Page 64 of The Verdant Cage
I study the soldiers—for that’s what they remind me of, a military force like I’ve only read about in history books. Their faces I know, but I’ve never seen them act like this. Precise. Unthinking. Violent. And if the way they’re following Misia’s every command is any indication, Jarek has gotten the mindless subordination he’s asked for.
“I want to go,” I say.
Gryphon tips his head. “Seen enough?”
“Enough spectacle,” I say. “I’m ready to practice honest fighting.”
The fierce gratitude in his gaze must knock the sense out of me, because despite everything, I find my hand reaching for his as we start down.
39
Eero, Sal, and Meryl are waiting near our training spot, Sal and Eero sitting next to each other and Meryl perched on the naked trust rock. Marie and Reatha are nowhere to be seen, but Albert sits in the mouth of the cave, his chair firmly on the ground. It must take a great deal of energy to hover, so I understand why he saves the feature for difficult terrain. His expression is sullen, and he looks like he hasn’t slept or bathed in days. The dark brown skin under his eyes is sunken, but the way no one else spares him a glance tells me this appearance isn’t unusual.
Perhaps he feels guilty for the tech he stole.
I take a second to fantasize that I might steal it back—use Albert’s panel to charge the tablet faster and chase Jonas up the Wall. Too bad I wouldn’t know the first thing about connecting it. I shake my head.
“Albert, can you run some tests on this water sample?” I ask, digging the bottle out of my bag.
For as much as I mistrust Albert, he’s still a trained Chemist. As long as I don’t tell him where I got the water, he should do fine.
“What am I testing it for?”
His sharp tone catches me off guard. “Anything that isn’t water.”
“What? That could take days.”
Like he’s got something more important on his schedule? He lives in a cave. “Please do it as quickly as you can.”
He glares at me before taking the bottle inside.
“Where’s Oscar?” Gryphon asks the others.
“Working on the wedding gown for your highness,” Sal says, rolling her eyes at me. “It’s supposed to be quite the showstopper.”
“What?” I ask.
“Oh,” Meryl says, her face flooding with sympathy from atop her perch. “You didn’t know. Misia ordered Oscar to collect your first wedding dress and turn it into a gown ‘worthy of a queen.’”
“What?” I say again. It’s apparently become the only word I know. Our survival inside the Wall depends on equality, harmony. Putting me forward in finery will undermine village solidarity, with me as the target. Is that what Misia’s after?
“What will you be wearing, Gryphon?” Eero’s tone is teasing.
Gryphon lunges for him, moving with catlike grace. They wrestle for a few moments until Eero starts laughing too hard to continue. Gryphon shakes his head, but he’s smiling.
“Today, we’re going to learn to get out of chokeholds,” he tells the group.
He pairs us off, having Eero sit out because we’re an uneven number without Oscar. Gryphon guides me to the center of the circle to demonstrate. He maintains eye contact, which should make me feel awkward but instead allows me to relax just enough to take in what he’s saying.
“If your opponent is gripping your neck with one hand, like this,” he says, “swing your dominant arm up and around, bringing it down on the crook of their elbow with all the power you have. Joints are weak.”
I do as he says. His hand releases.
“If they’ve got you by two hands…” He looks to me for permission. I nod, and he places both around my neck. My heart rate spikes, body instinctively alerting me that I’ve allowed myself to become unsafe. But the alarm disappears almost immediately, replaced by an unexpected certainty: Gryphon won’t hurt me, at least not like this. I’m hungry for his next instruction, motivated like I’ve never been to learn how to fight.
“Interlace your fingers in front of your chest,” he’s saying, “and shove them straight up toward the sky, directly between their ar—”
The moment his words clear my subconscious, I’m in action. I catch him by surprise, yelling as I split Gryphon’s hold—something he’d encouraged yesterday, but I’d been too shy to try until now. I think he was right, though… Itdidmake me feel powerful.
