Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

NYRA

“These are too tight.” I tugged at the unforgiving fabric as Wren stood back and assessed me.

“That’s how they’re supposed to be. Fighting in loose clothing is a disadvantage, and I don’t think you can afford any of those.”

I rolled my eyes, exaggerating the gesture as I crossed my arms to block out the sting of pain in my muscles. After tossing and turning for what felt like hours the night before, I’d finally managed to drift off into a deep sleep that lasted until Wren made so much noise that I had no choice but to wake.

The bed had been nothing like the one I was used to at the palace. It was hard, and the sheets were scratchy, but it was still a blissful divergence from the cold, hard cobblestones I had been sleeping on.

“Here.” She reached forward and pulled a dagger from her vest, the silver blade glinting in the firelight. She then carefully slid it into an empty sheath on my chest, and I could feel the weight of the metal on my skin.

“Thank you.” I swallowed hard because I had given her no reason to be so kind to me.

I wondered if she would still show me that kindness if she knew who I really was. If she knew it was my father who was responsible for the death of her mother.

“Alright, we need to leave, or you’re going to be late.” She rolled her socks up to her ankles and then grabbed the dark leather boots from under the bed. She used both hands to quickly pull them on and swiftly tugged at the laces, creating tight knots with each loop. I glanced over my shoulder for only a moment as she finished and met my reflection in the small mirror mounted above the desk.

I could hardly recognize myself.

I ran my hands down the length of my body, tracing the curves of the leather uniform that clung to my skin. I was dressed head to toe in black fighting leathers, leathers that used to instill so much fear into me, and yet, here I stood, looking as if I was one of them.

But I would never be.

Wren patted her body, making sure she had all her weapons before she led me from the room. We strode down the dimly lit hallway, the faded paintings on the walls peeling in places. When we reached the main entrance, she pushed open the heavy door and a wave of cold, damp air washed over us.

We stepped outside, and I hesitated as I took in the darkness. Firelight strained to fill the void, but its warmth couldn’t make up for the starless sky or the lack of the rising sun.

“What is this place exactly?”

Wren looked around as if she wasn’t sure how to answer me. “The hidden city.”

“I know that much.” I laughed softly. “But how?”

Her expression changed with her thoughts, as her normally bright eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly and her jaw clenched in a subtle show of irritation before she spoke. “Most of the stone buildings you see are ruins.” She waved toward the building we just left. “They are from King Nevan’s rule.”

“What?” I looked around me again. I had heard tales of King Nevan’s time as a ruler, but it was so long ago that those stories had felt like fables. “That had to be…”

“Over three centuries ago.” Wren nodded as we moved over a small bridge, and I carefully watched the dark water as we passed. “A time when our kingdom was at peace. A time that has long since been forgotten.”

A sinking feeling filled my stomach, and a chill raced up my spine as I looked around. There was guilt there that I would never be able to let go of. “How did you all find this?”

“Desperate people will find a way.” Wren shrugged as we made our way through the city, the sound of trickling water and passing boots the only noise on the dirt paths. “Everything else you see was built by the rebellion. There are small houses built along the sides of the caves. We have our own markets and healers.”

“You don’t have a house here?” I asked stupidly when I knew that she roomed with me.

Her throat worked hard before she answered. “We do, but Dacre and I haven’t lived there since my mother was killed. We prefer to stay in the warrior quarters.”

I nodded in understanding because after my mother died, I had wanted to be anywhere other than that damned castle. It was haunted by all the happy memories of her that I would never get again, cursed with her screams from the day she died.

“And your father?” I had no business asking questions when I was unwilling to share any of my own answers.

Her brows were drawn as she looked back at me. “My father’s love is this rebellion. He doesn’t mind living on his own.”

There was a long swinging bridge in front of us that crossed over the entire width of the river. My fingers felt raw from holding on to the ropes so tightly, but this was the largest part of the river I had seen since I arrived.

The gaping hole in the ground was a dark abyss that stretched as far as I could see. Its depths made my stomach tighten, and I took an instinctive step back, my heart pounding with fear.

Find your magic. I could practically hear my father’s commands echoing in my mind. The water can’t beat you if you use your power.

The ocean had been dark that night, just like the water beneath me.

“We’re almost there.” Wren seemed to notice my uneasiness as she turned toward me and slowed her steps.

The bank on the opposite side was covered in a layer of thick green moss, and I tried to focus on it and it alone as I forced myself across.

I let out a deep breath as my feet hit solid ground and quickly followed Wren away from the water and through a small tunnel that I had to turn sideways to squeeze through. The chill from the rock walls pressing against my uniform seemed to bleed into me, and I shivered.

When we reached the other side, there was a large open space before us. The ground was still covered in dirt and patches of moss, and there was a small beam of sunlight that peeked through the ceiling somewhere far above us.

