The Liberian

Chapter 54

Elecia hovered off to the side, exempt from Derek’s words.

“If you talk back or refuse, I may reconsider my kindness of being your teacher.”

His voice was that of a prince, not the Derek she knew. Halle glanced at Fritz, wondering if it was only for his benefit. Hardy was friends with Derek; Elecia clearly had some connection; and Halle was ...

What was she?

That question echoed in her mind while they began their physical training. It ran through her head until Halle focused only on not getting sick from running and jumping. Derek refused to let them take off their armor; their physical training required it, he said. Fritz was the first to collapse, earning his ire.

Fritz struggled to his feet. Halle and Hardy stood panting. Hardy was in far better shape than Halle, who felt like she could collapse at any moment.

“Right, then.” Derek shared a long look with Elecia. “Elecia, Halle, pair up.”

“What?” both women exclaimed in unison.

“That is an order.” Derek pushed away from the tree, looking down at Elecia. “I trust you to impart your knowledge and skill.” The dark-skinned woman rolled her eyes, but didn’t object a second time. Derek didn’t even look at Halle, giving her no say. Halle decided that she had done something terrible to offend the prince, but whatever it was eluded her. The only thing she could think of was the Joining. But that had been his idea. And of all the words Halle could use to describe what happened between them the night prior, none would be negative.

“Hardy, can you tell me how a Firebearer fights?” Derek asked.

“Hand-to-hand combat with the occasional long-ranged attack,” Hardy responded.

“And Waterrunners?” The prince nodded and turned to Fritz.

“A mixture of offensive freezing attacks and defensive illusions,” Fritz sounded like he quoted from a textbook.

“And Groundbreakers?” Derek turned to Elecia.

“Highly defensive magic, stone skin impenetrable to bladed and most ice or fire attacks, combined with skills in weapons.” The woman rested her hands on her thighs, and Halle noticed the grooves in the other woman’s greaves were not decorative. She’d overlooked it before, but Elecia had two short swords strapped to her legs.

“As for Windwalkers ...” The prince’s voice faltered slightly when he turned to Halle. Her chest was tight, waiting for him to finish his thought. “We will find out.”

They spent the rest of the night going over basic punches and dodges. Elecia seemed just as displeased about having to help her as Halle was. The woman was curt and kept her comments short. But even through pursed lips and disapproving glares, Halle was learning.

The curly-haired woman was clearly experienced in combat. She moved lightly, easily, and never broke a sweat. She never made a single mistake and was never out of breath.

Everything about her seemed to get under Halle’s skin.

It was Halle’s turn to practice attacking and Elecia’s to dodge and deflect. Elecia found everything amusing. She had this annoying manner that made her seem like she was better than everyone else. She took Derek’s time and attention. Her motions were flawless. She had an elegant ease about everything, something that Halle had only ever seen royalty exude. Halle swung wide, and Elecia gave a small jab to her open shoulder. She took a step back and stared at Elecia.

Halle blinked in shock that she hadn’t put it together sooner. She had no proof, but something in her gut told her she was not wrong. The rumors of her being in the palace, the casual attitude toward royalty, it all made sense. Only people who came from wealth and affluence acted the way Elecia did. As if the world was a toy for her entertainment.

“What is it?” Elecia asked. “Giving up already?”

Halle returned to her assault. “Elecia.” She threw a punch, the other woman dodged. “Tell me—how old—were you—when you—first came—to the palace?” Her words were punctuated with her fists.

Elecia took a step back and paused. “What are you talking about?” The woman arched an eyebrow.

“Was it for a gala? Or was your father or mother on official business?”

Elecia’s eyes widened, and Halle resumed the attack. The woman recovered slowly and her blocks were suddenly sloppy. “Did you sleep in a guest suite?” She threw right. “Or did your family stay somewhere else in the upper part of town?”

An annoyed frown crossed Elecia’s lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“And you’re an awful liar,” Halle spat back.

Elecia looked at her in shock. “What about you, Halle Greg? How exactly did you, less than a slip of a common girl, catch the eye of the crown prince? A nothing like you fraternizing with him!”

That got Derek’s attention. He quickly approached from where Hardy and Fritz sparred.

“You have to know that you don’t deserve even—”

Halle lunged with a shout, not letting Elecia finish another wounding word. Elecia dodged easily and put a fist in Halle’s stomach. The woman’s arm felt like a rock sinking into her abdomen, and Halle wheezed for air instead of crying out.

“Elecia!” Derek shouted as Halle doubled over, holding her stomach and coughing. He quickly crossed the remaining gap, standing between the two women.

“You think that—” Elecia cast a finger in Halle’s direction, “—will ever be anything?” She threw her head back and laughed.

“Elecia, stop this,” Derek growled.

“Oh yes, defend your pet,” she sneered back.

Hardy and Fritz stared in shock.

“Elecia,” he ground out through grit teeth, his hands balled into fists.

“Are you finally going to fight me? I’ve been waiting for a real challenge.” The dark-skinned woman said, putting her fists up. “It’s been far too long since we last went a round.”

Halle managed to tilt back onto her feet, still holding her stomach as it spasmed in pain.

Derek stomped over to Elecia and grabbed her by the collar of her plate. He jerked her to him and leaned in to place his face right in front of hers. “If you want me to spar with you like an adult, acting like a petulant child is not going to yield results, ‘Cia.”

Elecia pushed him away with a frown and a shake of her head. “Fine,” she said with a glint in her eye. “You continue to play your games with them, Derek,” she spat back.

Halle felt her mouth drop open in shock at the other woman’s use of Derek’s name.

“But—I will tell you again—that lowborn b***h isn’t worth an ounce of what you give her.” Elecia turned and stomped through the forest noisily. The brush and trees shrunk around her before curling back even more overgrown and thorny than before.