Forged in Frost and Fire (Book 1 in the Chronicles of Kings trilogy)

Chapter Thirty Seven

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

"That's not fair!" Ayaz said, throwing down his deck of cards onto the table.

"You have an awful poker face," Caspian muttered, taking a sip out of his ale.

"No, I have a fine poker face," Ayaz said, running a hand through his hair. He blew my cards out of my hand so that they fluttered onto the table, revealing my hand. "It's not my fault that Eira's face is just frozen in place. Pun intended." We were currently on one of the numerous balconies that jutted out from Vellichor, sitting at a table, cards in our hands, drinks at our sides. We had taken today easy, light training, a big breakfast. It had been almost...peacful. Needless to say, I was enjoying it.

"Yeah, she's almost as bad as Sable," Gray muttered, taking a long sip of his wine beside me. He had put a new meaning on the term "day drinking". I was tempted to take the bottle away from him...because that was what he had moved onto...the wine bottle.

I glanced over at Sable to see him leaning back in his seat, completely stoic. He really was the perfect card player. He looked angry, but then again he always looked angry, so he was practically neutral the entire time. Ayaz was a terrible card player, with Nazira coming in at a close second. She grinned too much.

"Sable could glare Eira under the table," Caspian said.

"Well thanks for taking my side," I said, glaring at him. Caspian shrugged, hiding a grin behind his hand.

"We're taking sides now?" Sable asked. It was one of the first things he had said since we started the game. The cadre took their card games very seriously. "I didn't know we were dueling."

"Duelings a strong word," I muttered, looking at him over the rim of my glass. I only had tea in my cup since the last time I had anything to drink it ended up with me making Sable confess all his darkest secrets. I certainly was not letting that happen again. Especially after the...progress we had made. It had been two weeks since the trip to Nereid and things had been oddly...comfortable. I had been progressing with my training, I had even taken up dagger fighting. Nazira had taught me how to wield one and I had actually gotten quite good. I had also been growing closer to the cadre, who had taken me in as one of their own, acting like I had belonged the entire time.

"I'd duel you," I said suddenly. Sable's fingers drummed against the tabletop, he stared down at me, the corner of his mouth raising ever so slightly.

"You think you can?" he asked. His voice was quiet, lethal, it sounded somewhere between a growl and a hum.

"I've been advancing in my training," I said, leaning forward. It was a warm day outside, and I was wearing a blue dress, one that billowed in the breeze. Sable was wearing his usual getup, except today he was wearing a shirt with stripes...quite the statement.

"A little snow doesn't scare me, love," he said.

"And you think your shadows do?" I asked. The multiple markings on my skin from those shadows seemed to burn under his gaze. We both knew that was a lie. They scared me less than they had when I first met him, but knowing what they were capable of...it was hard not to get terrified.

"I think they do," he said, leaning back. As if on cue, a shadow suddenly wrapped around my ankle and the leg of the chair. I gasped as my chair was pulled forward, squeaking against the ground. My chair only stopped when it hit his own. My legs bumped his and his boots trapped my ankles.

He leaned close to me, licking at his lips. "Want to take back that dueling statement now?" he purred.

"Nope," I said, my voice nothing but a rasp. He leaned forward, when a voice sounded from across the table. Someone else cleared their throat. I heard Ayaz cough loudly into his sleeve.