Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 41 - Chapitre 50

SeraI spat a mouthful of dirt onto the packed earth. The taste of copper and dry soil coated my tongue. I stayed on my hands and knees for three seconds, forcing oxygen back into my lungs, before I pushed myself up.My legs shook. My ribs throbbed with a sharp, localized heat every time I inhaled.The last three days of training had broken me down to my base components. But a few things had changed. My coordination was sharper. My feet moved to the correct positions without me having to look down and check them. And I could see Yvara’s attacks before they landed.That was the result of Yvara’s constant, brutal repetition. I didn't look at her hands anymore. I didn't look at her face. I kept my eyes locked on her shoulders and her hips. I saw the slight dip of her left shoulder right before she threw a hook. I saw the shift in her waist right before she kicked.I saw it happen. My brain registered the movement.But seeing it wasn't the same as dodging it. Most of the time, my body was

SeraMy mother’s hands were too soft. They felt strange against my skin, like something that didn't belong in the North. She dabbed a wet linen cloth against my cheek, her fingers trembling so badly she kept missing the dirt.The guest room was stifling. She had ordered the Valdris servants to build the fire incredibly high, and the air tasted like dry ash. Two of her maids were unpacking heavy wooden trunks in the corner, their movements stiff and terrified."I cannot believe you are living in a stone room," my mother said. The heavy silk of her blue dress rustled as she shifted her weight. "It is freezing here. The servants do not even know how to properly heat washing water. They smell like wet dogs.""The water is fine," I said."We can fix this," she said, lowering the cloth. It dropped onto the stone floor with a wet slap. "Lord Torin brought gold. A lot of it. We can offer the chief a bribe. We can offer him a southern estate near the coast. Land buys peace, Sera."I pulled my

SeraMina stood up. She walked over and pulled it open.Lord Torin stood in the hallway. Two Valdris guards stood directly behind him, their hands resting on their sword hilts. Torin looked at Mina with obvious disgust before his eyes found me sitting on the floor with grease coating my fingers."Princess Seraphina," Torin said. His voice was hard and commanding. "Get up. You are returning to the guest wing."I stayed on the floor. "I am staying here.""Your mother is highly distressed," Torin said. "King Aldric instructed me to ensure your safety. You will not participate in this barbaric duel tomorrow. I am forbidding it on behalf of the Valdris crown.""You do not forbid anything in my fortress."The voice came from the dark shadows of the hallway.Torin flinched. He spun around.Fenris stepped into the torchlight. He wore his dark fighting leathers, smelling of pine and cold iron. He looked massive next to the southern guards, his broad shoulders taking up half the corridor."Alph

FenrisYesterday evening. One hour before I walked into Sera’s hallway and found Lord Torin trying to give orders in my fortress.The scent of southern perfume was a thick, rotting sweetness in the cold mountain air. It smelled of vanilla and crushed flowers, mixed with the sharp, bitter tang of raw panic. I smelled her before she even stepped out of the shadows.I was walking down the lower residential corridor. Yvara was beside me. We had just finished discussing the yard rotations for the next morning. The stone walls were freezing, radiating the deep chill of the mountain.The Queen of Valdris stepped out from the intersecting hallway leading to the guest wing.She did not walk out with the grace of a royal. She stepped out quickly, her heavy blue silk skirts dragging across the rough stone floor. Two Valdris guards followed her. They stopped the moment they saw me. Their hands twitched toward their sword hilts, but they did not draw. They knew better. They stayed back, pressing t

Fenris"I do not bet on losing dogs. I do not send my mate into a ring to die."The Queen stared at me. She was calculating again. She was searching for a way to argue without crossing the line into disrespect. She gripped her silk skirts in her fists. I could see she wanted to scream at me, probably call me a fool. But the fear of Aldric’s wrath kept her mouth shut. She swallowed. She chose silence over defending her daughter’s life.It was disgusting to watch.Yvara pushed off the wall. Her boots scraped against the stone.The Queen jumped at the sudden noise. She looked at Yvara.Yvara walked slowly toward us. She stopped next to me. She looked the Queen up and down, examining her expensive dress, her pinned hair, and the tear stains on her face."Even now," Yvara said, her voice raspy and loud in the quiet corridor. "You are still selfish."The Queen stiffened. "Excuse me?""You heard me," Yvara said. She pointed a scarred finger at the Queen’s chest. "You are standing here beggin