to breathe as we linked hands and focused on Sian, urging her through the link to gather her own energy.
Sian couldn't focus at first, the pain was so intense. The girls' thoughts began to break through the red haze and Sian clung to them, using their link to call her energy. The swell of blue behind her heart made her acutely aware of the shattered chest bones and blood flooding from broken veins.
Hurry, urged Loi.
Use our strength, thought Kassie.
The hum of their energies stoked and coaxed her energy to join. The cooling touch of it smoothed over the chest pain. In her minds eye she felt the shattered pieces of bone gather, then glow, as they merged back to one. Drawing a breath with no pain made her flush with relief.
Your chin, thought Cat.
Surprised, Sian drew her energy up. She hadn't noticed the pain in her face until then, but sure enough, when the energy spread up she felt the break in her jaw bone and the mashed tissue. The blue energy washed over the injuries.
Rashid watched in awe as Sian's face healed before his eyes. Normally, they patched the girls up and sent them to Elena for healing. He'd been about to race for her after seeing the results of the mace. Ignatius and Patel looked astonished. The only evidence of any accident was a pool of blood on the floor and Sian's torn and bloody top. Otherwise she looked fine. Rashid shook his head at the display of the girls' gifts.
'Been learning new tricks?'
The four nodded, smiling in relief to each other.
'Good,' he snapped. 'From now on you learn to fight with your shields up, permanently.'
The only break they got during practice was helping Sian, if you could call that a break, and when the servants cleaned the blood from the floor. By the end of the day Kassie's arms felt like they would fall off.
As they made their way back to the third floor, Kassie was suddenly grateful that Cat was such a VIP. The crowded corridors cleared like the red sea for Moses as they walked through them.
It was amazing how many more courtiers now lived at the castle, she thought, all since Cat had been announced. Really, you would have thought after the ball that everyone would have fled. Kassie nodded politely to the men and women as they bowed to Cat, then herself and the others, but didn't respond to their queries. The gossip train within the castle worked shockingly fast, and Kassie had no desire to be part of it again.
When they reached their quarters she felt a rush of delight when she saw Alek and Sabyn chatting in the common area, and she hurried to her room.
When the door opened Kassie stopped short at the sight before her. Rumal lay across their bed with a towel around his waist as he fussed over Lucky, who purred loud enough for Kassie to hear it from the doorway.
Rumal glanced up and smiled, gold eyes creasing with affection.
'Hey, beautiful.'
The weariness of the day vanished as that smile hit her. She was on the bed and snuggled into his embrace in an instant.
'Aww, Kass, did you miss me?' he teased.
She chuckled and threaded both arms around his neck, pulling his head to hers.
'Sooo much,' she breathed before tipping her mouth to his.
The next day was finally the rest day. Alek was still fast asleep when I snuck out of the room. The two guards shadowed me as I walked to the library. I thanked the one that opened the library door and paused, staring at all those shelves packed with books.
It was my intention to spend the day reading up on my realm. Not the romantic rest day I'd envisioned at the beginning of the week, but it had to be done. There was simply so much I needed to learn.
'Morning, Cat.'
I jumped. I hadn't spotted Kassie on the far couch, tucked up with a blanket and surrounded by books.
'Kass, you're up early.'
She smiled at me then pointed to the mezzanine level.
'But not the earliest.'
Leseach's melodic tenor voice called out quietly, 'Good morning, Your Highness.'
I climbed the short, narrow staircase to her level.
'Good morning. What are you studying?'
She was bent over the table looking at a large map of Elion and glanced up. Those vivid green and yellow, inhuman, eyes stared as she flashed a smile.
'Looking at where else the Sorceress wishes me to visit. I'm not familiar with Elion and wanted to get a feel