Chapter 48

He took both of my hands in his, his grip strong yet careful, as if I were something precious. He raised them slowly to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss on my knuckles. The warmth of his lips sent a ripple of goosebumps across my skin, spreading from my hands up my arms and through my body. My cheeks flushed involuntarily, heat rising despite the cool air of the conservatory. The moment felt so intimate, so charged, that I had to remind myself to breathe. Before, I couldn’t stand it if he touched me, but now, he awakens things inside me. They were there before, but I didn’t want to except those feelings. He was a stranger, someone a barely knew.

" This changes everything," Kaden said, his voice breaking through the quiet, his tone resolute. " The planning for the attack might take a little longer now that we know they’re looking for you. We need to understand if your magic—FrostFire—could be linked to the barrier, and if there’s a way we can break it. Free the people trapped inside while keeping the cursed ones from escaping."

His words sent a shiver down my spine. The gravity of the situation settled over me like a thick fog. My FrostFire might be the key to everything—the barrier, the curse, everything we’d been searching for. It was a revelation that made my head spin.

Kaden's gaze softened as he continued, his fingers brushing against mine. " And now that I know they’re after you, I’m assigning more guards to you. You’ll be protected at all times."

His concern for me was clear, but there was no fear in me now. Only resolve. I wasn’t the same person who had been captured and taken to Dravonia. I was stronger now, more aware of my abilities, even if I hadn’t fully mastered them yet.

" And I’ll ask Zaden to begin your training with your FrostFire first thing tomorrow morning," Kaden added.

" If you're up to it?"

I met his eyes, my own resolve mirroring his. " I am," I said without hesitation.

The time for fear had passed. Now, it was time to act.


*****


I woke earlier than usual, the palace still quiet, except for the faint sounds of the guards changing shifts outside. I stretched and pushed myself upright, feeling the cool air from the open window drift over my skin. The atmosphere was different today—charged with a new energy. Today was the day I would begin my training with Zaden, and despite the nerves simmering inside me, I felt a strange excitement brewing as well.
At the foot of my bed, something caught my eye—a neatly folded set of black leather training gear. On top of it was a small note. I reached for the slip of paper, recognizing Kaden’s handwriting immediately.

Thought this would be more comfortable than training in a dress.

A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. It was thoughtful, even though I couldn’t help but wonder when Kaden had slipped into my room to leave it. The fact that he had done it himself, rather than asking one of the maids, made the gesture feel personal. As much as I tried to push aside my complicated feelings toward him, moments like this made it difficult.

The leather gear felt soft yet durable as I ran my hands over it. I quickly dressed and glanced at myself in the mirror. The black contrasted with my pale skin and long white hair, giving me an unfamiliar but powerful appearance. I barely recognized myself. I looked strong. I felt strong.

Merilla was at my side the moment I stepped out into the hall. Her white fur gleamed in the dim light, and she padded along beside me, her presence comforting as always. Together, we made our way to the training grounds.

*****

Zaden stood waiting for me at the center of the yard, arms crossed, his posture as rigid and disciplined as ever. The training area was alive with activity, guards sparring and practicing various forms of combat. Swords clashed, arrows thudded into targets, and the sharp commands of trainers echoed in the crisp air.

When Zaden noticed me approaching, his gaze flickered over the leather gear before he offered a slight nod of approval.

“ Ready?” he asked, his voice steady and firm.

I took a deep breath and nodded. " Yes."

" Good. We’ll start simple today. No magic—just physical combat.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. " That won’t be a problem for me. I’ve lived my whole life without magic.”

His lips twitched, almost forming a smile, but his expression remained serious. " Then let’s begin."

Zaden walked me through the basic stances and movements—how to hold my ground, how to balance my weight when throwing punches, and how to block effectively. His instructions were clear and precise, and though I had never trained for combat before, it felt surprisingly natural.

“ Combat isn’t about brute strength,” he said, demonstrating a fluid series of strikes and dodges. “ It’s about precision and control. You need to read your opponent, anticipate their moves.”

I mimicked his actions, my movements a little clumsy at first, but as the minutes passed, I started to fall into the rhythm. Zaden moved like water, each strike and block flowing seamlessly into the next. I tried to match his grace, my fists striking with more confidence as we went on.

“ Faster now,” Zaden commanded, his voice firm but encouraging.

We sparred lightly, his strikes aimed at me in a steady rhythm, forcing me to block, dodge, and counter. At first, I stumbled—his movements were quicker than mine, and I barely managed to deflect his hits. But I adapted, feeling the adrenaline surge through me as I grew quicker, my reactions sharper.

I could feel the sweat beginning to gather on my forehead, the burn of my muscles as I pushed myself harder with each movement. I was getting better, quicker. Zaden’s strikes were no longer catching me off guard.

“ You’re learning fast,” he remarked, nodding in approval as I successfully blocked a swift jab to my side.

“ But don’t get cocky. Real combat is unpredictable.”

I gave a breathless laugh. “ I’m not getting cocky—just confident.”

As we continued, I caught sight of something in my peripheral vision—Kaden and Deon were standing at the edge of the training grounds, watching us. Kaden’s gaze was intense, his eyes following my every movement. His expression was unreadable, but I could feel the weight of his attention on me.

Deon, on the other hand, looked more relaxed, arms crossed casually as he chatted quietly with Mike and Seth, who were also sparring nearby.
I tried not to let Kaden’s gaze distract me, but it was difficult. There was something about the way he watched me, like he was constantly assessing, calculating. I couldn’t tell if he was proud, worried, or something else entirely.

“ Focus, Meara,” Zaden said, bringing my attention back to him as he landed a light hit on my shoulder.

I shook off the distraction and focused on the training, blocking his next strike and countering with one of my own.

“ That’s more like it,” Zaden said with a slight nod of approval.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of punches, dodges, and blocks. I was exhausted by the time we took a break, but it was a good exhaustion. I felt stronger, more in control.

As I caught my breath, wiping the sweat from my brow, I glanced over at Kaden once more. He was still watching, his expression unreadable. I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking.

I had grown up never needing to rely on magic. And now, even with the knowledge of my abilities, there was something satisfying about knowing I could hold my own in a fight without it. This training—it was just the beginning.



*****


The morning air was crisp as I stepped out into the training grounds, my body still aching from days of intense training with Zaden. I expected to find him waiting for me, as he had been for the past few mornings, ready to push me harder than the day before. But instead, the yard was quiet. No sign of Zaden.

I frowned, scanning the grounds. The familiar clang of swords and shouts of the other guards training filled the air, but Zaden was nowhere to be found. I stepped further out, my eyes searching for any sign of him, only to catch sight of someone else.

Kaden.

He stood near the center of the yard, his back to me, the early morning sun casting a golden glow on his bare skin. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of him. His upper body was exposed, muscles taut and glistening slightly with the faint sheen of sweat. Half of his long black hair was tied back into a small ponytail, revealing his perfectly sculpted face, the sharpness of his jaw, and the intensity in his features even from a distance.