Out of the Mountain (18 page)

“I guess I should go call off the ruse. We will just hand out the rest of the tonic and send them on their way,” Silas groaned. There was no use in continuing it now that the enemy was alerted.

“Novices report to the training field,” Rowan barked as he swept out of the room behind Silas.

***

The obstacles were cleared, and it appeared that it was back to business as usual on the training field. We were getting ready for our run, and I stood close to Briony as we stretched to warm up our joints.

“So, how did it go in the dungeon?” she asked quietly as she bent to grab the bottom of her foot. I looked around to make sure we were out of earshot before I responded.

“Super creepy, but I think I saw a bit of the man emerge from behind the Shade’s eyes at one point. Do you think that’s possible?” I asked, bending my leg behind me.

“There isn’t much that doesn’t seem possible these days,” she complained, and I nodded in agreement. Rowan clapped his hands to get our attention and then instructed us to begin running laps. I kept pace with Briony as we ran, the others falling in line behind us. We lapsed into a companionable silence until Luca came up beside us with a challenge in his eyes. He started pulling ahead of us, and Briony’s mouth tightened into a tight line.

“Oh no, he did not!” she exclaimed, speeding her pace to match his. I laughed as I pushed my legs to catch up. I snorted in surprise when Griffin passed us all, blowing a kiss as he went. A growl left Luca’s mouth as he sped forward to catch him. We raced as hard as we could, quickly exhausted by our breakneck pace. A startled cry came from Briony when Rowan jumped in front of us and grabbed her, holding her in a head lock. We slid to a stop, confused as to what was going on. Briony whimpered unintentionally, and anger rose inside me quickly.

“What are you doing? Let her go,” I growled between gasping breaths. I was covered in sweat, and my chest was heaving with the effort to bring in enough oxygen.

“Lesson one. Do not exert unnecessary energy or magic. Sometimes, you’ll have to fight on short notice,” he said, squeezing Briony tighter and lifting her to her toes. Her tiny frame was engulfed by his much larger one, and I could tell she was nervous that he would hurt her.

“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” I seethed, and his lip quirked up.

“Hey, man, let her go,” Luca said apprehensively.

“How about you try and make me?” Rowan purred, and I pounced. He spun Briony and handed her off to Adelaide fast enough to turn back and block the punch that I aimed for his nose. I tried to get some distance, but before I could, he knocked me to the ground.

“You all must become more aware of your surroundings,” he barked as I jumped to my feet, still trying to catch my breath and fighting the hitch in my side and burning in my calves.

“Oh, I’m sorry . . . but we weren’t exactly expecting to be attacked by our instructors during our morning warm up!” I growled as I jumped at him, and he threw out an arm to deflect me. I promptly grabbed his arm, turning my back into him and leveraging him over my shoulder. He was heavy, and I sensed him help me a little with the momentum a little too late to do anything about it. He twisted in midair, wrapping his legs around my waist and flipping me neatly onto my back. He knocked the air out of my lungs, but when he stood and reached a hand out with a rueful grin on his face, I dodged under it and grabbed his shirt as I planted a foot into his stomach and propelled him over my head.

It was a nice move, but he tucked and rolled, quickly recovering as a hearty laugh escaped his lips. The sound was warm and smooth, and it effectively stunned me into submission. He swiftly had me by the neck and turned me to face the others, who were all equally subdued by various guard members.

“I think they still have a little to learn.” Malachi laughed as he tightened his hold on Finley.

“All right, they get the point,” said Tamora as she released Luca and turned to walk away. She had better things to do. We all huddled together, thoroughly embarrassed by the lesson.

“Yeah, we got the point,” Briony grumbled, embarrassed.

“Never have any fun or you’ll die?” I asked her with a grin.

“Obviously, that was it! No fun! If you want to be a guard, that’s rule number one,” she whispered, and I laughed.

“Yeah, and walk around looking like someone shoved a stick up your backside.” I pinched my face into a grimace, and we were reduced to fits of laughter that caused pains all over from what we had just been through.

“All right, ladies, pull yourselves together.” Luca laughed, tugging us both under his arms.

“Do you ever take anything seriously?” Rowan grumbled, and a fresh round of laughter escaped as others joined in. Rowan was just too uptight.

