“We all swear the oath to Vala when we enter the order.” My life I give to serve and love no other than the goddess. Each drop I drink, each drop I sweat shall be in her honor. My loyalty lies with my brothers and sisters of the order from now until my last breath. No secret will leave my lips, or I will gladly lose my voice, I will give my heart to no one but the goddess. Let this water cleanse my soul so I may be worthy of serving the goddess of life. To Vala, I belong, from now until eternity.
She remembered every word, for she renewed it every day at morning prayers with bitterness and the silent hope that, one day, her life would be her own.
Had renewed it… until that day Nehelon had practically dragged her from the priory. What did that make him, a slave-master or a savior? She fell silent, studying the gold embroidery on her sleeves until Mckenzie spoke again.
“You are our last hope,” Mckenzie admitted with a voice that didn’t compare to the bubbly woman who had entered her chambers only minutes ago. “If you can’t get Josh back…”
Gandrett didn’t know why she did it, but she reached out her hand, taking Mckenzie’s in her own. The woman’s emerald eyes told of the nights of crying over her lost brother, the days of hoping for his return, and the moments of disappointment, followed by those nights of crying again.
“I don’t know if it means anything to you when I promise I will do my best to get your brother back.”
Mckenzie’s lips tightened into a smile of gratitude as they looked at each other for a moment before she retrieved her hand and clapped. “Let’s get you in shape, then.”
After three days, the training with Nehelon every morning was getting boring. He hadn’t managed to show her anything new, provoke her in a way that let her lose control of her fighting calm. All he did was bark commands and study her every move as if he, himself, couldn’t believe the level of dexterity and stamina she had achieved at the age of seventeen. After a week, she had fought and defeated the most skilled warriors in Lord Tyrem’s guard, but Nehelon didn’t give her a day of rest. He was there every morning when she entered the training grounds, and he stayed there when she left after hours of sweat and strain. She never showed him when she got tired, and he never asked. Neither of them brought up the incident in her chambers even though his eyes followed her around the pit as if he was trying to solve some riddle.
Gandrett tried not to think about the meaning of it. She was there for one purpose only—her family. She would see them again if she did well enough to be unleashed on House Denderlain soon.
As for the lessons with Mckenzie, they were making the muscles in Gandrett’s jaw, and her head, ache as much as her limbs did from the training with Nehelon. First, she wasn’t used to smiling. Second, none of the reasons Mckenzie named for those pleasant—and fake—smiles seemed worthy of half a thought. Whether it was a list of topics men liked to ramble about that she was supposed to be impressed with, or the jokes they made at other men’s cost, Gandrett, for the first time in her life, saw the value of her oath to Vala, of remaining faithful to the goddess alone.
“And that is only the beginning,” Mckenzie informed her with authentic amusement. “You will spend some time with my brother to feel more at ease with what you learn with me.”
“Brax,” Gandrett remembered. The same emerald eyes, but while Mckenzie had taken after her mother—supple body and round, rosy cheeks—Brax’s features were sharper; pleasant, handsome, yet more angled and somehow more mature.
“My twin-brother likes to think of himself as the subject of the dreams of all ladies here at court…” she paused, giving Gandrett a knowing look, “and outside the palace.”
Gandrett heard his melodious chuckle in her mind and damned herself for having stepped out on the balcony in her underthings. Nobody could know.
“And… is he?” she cautiously asked.
“A gentleman never tells,” Brax’s chuckle, the real one, sounded from the door.
Gandrett felt her face turn pink and didn’t dare turn to face him.
“We really need to do something about the guards out there, Gandrett,” Mckenzie sharply said. “Wouldn’t you agree? They seem to let anyone in.”
“Otherwise, you wouldn’t be sitting here,” Brax countered, flashing a grin at his twin while he prowled to the table where he sat and examined the bowl with the remainders of the stew Eugina had snuck into her room earlier—the way she had every day since Gandrett’s arrival. His nose crinkled.
“Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere, impressing someone?” Mckenzie sighed and folded her hands in her lap. Gandrett mimicked her, memorizing the movements for the next time someone stormed into her room to disturb whatever conversation she was having. She had already copied most of Mckenzie’s standing and sitting positions even if walking like a dancer wasn’t working just yet.
Brax shrugged, the collar of his black jacket rising to his hairline. “Whoever wanted to be impressed will need to wait for another day.” He spoke as if whoever that was wouldn’t have any more regrets than he did. “There are more important matters to tend to.” He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs as he took a good look at Gandrett and grinned. “As I can see, you have upgraded your attire,” he noted, dimples forming beside his curling lips. “Not that I minded the alternative.” He gave her a look that made color stain her cheeks anew.
Was there a lever she could pull to shut him up?
“How is our new lady faring?” he asked his twin with interest, his eyes not leaving Gandrett’s face.
Arrogant bastard. Gandrett wanted to yell, but clasped her hands together instead.
“I haven’t seen her fight, but—” Mckenzie started.
“I have,” Brax cut her off and winked. “Quite some skill.”
Gandrett wasn’t sure she imagined the hint of admiration in his emerald eyes.
“Good, but as for the foundation for her… other skills…” Mckenzie cocked her head at Brax. “Well then, if she continues at this pace, Josh will rot in Eedwood for the rest of his life.” The tone of her words was joking, but Gandrett noticed that that somberness had entered the emerald of her eyes.
Brax studied her for a moment, probably reading the same thing, and heaved himself up.” Good thing I came by then.” He prowled toward where Gandrett and Mckenzie were sitting on the couch and looked down at Gandrett. “How would you feel about a walk in the gardens, Miss Brayton?”
Mckenzie gave him a warning look that made Gandrett reconsider her initial longing for a change of scenery.
“What? I’m sure I can teach her one or two other things you can’t, sister.” He said it with a sensuous smile that made Gandrett’s core tighten.
She lowered her gaze.
Cunning. That’s what he was. Insidious.
“See,” he commented, gesturing at Gandrett’s averted eyes, “she needs my help. Now. If we want Josh back any time soon.”
Something in his tone told Gandrett he wasn’t offering his help for his brother’s sake.
Mckenzie got to her feet with a sigh—“Fine.”—and left the room with her promise to be surveying the gardens from her balcony.