Page 24 of Savage Crown
We moved to the open field. I stripped off my outer cloak, and he tossed me a wooden practice blade. The moment my fingers curled around it, the buzzing inside my chest eased. Godric stepped in with an easy stance, offering the first strike.
I lunged. He blocked. The impact rattled my arms, grounding me in motion instead of memory. My mother didn’t raise a weak woman. I wouldn’t come crawling back to him just because he now realized his mistakes.
‘Not without a fig tree,’Val murmured from her place at my scabbard.
‘A what?’
Her answer floated through my thoughts like smoke.‘Sorry. It reminds me of an argument I had with Kaelric’s father.’
I snorted. ‘You fought? You were mates.’
‘Oh, we fought like hot oil and cold water. I loved it.’
I grinned. There was warmth in her tone, a whisper of humor beneath the old grief. I focused on Godric, bringing the blade up as he swung. We traded blows, fluid and controlled.
‘What was the fight about?’I knew if she didn’t want me to ask, she wouldn’t answer.
‘Kaelric’s labor was long,’she said.
‘I don’t want to talk about him.’My blade met Godric’s with a sharp snap.
‘It’s part of the story. I was in my twelfth hour of hard labor… and Drake leaned in and whispered, “Honey, I am tired. Could you possibly hurry?”’
My grip faltered. I barked a laugh. Godric seemed to be used to my mental conversations that didn’t involve him.
‘Did you kill him?’
‘I almost did. I grabbed his hair with the next contraction and screamed some not so nice words right into his face.’
A smile broke across my lips. Godric took that moment to sweep my leg. I hopped over it, light on my toes.
‘After twenty hours of labor,little Kaelric was born. Drake felt terrible. The next morning, I was exhausted and sleep-deprived. He brought flowers, but I threw them across the room and told him I would not be having more children for him.’
‘What did he do?’
Her fondness bordered on aching.‘The next day, he brought ten bouquets. I said flowers were for when a man said I looked fat in a dress. If he wanted to soften me, he should think bigger.’
‘Did he bring a hundred?’
She laughed.‘Brynn, the man dug up the fig tree in our orchard and wheeled it inside. He parked it at my bedside and told me I could have fresh figs while I rested. I forgave him instantly. Men are just idiots sometimes.’
Men are just idiots sometimes. It was sage advice.
I smiled at the image and pressed harder against Godric’s guard. Sweat slicked the back of my neck. He moved with power, but he was holding back. Teaching. Watching.
We sparred until our chests heaved and both of us dripped sweat. The grass beneath our boots was trampled by our repeated steps. Fatigue pulled at my limbs, and I was feeling the pull on my energy that Valkaryn had used to mentally speak to Kaelric, but I was determined to fight it.
Two wolfkin women clapped nearby when Godric finally signaled the end of our spar. I wiped my upper lip, smiling politely.
“Thanks,” I breathed.
“You want to grab some food with us? We want to hear the story of how you came to wield the Alpha Killer,” one girl called.
Godric nodded once at me, silent approval.
I shrugged. “Sure.” Maybe more food would energize me.
They led me toward the wide food tent. Godric walked a little behind us, quiet, watchful. The tent was full of chatter, voices rising from long tables covered in mismatched plates. Metal clinked against stone bowls, and steam from something savory made the air warm.