There were also several floating lanterns that helped illuminate the space, but it was all the people who caught my attention.

We made our way through the crowd, and I noticed all of the different weapons that adorned their bodies. Some had longswords hanging from ornate scabbards, while others carried short daggers like Wren’s that tucked into their waistbelts and vests. I spotted a few with arrows jutting out from the quivers on their backs.

Wren tugged me forward, and I scanned the clearing. In the far corner, a cluster of warriors stood in a loose circle, arms crossed and eyes alert. As we stepped closer, their attention shifted to us. Some bobbed their heads in acknowledgment of Wren’s presence.

“Morning, Wren,” one of the men spoke, and I couldn’t help but notice the way his gaze swept over her curves.

“Morning, Tavian,” Wren replied, a smile on her face as she gestured to me. “This is Nyra. She’ll be joining us today.”

Tavian sized me up before nodding. “Welcome.”

“Where’s Dacre?” She looked across the clearing as she spoke, and I felt an uncomfortable heat rising to my cheeks. Despite the fact that Dacre was an ass, it was impossible not to notice how infuriatingly handsome he was.

“Scouting. There was movement noted at the base of the falls early this morning. He should be back soon.” Tavian said it so absently, but I cataloged every one of his words.

What kind of movement?

“Morning.” An older man with dark hair that was graying at the temples stood before the group and cleared his throat. “We had three groups out scouting last night, and we will send three more today. The rest of you will remain back to help train the new recruits. There are twenty in total that have arrived in the last three weeks.”

His voice was commanding, drowning out the rest of the room. I flinched and my gaze shifted to Wren who was standing perfectly still, her eyes riveted on him.

“Are you scouting?”

She finally turned back to me, her gaze softening slightly. “Not today. Today, I’m with you.”

I couldn’t hide my relief. I didn’t even know her, but I felt more comfortable with her than anyone else here.

“Come on.” She waved me forward, and I followed her toward a white circle on the ground that appeared to be drawn in some sort of powder.

We both stepped inside, and she shook out her arms before she drew all the weapons away from her body and dropped them just outside the circle.

I hesitantly pulled out the one dagger she had given me and did the same.

“This is a sparring circle.” She motioned around the perimeter. “This is where we’ll train, but we won’t use any magic to start.”

My throat constricted as she spoke, and I gave her a single, stiff nod. I should have told her that I didn’t have any power, but I didn’t.

Two people moved into the circle next to us, and I watched them intently as they started to dance around one another. They both still had their weapons, but neither had drawn them.

One of the fighters charged forward and managed to land a kick along the torso of the other, and I winced.

“What kind of training do you have?”

I brought my attention back to Wren as she bent at the waist and touched her toes.

“I’m sorry?”

“Training? Fighting? Weapons? What do you have experience with, and where do you need the most help?” She stood fully, and I jumped at the sound of clashing metal.

“I don’t have any experience.” I said the words quietly for only her to hear.

Her eyes rounded. “At all?”

“No.” I shook my head and balled my hands into fists to stop myself from fidgeting under her assessment.

“Okay.” She nodded as if I wasn’t the most insignificant warrior she had ever trained. “We’ll start simple then.” Wren took a few steps back and gestured for me to follow. “Let’s start with some basic footwork and evasion techniques.”

I followed her lead, trying to mirror the elegant, effortless way she moved. She circled me as I awkwardly attempted to arrange my feet in the same way she did. With each misstep, Wren offered words of encouragement, and after a few tries, I had managed to balance my weight between both feet.

She began to circle me, her eyes scanning my body up and down, and I could feel sweat already beading across my brow. “Your stance is the most important thing you can learn. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, with your knees slightly bent. Keep your weight evenly distributed between both feet and position your dominant foot slightly behind the other.”

I followed her instructions, adjusting my stance until it felt comfortable. Wren nodded in approval and stepped closer.

“Now, let’s work on your strikes.” She tucked her chin, stepped forward, and threw a wide jab at the imaginary opponent in front of her. I copied her motion, feeling my shoulder strain as I tried to imitate the power of her punch. My knuckles were clutched tight and my footwork was clumsy.

Wren glanced at me with a critical eye and slowly began to correct my form, gently guiding my hands and feet into the correct positions. We drilled various strikes and footwork for what felt like an eternity. My muscles grew sore and sweat dripped down my forehead until I was forced to wipe it away.

But she wasn’t done.

She paced in front of me, and my eyes never left her face. “Now we need to put what you’ve learned to use.”

She advanced at an alarming pace, her body poised and lithe as she weaved around me with ease. No matter how hard I tried to follow her every move or anticipate a strike, she managed to catch me off guard. Her foot connected with my leg in an expertly calculated angle, sending me tumbling backward. The impact of the ground beneath my back sent a shockwave through my abdomen, leaving me gasping for breath.

