Of Ice and Shadows by Audrey Coulthurst

Author:Audrey Coulthurst
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2019-07-23T16:00:00+00:00

FIFTEEN

Amaranthine

EVERY MORNING IT TOOK A FEW MINUTES OF WAKEFULNESS to remember that Denna was gone. I hadn’t allowed the court to assign me another maidservant, so I always woke alone to the sounds of the merchants’ hall: footsteps up and down the hallway, the muffled conversations of other residents as they departed for early breakfasts or business meetings, and the clatter of wood being delivered outside my door. In those sleep-fogged moments, it felt and sounded like the world was going on without me, especially as Denna’s absence reasserted itself. In many ways it was. My incremental progress as an ambassador was surely nothing compared to what Denna was experiencing in Corovja. A whole new magical life was opening up to her, while my existence felt like it was closing in on me.

Other than the occasional morning spent at the stables teaching Fadeyka to ride, I trained with the sword until I was so sore I could barely move by dinner each evening. The intensity of training provided a welcome distraction from missing Denna, and also allowed me to keep an eye on Alek. I most frequently sparred with Kerrick, one of the few trainees junior enough to fight me without being bored out of his skull. Every day I made it my goal to challenge him enough to wipe the ever-present smirk off his face, which wasn’t easy since he fought dirty and used his short, wiry stature to dodge me with grace. Regardless, it was nice to be in company that didn’t treat me like a princess or a leper—just an opponent. The salle was a simple place, and I liked that.

“Want to come have a dram before dinner?” Kerrick asked as we wiped down our swords. “A few of us are going to Morwen’s.”

I weighed the invitation against stalking Alek the rest of the evening, which was what I usually did after training—not that it had led to much. The man led a life as dull as his blade was sharp. After training he usually went to an early dinner, sometimes met up with other fighter types, and then retired to his chambers. The few times I’d followed him out of the Winter Court and into the city, it turned out he was going to buy scrap leather for armor repair or to get his blades sharpened.

I watched as Alek stepped back from correcting the stance of one of the more advanced trainees. The woman executed her pattern with such swiftness and grace that I could barely see her blade. I sighed. As hard as I was trying, it would take me years to get that good. And I didn’t want to imagine the horror of still being in this hellsmouth years from now.

“A dram sounds good,” I said, hoping I could get more insight about Alek from the other soldiers. Even though I wanted to retreat to my room and my brooding thoughts, there was more I could learn from the fighters.

Four of us left the salle together, with Kerrick in the lead.

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