Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
“See!”
“But you should consider yourself lucky that you were able to hold on to your innocence,” she adds. “I started training during my third year.”
“Your third? Seriously?”
“Oh yeah. My father wanted me to know how to protect myself and Torjack, especially when Torjack got his diagnosis.” She looks toward the horizon, lost in thought. “My mother wasn’t fond of the idea of me holding knives and daggers at such a young age, but I loved it.”
“I can imagine.” I laugh. “Violence wasn’t really a thing in Ember Coast. My parents didn’t really know much about sword fighting, either. My father was a doctor and my mother a nurse. They taught me more about resuscitating and healing people than ripping them apart.”
“Hmm.” Rynthea gives that some thought. “Well, some of us are meant to hurt people while others are meant to mend them.” She shrugs. “Plus, had they not taught you those skills, you wouldn’t have been able to save my life in that swamp.”
She gives me a warm smile.
I return it.
“All right, first we need to adjust your posture and the way you handle the dagger.” Rynthea adjusts my arm so that it stays close to my body. Then she uses one of her hooves to push my feet apart and widen my stance—my right foot forward and left back as the anchor. “There are many ways you can use a dagger, but one of my favorites is like this…” She takes a generous step away from me and lunges with the blade. She jabs it forward, her arm protruding from her body quickly yet fiercely. “And if someone is coming at you from the side, you can do this.” She flips the hilt backward, so the tip of the blade faces the other way. With a rapid jerk of her hand, she stabs at the air. “Now you try.”
I attempt to imitate her demonstration but come a little too close to her arm. She steps out of the way just in time and cocks an eyebrow.
“Sorry.” I laugh nervously.
“No worries. Just try again.”
I give it another go, making sure not to get too close to her this time as I stab at the air.
“Better,” she commends. “You learn quickly.”
“Thanks. I’ve always been a pretty fast learner. It helps to adapt to my surroundings, you know?”
“I know what you mean.”
“It was always easier for my sister to adapt.” I give the dagger another slash through the air.
“Is she the social type?”
“Very.”
Rynthea smiles at me, nodding. “You’re doing something selfless for your sister, Zaira.” She grabs my forearm and tilts my elbow so it’s locked in the proper position. Then she tells me to tighten my grip on the hilt. “I don’t know any mortal who would risk their lives doing what you’re doing. Most would’ve sat around whimpering and waiting for the person they love to die.”
“I can’t let her die.” I meet her honey-colored eyes. “You still think it’s extreme of me? Going to The Shallows and all?”
“Oh, one hundred percent.” She laughs. “But I get it. I would do anything for Tor. No matter what we are—mortal, beastial, sorcerer, minotaur—we want the best for our family. Even if it means risking our lives, it’s better to take the chance than to do nothing at all.”
“Agreed.”
“But I have to ask you, Zaira…” She pauses and squints as wisps of sunlight beam down on her. “You’re an incredibly smart person. Do you think it’s wise to be sleeping with a man like Thane?”
My heart drops. “W-what—”
“I can hear things from very far away. When you’re in an inn as quiet as this one”—she gestures behind me—“it’s kind of hard to ignore certain sounds.”
My face burns, and I drop my eyes, too embarrassed to look at her now. “I…don’t know what to say.”
“Fortunately for you, I have the ability to shut noise out, too,” she says. “As soon as I heard you two start, I tuned it out.”
“Well, thank you for that, but that doesn’t make this conversation any less awkward,” I return with an equally awkward laugh.
“I own an inn. I’ve heard way worse.” She pauses, contemplatively pressing her lips together. “But can I be honest with you?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t see whatever this is between you and that sorcerer ending well.”
I look at Thane, who is practicing with his swords. He has a sword in each hand, swinging them with perfect balance and precision. He performs moves with them that I’m certain not many people in Thelanor could do. The blades catch in the sunlight as he jabs, slices, and swings at the air.
“There’s nothing to worry about.” I face Rynthea again. “Our emotions aren’t involved.”
She raises a brow as she picks up her scythesword. “You sure?”
“Yes.” My response is firm, but the word hurts my heart as it leaves me, like something is trying to puncture it. “I’m sure.”