A Gathering of Blood and Magic by Anne Lee

Author:Anne Lee [Anne Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fiori Rose Publishing
Published: 2023-04-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Garridan’s body hurt.

The hot bath he was relaxing in soothed like a balm, but he suspected he would hurt for a day or two more, given that his muscles still ached twenty-four hours after the training session.

He considered himself in near excellent shape for his age; he had to be in peak condition for his job. Training with his men and other units—on the rare occasions he was home to take advantage of it—never completely sapped his strength or endurance. It invigorated him and kept him sharp.

But the faerie commanders had shown him how little he knew of stamina.

Witnessing the tension between the two explode in combat training yesterday reminded him that, as mortals, he and his men could not match the centuries of training and stronger physiology of the fae. It had been hard to watch Dacian fly at Nevada, barely holding back the punches as he tried, like a fierce, relentless wind, to blow through her defenses.

She held her own. Garridan had been coiled with anticipation, rooting for her each time her lithe frame slipped through Dacian’s grasp as sand slipped through fingers; a grim satisfaction lit her countenance as she refused to allow Dacian to dominate the sparring. Garridan had never seen anyone move with such fluid grace. Dacian’s speed and agility defied logic, and Nevada met his movements with the same frightening power. It was exhilarating, terrifying, and mesmerizing to watch. Garridan and his men were not accustomed to seeing women in combat, let alone with such skill, and he had to quell the urge more than once to assist when she failed to block a hit. Yet she fought marvelously, moved like a dancer, and defended herself better than most men in the Aliquis military.

Nevada enthralled him.

He told himself to put that thought to bed. It was one thing to find her attractive, considering she was intelligent, a soldier like he was, and gorgeous—but quite another to let those thoughts occupy too much of his attention.

His thoughts turned to Commander Dacian. To his credit, he had watched Garridan and his men perform with a critical, constructive eye, quickly and accurately assessing their strengths and weaknesses. It was humbling to work with him and know full well Dacian held back a great deal to avoid breaking bones. Both faeries proved that Aliquis’s soldiers had much to learn.

Garridan leaned his head back against the cool tile, breathing in the steam from the heated water. The warmth chased away his distress from today’s meeting with the commanders and the monarchs. He could not say what specific part aggravated him. He felt as though they had accomplished nothing and nothing had been agreed upon—except for a party.

A party.

Proposed by Princess Dahlia, in the spirit of repairing relations and learning about one another, she said. A celebration. Eyad pounced on the idea like a man looking for a raft in a raging sea. Garridan wasn’t sure whom he disliked more at that moment.

His faith in the sorcerer—what little there had been—sputtered and died like a weak flame in a strong wind.

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