“What body part is free?” he says, grunting.
I wriggle against him, then stare into his eyes, his cocky smile. I don’t think—I slam my forehead into his. My anger works well for me, I decide. Then the pain rushes the front of my face, behind my eyes. Devlan falls to the ground, bringing me with him.
“Err,” he groans, his lips spreading into a soft smile. “I’m back to being convinced of your hardheadedness.”
I laugh and drop my head against his shoulder. “I think I need to aim for the nose, rather than give myself a horrid headache.”
“Good call.”
I feel the rise and fall of his chest beneath me. His breaths slow, and his body tenses. I can feel the solid curve of his muscles; his chest and stomach, and my face heats. I lift my head and stare down at him. His features are strained, his brow slightly creased.
I should move. I need to move off him.
But when he brushes my hair behind my ear, my whole body thrums, igniting under that simple touch, and I’m frozen. His lips part, his head lifts off the ground, and his breath brushes against my lips. His hands palm the back of my head and lower back, and then he flips me over. As his weight bears down on me, I suck in a breath. His face drops closer to mine as he reaches his hand down, grabs something out of his boot, then his movements are too quick for me to register—
He sinks a dagger into the earth beside my head.
I choke back a cry and my heart slams against my breastbone.
He looks to the side, then palms the ground and pushes up, getting to his feet. “Always be on guard.”
My eyes slip over the blade. It gleams, catching the blue streaks of the sky. I pull in quick, sharp breaths to calm the ache spreading through my chest.
Devlan walks over to the leather bag and picks it up. “Even when your foe appears to be rendered helpless,” he says, his voice tense, his eyes shaded by the dark, “always be on guard.”
I sit up and bring my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs. My eyes sting, and I rub the heels of my hands into the sockets. I don’t know if I’m more upset that he scared the shit out of me or that I let my guard down. Or that I thought…I push the stupid thought aside.
He scared the shit out of me.
I take steady breaths to calm down fully and angle my head to watch Devlan throw the supplies into the pack with quick, edgy movements. I still have so much to learn.
About myself.
And him.
TWENTY-ONE
I kick at the dirt and pine straw as I walk to the log seats. Sitting down, I stare up at Devlan. He continues to gather our stuff and toss it into the bag. “So how horrible am I?” I ask.
His head snaps my way. “Not horrible at all.” He stuffs my green dress into the satchel. “It would be ridiculous to think you could best me in one night.” He reveals a small smile. “But you surprised me more than once, and that’s more than many of the Rebels I trained with.”
My chest expands as I take in a big breath. I didn’t expect a compliment from him. “And how long did you train?”
He walks over and drops to the ground near me. He looks up into my eyes, the pale moon bathing his face in a soft glow. “Right after I left Court, Micah approached me. One of her spies informed her of the prince having a falling-out with his best friend.” He looks to the river. “It didn’t take long to convince me to join. I trained nearly every day before coming back here when I turned eighteen, the age required to become a knight.”
“So you’ve been here how long? A year?”
“Yeah. I’m nineteen. Sebastian advanced me to first knight quickly.” He glances around. “We should head back. You shouldn’t miss out on any more sleep. It’ll start to look suspicious, especially if you’re limping around.”
I rub the back of my neck. “I’m going to feel like death tomorrow.” Tomorrow. I enjoy the way the speech I’ve learned from Devlan feels on my tongue. I wish I could’ve kept my father’s books. I’d like to study them and learn more.
Devlan shakes his head and laughs. I especially enjoy that rare laugh. “I’ll bring you a soak in the morning. It’ll help the soreness.”
He stands and starts heading toward the opening in the wall.
“Wait.” I rise from my stump. “You can’t bring me here and beat me bloody and then not answer any of my questions.”
He turns and his brow furrows. “You were told everything last night.”