the bathroom. “Apparently our Princess cannot survive without seventeen cushions and a gold ceiling.”

“Eighteen,” Thea corrects sternly from the top of a ladder. A ladder? Where did that even come from?

“My apologies, Miss Thea. Let me get out of your way,” Nyk says, clapping Kaed on the shoulder as he passes. “Try not to terrify each other.”

The door shuts behind him, and the bungalow suddenly feels much smaller. Kaed cocks his head slightly. “Ashley…” My name on his lips. In that quiet, low voice that sounds like midnight and every bad decision I’ve ever made. It wraps around me like a hand at my throat.

“You do not have to do this if you are not ready.”

“The training?”

He nods once. “You don’t owe anybody your strength.”

“Just my life?” I smile sweetly.

His thick brows pinch together before he glances at Thea and Fawn, likely making sure they are distracted enough not to hear whatever he’s about to say. “You do not owe us anything at all. Especially not your life. And most certainly not your death.” He takes a slow step back toward the door, giving me space. “But if this is what you are choosing. I’ll meet you outside at the twelfth hour.”

And somehow, I already know I’ll be counting the minutes until then.

*

By the end of the first hour, I am very sure Captain Kaed intends to kill me himself. Not with his weird semi-circle sword, not with smoke or fire or whatever awful party tricks he’s hiding under all the leather and brooding. No. He’s going to murder me with lunges, actually. “Again,” he says. I bend over, hands on my knees, trying to remember how to inhale.

“I said again.”

“Oh get lost Kaed. My word. This isn’t sexy at all.” I squeeze my eyes shut, blinking away the wiggly shapes invading the corners of my vision, and wonder at which point the electric buzz I felt for him disappeared. Somewhere around the thirty-minute mark, I believe.

Nyk is lounging on the low iron bench at the edge of the training pit. One leg bouncing lazily as he devours a tray of meat skewers. “She has a point. You’ve said it about forty-six times”

“Then she has done it incorrectly forty-six times.”

“Wow.” I shake my head, ignoring Nyk’s burst of laughter.

“Do you not train at all up there?” Kaed gestures towards the Seas Above. I follow his gaze and realise I shouldn’t have. We have an audience. Mer creatures, octo-soldiers, and all sorts of strange things drift beyond the glassy waters overhead, peering down into the arena like I’m their live entertainment.

“Ignore them.” Kaed warns. Easy for him to say. Eira told me about their death song. How they use it to lure the weak-minded fae and devour them.

“Erm. No.” I tear my eyes away from the thing with more teeth than I can count. “Training in a gym costs money I don’t have.”

He frowns, “And, in The Above, it costs money to go for a run outside?”

I’d be offended but he looks genuinely confused. “Well, no—”

“So why do you not run outside?”

I roll my eyes and drop into another lunge. “Because I don’t want to. How many of these are left?”

“Not many. You need to go lower.”

“I physically cannot.”

“You can, just—” His hand lifts slightly, hesitating near my waist before falling back to his side again. “Your balance is wrong. Your weight should be centred here.” He gestures vaguely to my hips. “And move your left foot back a little.” I do. But apparently, it’s still wrong because his hands flex as if he wants to reach for me but stops himself. “May I?” He asks finally. I eye his large hands, recalling what they’ve done to me. How much pain they’ve brought me. But I nod. Trying to swallow the lump in my throat. You are free, Ashley.

Kaed licks his lips, his eyes never leaving mine as he slowly shows me his hands, showing me there is nothing to fear. He places them so lightly against my hips, I barely feel it. But I do feel the faint tremor. As if he’s nervous. Heat creeps up my neck when he adjusts my stance, one giant hand sliding carefully down my leg to reposition my heel. My heartbeat turns erratic and I have no idea where to look. “Like this. Now, try again.” The training pit is sweltering. My body drenched in sweat. But as soon as his touch leaves my skin, cold settles in the space between us. I exhale, pushing the dangerous fascination I have with this enchanting warrior out of my lungs, my body, and sink into the lunge while he looks into my eyes for what feels like an eternity.

“Perfect.” A small smile graces his lips. And the dimples in his cheeks drag every reckless thought straight back into me.

“Should I leave you two alone?” Nyk’s voice pulls me from my trance, and he points a skewer at Kaed with a look I can’t place. “Focus.”