To the Stars | Throne of Glass

85

She suspected that Ben didn't sleep at all last night - honestly, she knew how uncomfortable it was down there.

In the dining room, she snatched a few slices of bread as she left, and rolled an apple up her sleeve. But as she turned the corner, a hand reached out and snatched for the food in her handkerchief. The cloth unravelled, the bread falling, crumbs scattering everywhere, and the arm jabbed an elbow into her bicep. The apple thudded onto the marble floor.

'Who are you taking this to?' Sam demanded.

'Were, no thanks to you,' she corrected sharply, cocking her head and bunching her fists to avoid punching him.

'Ben is-'

'Not here, you rutting idiot!' she hissed, jerking her chin to the closed door to where the assassins dined.

'You are not to take food to him.'

'Oh, so you're playing Arobynn's little lapdog now, aren't you?' She bent down to pick up the scraps.

His eyes flashed. 'And you aren't?'

Celaena shook with barely restrained anger. 'If you think for one moment that I am his eternally loyal servant-'

Sam curled his fingers into claws, flexing and unflexing them as if he were trying equally hard to keep from shouting. 'So it's okay, Celaena,' he said, eyes blazing, 'for you to hurl insults to me - yet it becomes a sin if another does?'

A part of her wanted to laugh at the absurdity of their fights. How did dropping an apple come to this?

But her temper, the leash was stretched tight. And another part, a tiny, insignificant part of her knew that they were both being idiots, both overreacting.

'Don't-' Sam started.

She smashed the apple into his cheek, and the pulp burst, flecks of apple dropping onto his shirt. Sam snarled a curse - not too loud as to attract the attention of any wandering courtesans - but didn't follow with a blow.

And she didn't look back, either, as she marched away, not bothering to pick up the rest of the food.

~

Celaena grumbled to herself as she stalked downstairs about the wrongness of the world and all its people, all those angry, red thoughts lashing out to the shadows. Ben was awake, dark circles under his eyes.

And he noticed her brooding immediately.

'What's wrong, little sister?'

Celaena threw up her hands. 'Everything! The world, absolutely, rutting everythi-'

He chuckled, and the sound didn't appear to pain his rib as much as yesterday. 'Don't punch your fellow assassins. We have plenty of dummies for you to do so.'

'I didn't punch Sam,' she muttered. 'I threw an apple in his face. Here you go,' she added, and a new apple tumbled into his lap. 'The kitchen were a lot more welcoming.'

Ben's eyes lightened at her disgruntled expression, and he smiled. 'An apple into his face. Maybe we could add a few of those into the weapons' supply if it bruises.'

Celaena huffed, but allowed a grin to slide onto her face. 'Eat up. We can go now, but there's still six hours till lunch.'

'The rats can have that,' Ben said, throwing the core of the apple onto the floor.

~

Swinging her sword, Ben grunted, stepping back to parry her blow. 'Good.'

'You shouldn't be fighting. It hasn't healed yet.' She shouldn't have let him to spar. Stubborn ass. 'Arobynn knew what he was doing,' she murmured.

'When you broke your arm? I suppose,' he said, pivoting to block a particularly hard strike. Her sword slipped past his guard, and Ben laughed, dropping his sword in defeat. 'Again.'

Celaena flicked his blade into his awaiting hand, and they resumed their swordplay.

~

'Pick two weapons. Any two.'

Celaena already had. Nowadays, she had a tendency to sling two hunting knives by her hips - and that was enough. Sam drew a rapier, tucking a small dagger into his belt. Ben nodded. 'Fine.'

She fingered the hilts of her blades, waiting for Sam to strike first.

Sam lunged for the right, and Celaena twisted - but then he seemed to pull back and slip to the left, and her back was suddenly to him. She heard the rapier cut through the air - neat and precise - and the only thing she could do to avoid having her skin split from the spine upwards was to duck.

So she dropped to the ground, rolling to avoid the slice, and threw her legs up, one yanking down on behind Sam's knee, the other slamming down on his lead shoulder. Sam stumbled, eyes widening. She lashed out again, this time with a kick - and he leapt away mid-fall, her boot catching his rib instead. As he reached for the hilt of a sword, she threw his dagger - the one tucked in his belt.

It stuck in the ground, within the loop of the hilt, pinning it to the ground. Sam withdrew his fingers with a quick curse, slamming a fist onto the ground before leaping to his feet.

Though she had two knives, Sam was still quite decent - but not decent enough for him to win. He surged forwards, jabbing his foot for her head.

With an elbow, she blocked it, hissing through her teeth at the crushing impact. She would've won with his entire chest exposed - but she didn't exactly want to plunge a knife into his gut, however irritating he may be. So she stepped back.

Ben clicked his tongue - giving an uncannily accurate representation of Arobynn. There was none of the usual light in his eyes as he pinned his gaze on Celaena's. The tightness of his lips told her that his rib must have been bothering him again. Idiot. I told you not to fight.

He shook his head - barely detectable, but there. I'm fine. Then, aloud, he said, 'Good.'

To Sam, his expression twitched slightly, as if he were about to snarl - but he only murmured, 'Watch your guard. Your entire chest was exposed when you kicked. Don't drop your hands. Celaena had already disarmed you, the least you could do is to hold your fists higher - chin - yes, there.'

Sam, to her surprise, didn't scowl back. He nodded, and Ben drew back. 'Arobynn wants you,' he said to Celaena - dismissing her. To soften his tone, he smiled, squeezing her shoulder quickly.

'Fists up,' he was saying to Sam as Celaena walked away. 'Drop your knee back- Yes. Twist - rise, sweep your leg. Elbow. Good. Now punch.'