Page 69 of A Legacy of the Light

We stretch and warm up. Reyne has me doing a simplified version of the circuit we did yesterday, this time joining me in the exercises but doing twice the number I do.

I try not to compare myself to her, but it’s hard not to. She’s so swift and agile, and fuck is she physically fit. In five minutes, I’m already out of breath, and she is controlled, focused, and barely breathing differently despite doing way more than I am.

She catches me watching her. “What?”

“Nothing. I’m just impressed by you.”

A slight blush steals across her complexion. “Thanks, lass. Now get your arse moving.”

I huff a laugh and carry on with my exercises.

“When will we move onto actual fighting?” I ask while we take a quick breather between sets of squats.

“When your fitness has improved and you’re a bit stronger. If we train every day, you’ll build up quickly. You need to be able to get through five minutes of core exercises without looking like you need to puke before I even think about giving you a training sword.”

I nudge her with my foot and scoff. “Rude.” Even if it is true.

After an hour, we finish up and I’m trembling and sweating.

So much for it being a lighter session.

Reyne reminds me to stretch out tonight and tomorrow morning if I want to avoid being too stiff for the ball. We won’t be training tomorrow since we both want time to get ourselves ready.

“Where can I get some makeup?” I ask her while we are on the subject of tomorrow night. I haven’t worn a scrap since I arrived here, and while my skin is no doubt grateful for the reprieve, I want to make a good impression in front of the entire Seelie court.

“I have some you can use,” Reyne replies.

“Do you want to get ready together then?” I ask.

Reyne’s face lights up again and I wonder how lonely she must really feel if this offer means so much to her.

“Aye, that’d be great. I’ve never had someone to get ready with.”

I smile at her as we enter the kitchen and Reyne shouts, “Colin, fancy making us some lunch? I’m starving.”

I hadn’t realized what time it was, and glance at the kitchen clock. We’re past midday already.

Colin, a chef with dark red hair and soft brown eyes, shakes his head. “Like I don’t have anything better to do than feed your permanently hungry stomach, Reyne!” he teases.

Reyne scratches her middle finger on the side of her cheek in his direction and he laughs while he finds ingredients to make us lunch. We take a seat at the end of the long wooden table in the middle of the kitchen. Reyne pours us both a glass of water and I down half of it in a few gulps.

“Who is Colin?” I ask her, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand.

“He’s one of the chefs. He’s my cousin. Cait’s his mammy.”

That explains why she was so casual with him. I love seeing this side of her. I look over at Colin and see the resemblance. He has her features and the freckles smattered across his cheeks are just like Cait’s.

After a few minutes, Colin puts a plate of sandwiches in front of us and a bowl of chopped fruit.

“There. Don’t say I never do anything for you,” he says as he ruffles Reyne’s hair. She shoos him away and I call a thank you after him. He turns and smiles hesitantly at me. I haven’t interacted with many of the staff around the palace. It feels like they’re hesitant around me.

We tuck into the food and as I’m halfway done with one sandwich, Tavish strolls into the kitchen in his own training clothes, a loose black shirt and black pants in a lighter fabric than the ones he was wearing earlier.

He stops by us and picks up a strawberry from the bowl between me and Reyne, and brings it to his lips. The ones that were incredibly close to my face in the early hours of this morning. He catches me staring and winks at me again.

He really needs to stop doing that.

“How was training?” Tavish asks us.