“Enough! Pair up. We have work to do,” Adelaide barked, and we complied.

***

Hours of training later, and I was sore from head to toe. All hints of laughter had died with the feeling in our limbs.

“Someone carry me,” I whined as my legs cramped up for the third time on our trip to the dining hall for dinner. Luca swooped me up into his arms, and I smacked him on the chest, laughing.

“I was joking! Put me down!”

“But a princess should never have to use her own legs,” he quipped, smirking down at me. I had to admit I liked the way it felt to be held by him. His arms were strong, his chest firm under me . . . but still . . .

“If you don’t put me down, I’ll use my legs to do something permanent to yours,” I replied, and he feigned shock at my words. Cassia and Oliviana pushed their way by us with a groan and hurried to enter the dining hall with Joel tagging behind.

“What did I do to earn their ire this time?” I asked as he sat me back on the ground.

“You name it, they have a problem with it,” Peyton said, and Genevieve nodded in agreement.

“It also probably has something to do with the fact that Cassia is Luca’s not-so-distant ex.” Griffin laughed.

“You failed to mention that before.” I laughed, poking him in the arm.

“It was one date!” he complained, and the others laughed.

“Yeah, and Luca being smitten with a princess might make it even worse,” Briony jeered, and I blushed full. Luca met my eye and shrugged. He wasn’t denying it. I felt a little flip in my belly.

“They will get over it,” I said as I bumped my shoulder into his playfully. His smile widened, and he winked, taking my hand in his. My heartbeat picked up as he tilted his head to ask if it was OK to do so. I nodded with a grin. Honestly, it felt nice, and I liked Luca . . . but I had never held hands with a boy like this. This was him making a statement. He was interested in me and wanted people to know it. I couldn’t help the smile on my lips as we entered the dining hall.

I refused my seat at the front and sat with the novices. I didn’t care to be put on display tonight and be separated from my people. It just didn’t feel right. I thought about how Farran had said my dad had similar views and smiled, thinking I had inherited it from him. Hoping that if he could see me today, I would make him proud.

Luca sat close to my side, and I could sense a shift in our friendship already. I wasn’t sure what I really wanted at this point, but being next to him felt nice, so I went with it. We ate while we tried to take score of the bruises that were already purpling on our bodies from the rough treatment today’s lesson had entailed.

“I can’t see it, but I have a suspicion that something important is bruised.” I groaned at the pain on my lower left side from when Rowan flipped me onto my back. Luca put a hand on my back and rubbed some of the stiffness out. I arched my back so he could reach the right spot. It felt so good, I almost purred.

“Just like a real cat.” Luca laughed, and I grinned. I noticed purple blooming from under his hair, and I pushed it away from his forehead. He winced, and I frowned at the bruise, pressing my hand gently against it to feel the knot. I wanted to take that pain away.

“Does that hurt?” I asked nervously when I realized our close proximity.

“Not anymore.” He smiled, and I moved my hand just in time to see the bruise fade. I felt a dull ache in my head as I pushed his hair farther back, scooting close to see what I had done. A gasp escaped my throat right before I was pulled from my seat and hurriedly escorted to an empty room down the hall by Rowan. It happened so quickly that I didn’t even protest as my mind spun at what I had just done. The room was a pale yellow; it was much smaller than mine but had all the same crown moldings and extravagant décor. I was practically bouncing with the need to tell someone what had just transpired. His face when he closed the door behind us erased all happy thoughts.

“What is the matter with you?” he growled, and I flushed.

“Huh?” I replied unintelligently.

“You must learn to use restraint. Especially in public! You do everything without thought. It is not how a princess should act.”

“Wait, what?” I asked, confused.

“You jump into battle without accessing the danger, you engage in every argument you cannot win, and you throw yourself willingly at a boy for all to see . . .” His eyes were flashing yellow, and I knew mine were glowing blue.

“Who are you to tell me how I should be? You don’t even know anything about me! You have some idealized version of me in your head. Well, I’m sorry, but that’s not really who I am,” I growled in embarrassment at his boldness. My tigress was feeling cornered.