“You were supposed to block me.” Wren’s warm laughter was like a balm that soothed my embarrassment. I reluctantly accepted her outstretched hand as she pulled me up with surprising strength, and I stumbled slightly before regaining my balance. “Are you okay?” she asked, her eyes wide.

I nodded, trying to steady my breathing. “Yeah, I’m alright.”

She gave me a small smile before gesturing back to the circle. “Let’s go again.”

I took a deep breath, then steadied myself with feet planted wide apart and hands up in a blocking position. I focused on every detail—her footwork, the tension of her muscles, the intensity in her eyes. As she lunged forward, I managed to block her strike; the pain reverberated through my body. I gritted my teeth and tried to land my own punch, but before my fist could make contact, she grabbed me by the wrist and yanked me off balance. In an instant, I was on my knees, gasping for air.

“That’s kind of pathetic.”

At the sound of Dacre’s deep, gruff voice, I jumped, and my shoulders tensed. He looked at me disdainfully as I scrambled to my feet.

“Don’t be an ass, Dacre.” Wren crossed her arms and stood between us.

I could feel my heart racing as I looked at him, his eyes locked on mine. He was beautiful, his sharp jawline and piercing eyes seeming to cut through me like a knife. But his words and the way he sneered at me made my skin crawl.

“I’m not being an ass. It’s the truth. She’s deadweight.” He nodded toward me as if I couldn’t hear his words.

Wren’s back straightened. “Tone it down a notch. What did you find?”

I dusted the dirt off my pants and tried to appear like I wasn’t hanging on to every word they said.

Dacre grunted. “It was nothing.”

There was a tense silence between the two of them, and I wondered if he was being honest or if he was hiding the truth because I was standing there. Because he considered me a traitor.

Dark circles hung beneath his exhausted eyes, and he stood motionless with tense shoulders.

“Did she tell you about her magic?” Dacre cocked his head as if studying me, and my heart raced as anger bubbled up inside me.

Wren looked over her shoulder at me, but I was still staring daggers at her brother. “No. Why do I need to know about her magic?”

Dacre’s jaw twitched as he stared at me. “Because she has none.”

Wren’s head whipped around so quickly back to her brother that it was almost comical. “That’s impossible.”

“I agree.” He nodded as he stepped into the circle. His hands were balled into fists as he assessed me. “Which means your new little friend is hiding something.”

“I’m not hiding anything,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Let’s see about that.” He moved closer to me, and I countered his movements with a step backward.

“I don’t want to train with you.” I chanced a glance in Wren’s direction, but she was still watching her brother.

“That’s not really an option for you.”

The way he studied me was so unnerving that I could hardly remember the way Wren had just taught me to stand. I stumbled over my feet as I took another step back, and Dacre made his move.

He was fast, much faster than Wren, and he knocked me on my ass before I could realize what was happening.

He reached his hand out as if he was going to help me up, but my anger surged inside me. I didn’t take his hand; instead, I kicked my leg forward, something Wren most definitely didn’t teach me, and I slammed my foot into his hard abdomen.

The impact sent him stumbling back, and I scrambled to my feet, ready to defend myself. His lips curled into a smirk, and he moved toward me again, his eyes glinting in the low light.

“There’s that backbone,” he said with a smile as he launched himself at me.

I ducked and weaved, using the basic footwork Wren had taught me to try and avoid his attacks. I managed to dodge the punch he swung toward my head, but he was too fast.

His other hand came down hard against my thigh in a slap, and I hissed in pain.

“Use your power to help you deflect.” He kicked his foot out as he spoke, sweeping his leg out in a move that was eerily similar to his sister’s earlier, and knocked me on my ass again.

I gasped for breath as he towered over me. He was breathing normally while my chest heaved with exertion.

“I told you I don’t have any power.” I lifted a trembling hand and wiped away the loose hair that fell in my face.

“You’re really going to cling to that lie, huh?” He cocked his head as he studied me.

I didn’t offer him an answer because it didn’t matter what I said. He wasn’t going to believe me either way. He thought he could break me, but there was nothing left for him to break.

“Tomorrow, you train with me.” He stood to his full height, and I scoffed as I watched Wren take a step forward.

“Lay off, Dacre.”

“No.” He turned away from me, and I pushed up until I was sitting. “I don’t trust her, and she trains with me until we find out more about her power.”

“And if she’s not lying?” Wren crossed her arms and cocked her hip. She seemed to have no fear when it came to her brother, and I envied her.

Dacre turned his head toward me, his expression unreadable. His dark eyes seemed to drill into my soul as if he was trying to uncover a secret. It felt like the slightest movement would shatter the intense moment that seemed to stretch on forever. “She’s lying. I’m just not sure about what.”