Guinevere's Grail | ✓ [BOOK 2]

~ 36 ~

IN THE DAYS THAT followed, Mab and Atla were their teachers. The Grand Queen helped the others strengthen their magic, while Kit, Selene, and Eurion went with Atla to learn more about the Sídhe and how best to deal with them in combat. Eurion and Selene were better than he was by every stretch, and Kit felt useless next to them. Where they caught on, he fell short, and he didn't know how he'd help the fight at this rate.

"Put your fists away, Kit, they won't do you any good," she told him, gripping both of his wrists with a single hand.

The two were finished with their training, and they'd left the Winter Queen to torment Kit until his body ached and he felt like a failure, as it had gone every day since the beginning of their training. He was exhausted, but Atla would never dare to give him a break.

"That's all I know how to do," he groaned. "I'm a lost cause, Your Majesty."

The woman yanked him close to her chest. She was as tall as him, but he felt so much smaller. "There are other ways to defeat a faery," she purred. "Deception, agility, seduction..."

Her fingers walked up his chest and he could feel his entire face heating up.

"You've been dead for fifteen seconds already, Kristofer, you fell for it again."

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "How couldn't I?" He let his gaze burn her skin up and down her entire figure. "Your people are all beautiful, but you... even yet, you are something else."

Atla's throat bobbed, and while she did her best not to be flustered, Kit took his chance to spin her around and hold her back against his chest, dull blade to her throat.

"And now you're dead, Your Majesty."

The young Queen stepped away with a scoff. "I thought I already killed you."

"Never let your guard down, darling, is that not what you've been saying?"

She made a threatening face, but before anything could escalate, Mab cleared her throat and caught their attention from across the training room. The two of them paused to look at her, bowing their heads as she neared. Kit could still feel the power radiating from the ancient woman, it never once dulled.

"I was waiting for that," she teased.

Atla's eyes were venomous. "Waiting for what?"

"For him to charm you," Mab said with a flourish of her hands. "It's inevitable, even for you, you stubborn thing."

"Shut up," Atla murmured, casting Kit a glare before she abruptly shuffled away, eager to leave her mother's presence.

A long moment of awkward silence ensued before Mab finally spoke up. "She's kind, really," she told him. "Deep down, she's as soft as they get. She couldn't hurt a flea if it didn't deserve it, she's just been uptight lately."

"I can imagine being a Queen is hard right now," he said.

Mab frowned at her hands. "That's why I wish she'd marry. That's the curse of Grand Queens, we can't get help like that. But she doesn't have that problem, if only she'd let someone give her a hand. Preferably someone who already knows how kingdoms work."

"I see," said Kit, unaware of her expectant look she sent his way. When he finally noticed, everything clicked. "Ohhh... you mean... a prince."

"Well, an ex-prince might do." Mab lifted a shoulder. "She's angry with me about it, but if she plans to rule as long as I have, she'll have it so much easier with a companion."

The floor became very interesting according to his searching amber gaze. He recalled the deal he'd made with Atla, and now he felt stuck. "It's a lovely offer, I'm sure your daughter is an incredible woman," he started.