“I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
Lukas’s face softened. “You didn’t. I’m sorry we woke you.”
“I’m sorry, too.” One corner of Conlan’s mouth lifted. “There’s nothing worse than having a good sleep interrupted.”
“Conlan.” Lukas shot his friend a stern look. Conlan chuckled and winked at me.
I glanced at the dark sky outside and thought I saw the faint light of morning. Through a yawn I asked, “What time is it?”
“Early. Go back to sleep,” Lukas said, and I noticed he was wearing different clothes from the night before. “My father wants to see me before we meet with his council today.”
I went to sit on the couch. “I thought only humans were workaholics.”
“You don’t have to leave,” Lukas said when I picked up the shoes I’d discarded last night.
I pulled on the shoes and stood. “You have a busy day ahead, and I doubt I’ll be able to get back to sleep now.”
What I didn’t say was that it would be best if I went back to my quarters while everyone else was asleep. No doubt, I was already the talk of the whole court after yesterday, and I had no desire to give them more to gossip about. Me leaving Lukas’s suite in the same clothes I’d worn yesterday would definitely cause a stir.
“I’ll see you later today to hear how your training went,” he said.
Conlan didn’t hide his smirk as he extended a hand to me. “Let me see you back to your quarters.”
“I think I can find my way without getting lost,” I replied irritably, which only heightened his amusement.
He shrugged. “You never know when a drakkan might come and whisk you away. Or you might run afoul of one of Vaerik’s jealous admirers. There are dangers everywhere.”
“Funny guy.” I curled my lip as I walked past him. “To think you used to be my favorite.”
“I am?” he said brightly. “Wait. Used to be?”
Opening the door, I looked back at Lukas. “See you later. Have a good meeting.”
I was halfway across the courtyard when the door opened behind me, and Conlan said, “I took a bullet for you. I am definitely your favorite.”
I kept walking as a grin crept across my face.
* * *
“Where is the gym?” I asked Faris as we stepped onto the lift on my level.
The lift started to descend before he answered. “The training room is on the first level.”
I turned my head to look at him. “And it’s available to everyone at court?”
Faris laughed and shook his head. “I doubt most people here even know where to find it. We don’t need to exercise to keep fit like humans do. Some of us train to serve the crown and others because they have roles that could put them in danger.”
“Like Lukas?”
“Yes. He has trained alongside us since we were children. After Faolin, he is the most skilled fighter in Unseelie,” Faris said, his voice full of pride.
The lift stopped, and we got off. Faris led me down a hallway I hadn’t used yet, and we came to a set of rough-hewn wooden doors that reminded me of something from a medieval castle. The whole ground level had that feel, now that I thought about it, and I kind of liked it. It was as if we had gone back in time.
He opened one of the doors and waved me into a windowless room that had to be as big as the gymnasium at my old high school. The walls and ceiling were rough stone, and the floor was covered in gray padding.
On every wall were racks of weapons used for hand-to-hand combat, and a thrill of excitement and fear went through me at the sight of them. None of my previous training had involved weapons, and I was eager to start.
The room was occupied by at least thirty people, who mostly ignored us as they trained alone or in pairs. Two females sparred with swords, their movements so fluid and powerful they would make a samurai jealous. I wondered if I would be that good someday.
We kicked off our shoes at the door and crossed the room to where Faolin was moving through the steps of an intricate staff routine. I’d seen him use a staff at Lukas’s place in New York, but it was clear that he’d been holding back. I’d never seen anyone move so fast or with such precision, and trying to follow his movements made me a little dizzy.
Faolin ended the routine abruptly, facing us. “Today, you start weapons training. We will begin with the staff.”
“Good morning to you too,” I said dryly.
His sharp eyes skimmed me, taking in my blue T-shirt, black leggings, and my hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. It was the same basic outfit I’d worn for our training back home.
“Good morning. I trust you are well rested despite your early rise,” he replied with a trace of mockery.
Faris snickered softly beside me, and I huffed out a breath. I should have known Conlan would blab to the others.
Faolin picked up a wooden staff leaning against the wall and handed it to me. I stood it on end, noticing it was shorter than the one he used and had no metal on the tips.
“This is a training staff,” he informed me. “You will use it until you are proficient enough to handle a combat staff.”
I hefted the weapon. “Okay. Where do we start?”
“First, you will learn how to stand and hold it properly. There are different holds, but this is the one you will begin with.” He repositioned my hands on the center third of the staff. Then he demonstrated the various stances and showed me which one to use now.
“We will begin with basic strikes and blocks so you can get used to the feel of the weapon. Once you can execute all the strikes, you will learn how to use them together. After that, you can practice sparring with a partner.”
“How long will it take to get to sparring?” I asked.
He walked over to pick up his own staff. “That depends on you.”
And so began my first training session with the staff. Faolin demonstrated a strike, and I had to ask him to slow it down and repeat it several times. Then I tried it, and he corrected my position and follow-through. It was tedious work, and he was critical of every move I made, but I was rewarded with a thrill of satisfaction whenever he gave a curt nod of approval and switched to the next strike.
As I got more comfortable with the staff, I noticed how much better my balance and agility were. Some of it was because I was Fae, but I suspected part of it was due to my months of training with Faolin and the others. It was good to know all that running up and down stairs hadn’t been for nothing.
After two hours of barking orders at me, Faolin had to leave. He told me to continue practicing for at least another hour today, and we would pick up where we left off tomorrow. My arms and shoulders were tired, but I kept at it, determined to master the strikes he’d taught me so far.
“You are a natural with the staff,” said one of a group of female guards who had been training across the room from me. “It took me days to execute one strike to my trainer’s satisfaction.”
I stopped practicing to face her. She had black hair and a friendly smile, something I wasn’t used to seeing on the females at court. There was something vaguely familiar about her, but I couldn’t recall seeing her among the guards on duty.
I grimaced. “I don’t suppose your trainer was Faolin?”