“I doubt that.”
“It’s true,” he says. “Even soldiers trained for battle freeze up sometimes.” He spreads his feet wide and then moves into a defensive position. “Show me what you can do.”
Without hesitation, I rush toward him. He tries to dodge me, but I’m faster. I grip his forearm as he tries to spin away. I use his own momentum to push him forward, nearly causing him to lose his balance and fall over.
He turns to face me with a wide grin. “You’re good.”
I narrow my eyes. “I want to be better. I want to be able to use this if or when someone comes after us again.”
“We’ll practice, then,” he tells me. “Morning and night. Sound good?”
“Sounds good,” I agree.
Chapter 21
Cael
She spreads her feet apart in a defensive stance and I do the same. We circle one another a moment before she rushes toward me. I barely duck in time to avoid her attack. She grins as I regain my footing and face her down, readying myself.
I had worried that her smaller size made her weak, but she uses it to her advantage, forcing my center of gravity to shift in a way that challenges everything I know.
She jumps, spinning and kicking out with her left foot. I barely miss taking a direct blow to the head. She is an excellent sparring opponent just as she was in our last life.
Horrified that she almost hit me, she stops, and I use her hesitation to rush toward her, taking her in a defensive hold, instantly immobilizing her.
She struggles against me as I band one arm around her waist, pinning her arms at her sides. With her back to my front, I wrap my other arm around her neck, gripping her jaw firmly with my hand to keep her still. I lean down and whisper against her ear. “Never let your guard down when facing an enemy.”
Her blue eyes burn with defiance as she turns her head to look back up at me, gritting her teeth as she tries to break free. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“I’m fine,” I state firmly. “Never feel sympathy for your enemy, Kyra. They will only use your kindness and mercy against you. Now. Concentrate. You can break this hold, but only if you focus.”
She struggles even more, growling in frustration. “My enemy,” she emphasizes the word, is my friend, and I did not want to hurt him.”
Memories of our sparring sessions in our previous life surface in my mind. We ended many of these sessions tangled up in each other’s arms. Desire burns through me like fire as I remember those moments between us.
Right now, I want nothing more than to bear her to the ground and make passionate love to her. I clench my jaw as frustration fills me. We cannot be together. Not like before. I refuse to put her life in jeopardy.
I force myself to release her and step away before I succumb to temptation.
She gives me a confused look. “Why did you let go? I thought I was supposed to break free on my own.”
My nostrils flare as she moves toward me. I draw her delicate scent deep into my lungs. My desire for her is so great it threatens to overwhelm me. Although it is difficult, I force myself to push down my longing, reminding myself that her life hangs in the balance and I cannot compromise her in any way.
I meet her eyes evenly. “I am your friend and your guard, but you must treat me as if I am an enemy when we spar. I want you to be prepared for anything, Kyra. Your life may depend on it someday.”
A smile tugs at her lips as she stares up at me through long lashes. “I know. But it’s hard because I don’t want to hurt you, Cael.”
My heart clenches as her gaze holds mine. I long to pull her into my arms and vow that I will be her shield—her guard and her protector. That I will allow no harm to ever come to her. But I know this is something that cannot be promised by anyone. And because I care for her… I must help her to be prepared for any dangers that we may face. “You would only hurt me if you were harmed because you held back during our training. You must treat me as you would an enemy, Kyra. That is how we both must train.”
Her blue eyes stare deep into mine. Unable to stop myself, I reach out and cup her cheek. “I would protect you from all danger if I could, but I might not always be able to. You need to be prepared for whatever may come for us. Somehow, I failed you in our last life and I vow that I will not make the same mistake again. Do you understand?”
She nods and then turns her back to me. “Take me in the defensive hold again. I think I can break free of it this time.”
My chest fills with pride. She is as fierce and strong in this life as she was in our last. “As you wish, my queen.”
Chapter 22
Kyra
As we make our way down the road, I’m thankful for the horses because my entire body aches from all our sparring practice this morning. But it’s frustrating how my horse seems to keep wanting to go off the path and graze. I constantly have to guide him back to the road. The fifth time it happens, I huff out an exasperated breath.
Cael grins back at me. “Problems?”
I roll my eyes. “I think you should ask my horse. Why do you get the good one, and I get the stubborn one?”
My horse’s head jerks up.
“Stubborn?” the word echoes in my mind. “I’m not stubborn. I am just hungry.”
I go still, blinking several times as I look to Cael.
“Did you just say something?” I ask, even though I know his lips didn’t
