Page 113 of In Violent Waves

Lyra opened her eyes and stared, wide-eyed at the target, and then at the bow in her hands. The happiness in her gazewas enough to stop his heart from beating. But he nodded and turned on his heel.

“Stop coddling her,” he ordered Maelys.

Maelys glared at him but didn’t argue.

He had gotten further with Lyra in two minutes than she had in days. Satisfied with himself, he stalked off the training grounds and back to the castle.

He needed to find a way to get Lyra out of his system—and quickly.

Lyra was still smiling to herself after a long day of training. She had fired the bow two more times. Neither time had she hit the target again.

But that hadn’t mattered. She had fired it, and that was a success in her book.

She walked beside Maelys on the way back to the castle. Sweat and dirt clung to her, and she was looking forward to the bath that Daisy would draw.

“You did well today,” Maelys said as they walked up to the doorway on the hill. “I hadn’t realized that being mean to you would get you past that threshold.”

Lyra pursed her lips. “It probably wouldn’t work if you did it. It’s justhim.”

Maelys smiled and nodded. “I’ve noticed that about you two. He’s the moon and you are the tide.”

Lyra stilled, having never heard of that expression before.

“What does that mean?”

Maelys opened the door but stood outside it. “It means he pulls you higher—and you grow, like a swelling tide.”

Lyra snorted. “You mean pushes? He is quite pushy.”

“No,” Maelys shook her head, and her eyes softened, “it looks like he’s pulling you in.”

She understood what Maelys was saying, but the words made little sense.

There was no way he was pulling her in—he seemed repulsed by everything that she was.

“My lady!” Daisy called down the hallway. She ran towards Lyra, waving her hand. “You’ve been summoned.”

A pit of dread yawned open in front of Lyra and swallowed her whole. A summons right after training could not be a good sign.

“Right now?”

Daisy skidded to a halt and waved the folded bit of parchment paper in front of her.

“Right now.”

Lyra looked down at her dirty training clothes. Hopefully, the king wouldn’t take offense.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Maelys asked.

Daisy shook her head. “She’s to come—alone.”

Maelys shrugged. “I’ll follow you to the door at least.”

“Thank you.”

They walked in silence to the private chambers of the king and queen. What could be so important that they didn’t require her to bathe and change beforehand?

They reached the ornate hallway, and two guards peeled off the walls and walked behind them. The temperature in the hallway plummeted.