Kingdom of the Cursed (Kingdom of the Wicked, #2) (65)

Gold serpents coiled around the ebony marble columns, making them the most fantastical and gorgeous columns I’d ever seen.

Swords, daggers, shields, bows and arrows, and an assortment of knives gleamed in black and gold from their meticulously spaced positions on the walls.

I spun in place, taking in the splendor of it all. In the very back of the room there was a mosaic of a serpent. Unlike the ouroboros inlaid on the floor, this snake’s body coiled into an intricate knot. It reminded me of something, but I couldn’t place it.

Against the far wall was a bale of hay with a giant target painted on its center. A small table lay to the left with daggers lined up in a perfect row. I stared at them, my fingers itching to grip their hilts and toss them through the air.

“Our first lesson will be on your stance.” Anir moved to the center of the weapons room and pointed to the space on the mat in front of him. I stopped gawking and stood where he’d indicated. “Your feet should always be planted firmly on the ground, giving you steady leverage to lunge, strike, or dodge swiftly in any direction without losing balance.”

I shifted so I mirrored his position. His feet were slightly wider than his hips, with one a step forward and the other planted back. There was something almost familiar about the pose, but I’d never fought or had reason to have lessons such as this.

“You’ll want your weight distributed evenly. Make sure your knees follow the direction your feet are pointed.”

I wobbled a little, then adjusted myself. I’d barely glanced up when Anir rushed forward, forearm thrust out like a battering ram, and made contact with my solar plexus, sending me flying backward. My arms windmilled before I landed ungracefully on my rear.

I glared up at my teacher. “You, signore, are terrible.”

“I am. And you, signorina, just learned your first lesson,” he lobbed back at me. He held out a hand and helped me to my feet. “Never take your attention off your opponent.”

“I thought this lesson was on stance.”

“It is.” He winked. “Looking down doesn’t do you any favors with balance. If you have to glance down, use your eyes, not your entire upper body. Self-awareness is key.”

We repeated the routine with varying degrees of my being knocked on my bottom. Even with the padded mat on the floor, I’d be sore in the morning. With each strike, I grew a little more secure in my stance, wobbled less. Sweat beaded my brow as we sparred again and again.

It felt good, working my body, emptying my mind.

Sometime later, Anir called for a break and blotted at the perspiration on his neck and face with a length of linen. I was still ready to go but stepped back, bouncing on the balls of my feet. I felt alive, my muscles shaking but hungry for more use.

He bent at the waist. “Take five.”

I followed him to a side table set up with a pitcher of water and glasses.

“Where is Wrath?” I don’t know why I blurted it out, but it seemed odd that the demon of war was nowhere to be found while we were in his glorious weapons chamber.

Anir glanced sideways at me as he poured himself a glass and downed it by half. “I didn’t think you’d mind his absence.”

“I don’t. I’m just curious.” When he didn’t respond, I found my ridiculous mouth filling the silence. “He seemed uneasy about my choosing to visit House Envy. I would have thought he’d wish to see me when I returned.”

“Do you ask after me when I’m away?”

“No.”

“Ouch.”

Blood and bones. I immediately kicked myself as Anir’s grin widened. I poured myself some water and took a sip. “I just meant…”

“No offense taken.” His eyes glinted with amusement. “Lie to yourself all you want, but you’ll have to do better around me.”

“Fine. The truth is the emissary got under my skin.”

“Lady Sundra?” Anir snorted. “I imagine so. Her father’s a duke, and she’s never let anyone forget that elevated rank. She always believed she’d make an advantageous marriage match with a prince.”

“Ah. That’s why she became emissary. It put her in close proximity to all of the royals.”

“Look at you, Lady Em. You’re thinking like a cunning noble now. Most of the princes have no designs of being caught in a marriage snare, though. No matter how many schemes noble families like hers attempt, the princes are content as they are. Her natural state runs angry; it’s nothing personal against you.”

“So, the higher the rank, the more the demons exhibit the sin they’ve aligned with.”

“From what I’ve gathered in my time here, yeah. Though no one can ever gain enough power to overthrow a prince. They are something else entirely. It’s like the difference between a lion and tiger. Both are large, predatory cats, but they are not the same.”

“And the lesser demons? They’re different from the nobles.”

“Indeed. And it’s why they often choose to live on the outskirts of their circles.”

“If Lady Sundra is best aligned with House Wrath, how would she marry a prince who represented a different sin?”

“It would be rare, but not unheard of for her to shift sin alignment.”

I propped myself against the table’s edge and set my glass down. “You knew Wrath had initiated his acceptance of the marriage bond the night the Viperidae attacked me.”