“Whether you like it or not, you are a symbol to these people, the last of the royal line. They watch you, and they see all. Your enemies will easily find your faults and weaknesses. You must be aware of what you are projecting to the public.”

“Oh, and what is that? A stupid, weak girl without the sense to hold her own against a boy? You wound me.” My words faltered with actual hurt. I wanted to be taken seriously.

“Luca has . . . a reputation among the novices. You wouldn’t understand . . . ,” he said warily.

“You have no right to remark on my love life.”

“Your love life?” he scoffed at my words, and I was officially pissed.

“I didn’t say anything about finding you plastered all over Adelaide, and I expect you to return the courtesy to me in the future,” I growled, and his eyes softened.

“Adelaide knows exactly what she is doing. Can you say the same about yourself?” I flinched, and he continued hurriedly.

“Vinnie, that is not how I meant it to come out . . . listen—”

“Don’t you ‘Vinnie’ me! I will do what I want, with whom I want, when I want. Be that fighting, drinking, or kissing!”

“I only wish to protect you from harm, as was the oath I took to your parents.”

“Screw the stupid oath, forget it. I don’t need it!” My anger was fading, and pain was setting in. He had made what he really thought of me abundantly clear.

“That is not something that is possible.” He frowned at me, and I returned it in kind.

“I get that you think I’m a stupid, reckless, defenseless, and naive, but I am none of those things. Just because I am inexperienced in life doesn’t mean I’m not practiced in theory.” His eyes narrowed, and I knew he wasn’t giving up yet. “Listen, no one is going to trick me into doing anything I don’t want to,” I said trying to ease his mind.

“All your instincts and emotions are raw as you adjust to the removal of your block. You may not realize it, but you throw out a lot of . . . pheromones. Your tigress is as restless as the woman who has been cooped up far too long. You allowed him to touch you. I saw you moving into him quickly . . . I wasn’t sure what you intended to do . . .” His words were dropping off, and I blushed to my toes.

“What? No.” He thought I was going to jump on Luca in front of everyone? That’s absurd. “I healed him! That’s what I was so excited about before you started yelling at me,” I said becoming excited again at the thought. I decided to go with the change of subject instead of focusing on how little he seemed to think of me.

“You healed his wounds?” he asked, interested.

“Yes, and actually I did it once before too. When I was a tiger I healed Farran’s ear. Remember?”

“I wasn’t sure. But if that’s true, how are you feeling?” he asked, looking at me closely.

“Like I’ve been thoroughly beaten and then yelled at,” I admitted, still angry at his chastisement.

“Other than that?” he asked, a smile quirking his lips.

“Fine, other than that.” I couldn’t help grinning back.

“What about Luca, was he OK afterward?”

“Wait, what would be wrong with him? Could I have hurt him?” I wasn’t sure how he was since Rowan had ripped me out of there so fast.

“I think it will be best to have him checked over.” He sighed as he led me to the door and opened it.

“Vinnie . . . I’m sorry,” he said softly as I passed, and I froze. Even though I had protested it before, I loved hearing him use that nickname. It felt personal, like he was laying claim to our shared past.

“Me too.” I sighed, walking out the door and to collect Luca to make sure he was OK.

***

When we were in the infirmary, I took a good look around. The room was as large as the dining hall; every surface was pristine and white. It was sectioned off by thin curtain dividers, which offered little privacy. I was sitting on the side of a small bed next to Luca, waiting on the palace’s resident healer to arrive.

“Are you sure you are feeling OK? No pain or dizziness?” I asked Luca nervously.

“Yes, I feel fine. Still sore, but my headache is gone,” he said, and I noted that mine was pounding.

“I didn’t do it on purpose. It just kind of happened,” I said apologizing again for using my magic on him. He took my hand in his.

“Vivi, I’m fine honestly,” he said solemnly, and I gave him an uneasy smile. I wouldn’t believe it until the healer confirmed it.

“Hello there.” I heard a high voice and looked up to see a petite woman with hair the color of sand standing at the foot of the bed.

“I hear we have ourselves a healer.”

“I guess so . . . ,” I said apprehensively.

“My name is Seraphina. Let me look at the boy first and ease your mind, and you can tell me what happened while I’m at it,” she said, and I smiled at her and nodded.