Kingdom of Keys and Curses by Tayla Jean Grossberg

Author:Tayla Jean Grossberg
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tayla Jean Grossberg
Published: 2023-01-23T07:09:42+00:00

Chapter 23

An arena built for sword fighting was situated close to the armory. Inside the arena were dummies and targets, for archery and knife-throwing practice. The arena was unfenced but surrounded by big, snow-covered trees and was filled with sand, not snow. Several faeries were practicing inside, Zoey and Caynin among them.

She was sweating, gritting her teeth, as she swung her sword. It collided with Caynin’s with a loud clang. She used all her strength and gripped her weapon with both hands, yet the full force of her blow was not enough to knock Caynin back even a little. She swung twice more, and Caynin easily blocked her blows. He was making her angry because he was so good at this without even trying. He stood there, holding his sword in one hand, his expression one of studied boredom. He was not sweating, panting, or even grunting.

He dodged her next blow, grabbed her wrist, and sent her sprawling to the ground. She fell, spat out sand, and when she looked up, he was aiming his sword at her heart.

She cursed. Caynin’s laugh only stoked her fury. He lowered his sword, and she got back onto her feet.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” he said. “I’ve been fighting for centuries. Most of us learn how to wield a sword when we are still children.”

That did not make her feel better and only reminded her how weak and vulnerable she was here. Was she practicing for nothing? Would the Fata still be able to kill her easily?

“You’re doing fine,” Caynin said.

She abruptly swung her sword, hoping to catch him by surprise. He deflected her blow, and she kicked the ground.

“Do you have a special enchanted sword or something that makes you unable to lose a fight?” Her breath was short.

He frowned, evidently not understanding her sarcasm. “We don’t have any special swords. Most of them stayed behind on Erken, except for the No-Name Sword.”

“The No-Name Sword?”

“It’s the sword of Ruler Tarragon,” Caynin explained. “He is a warlord who once dueled with an Elvish prince and won. He spared the elf prince’s life, and in return, he received the sword as a token of the elf-prince’s gratitude.”

“What makes this sword special?” Zoey asked between breaths.

“It can kill anything.” Caynin dodged her blow.

She swung again, missed again, and tried to avoid her frustration.

“After Tarragon kills someone with it, that someone’s name appears on the blade.”

“So, he can keep a list of the people he murdered?” Zoey said. “That’s sick.”

“For a warlord it is a sign of his strength and skills. He carried it around like a trophy.”

“Carried? Past tense?” she wondered.

Caynin swung toward her, and the force of his blow knocked her backward.

“Do you remember I told you that years ago the Prenumbras entered through the Everblossom Kingdom? And that they killed Queen Harmonia and King Calico?”

“Yes, and they stole the princess back to Erken,” Zoey recalled. “And Tarragon broke the Egress Key when closing the door.”

“He also lost his sword,” Caynin said. “It fell through the door, to Erken.

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