The sun wasn’t even up yet when Kael kicked my boots.
“Get up, Elara. Shadows don’t wait for lazy people.”
My whole body hurt so bad. Every bone felt like it had been smashed flat against the cave floor.
Why does morning always make everything hurt worse?
Kael didn’t look tired at all. He looked hard, like he was made of iron and bad choices.
He took me to this hidden clearing. Red rocks curved around us like a bowl. Kept the wind out. Kept eyes away.
“Fight me,” he said. He dropped his heavy cloak on the dirt.
“Fight you? What do you mean? I don’t know how to fight, Kael. I was just a maid. I carried trays. Scrubbed floors. That’s it.”
“Then use the shadows,” he said. He dropped low into a crouch. “Show me that monster everyone’s so scared of.”
“I’m not a monster!” I snapped.
H
