The training was no longer a test. It was a ritual. It was our language.Every morning, I would meet him in the arena. The hundred warriors would be there, a silent, watching chorus.And every morning, he would dismantle me."You're dropping your guard, Yara."Whack. The wooden staff would connect with my ribs, the sound a dull, sickening thud. I’d hit the dirt, the air punched from my lungs."An enemy will not wait for you to catch your breath. Get up."I would scramble to my feet, my body a tapestry of new, purple bruises, my lungs on fire."You're relying on your good arm. You are unbalanced. Again."He was a brutal, relentless craftsman, and I was his piece of raw, stubborn steel. He was hammering me into shape, and the process was agony.I didn't hate him for the pain. I hated him for the moments in between.I hated him for the way he’d look at me when I finally, finally, managed to block one of his strikes. A flash of silver in his eyes. A raw, dark, possessive pride.He was fo
Última actualización : 2025-11-22 Leer más