Fortune Favors the Cruel - Kel Carpenter Page 0,94

played over in his mind. Draeven hadn’t ever spoken to him that way. If the man had, Lazarus would have had him dragged through the mud by his own horse. It was much the same for any other man or woman. And yet, he couldn’t do anything more than watch as Quinn left. A woman like her would either make him the greatest king in the history of the Sirian continent or be the death of him.

He hardly missed the basilisk’s presence, especially when Quinn’s mere scent had the souls he held within him so impassioned that they pushed and pulled every minute she wasn’t near him—and when she was, it was other urges—the darker ones—that pushed him. The last words she’d spoken to him still played over and over in his mind each night they camped, and she went about her business without paying him any mind. He respected her for it, though it made his growing need for her worsen.

He felt a hunger in his veins that made him restless, almost like his inner predator was craving a wild hunt—except the prey he so wanted, he couldn’t consume. Much as he might like the idea of having Quinn under his thumb, he didn’t want her in that way ever—not as a mindless creature without will. That’s exactly what she would become if he ever took her soul, and he doubted he would survive the encounter, even if that was his intention. No, his actual desire was so much worse, and watching her train with the boy killed a part of him.

“He’s skilled,” Draeven remarked beside him. They stood just on the other side of the tree line that Quinn had insisted they practice behind. No doubt wanting to escape his ever-watchful eyes.

“He is,” Lazarus agreed begrudgingly as the warrior circled her, halberd in hand. They’d put a blindfold over Quinn’s eyes this time, and when Vaughn swung his weapon for her head, Lazarus had to fight the souls as they reacted with vehement outrage.

Quinn didn’t need his assistance, though.

“Gods above,” Draeven muttered as she jumped, twisting her body mid-air to bring her foot down on the hand in which Vaughn held the halberd. The Cisean winced, releasing his weapon immediately as she landed, pivoting to give herself the room she needed to bring her opposite foot up. She struck him in the throat with enough force to send the warrior reeling—all without use of her eyes.

“But not good enough, it seems,” Lazarus remarked with no small amount of satisfaction. A smirk tugged at his lips as he watched her move back to where she stood before without removing the blindfold.

“I’m not sure any one man would be enough to handle that woman,” Draeven murmured. The smirk dropped from Lazarus’ face before his left-hand could see it. He had very different thoughts on that matter, but he wasn’t about to disclose them to anyone—not even Draeven. “She’s vicious, even in training. I don’t know if she realizes one of these times, she might actually kill him,” Draeven continued.

“If she wanted him dead, he would be,” Lazarus replied, not all that concerned.

She was too fond of him anyway, even though half of it was a farce only meant to piss him off—he was sure. He would have put an end to these little sessions if it were anything more.

The Cisean moved again, this time dragging the end of the halberd six feet behind him, trying to throw her off. Quinn stood, her back straight as the weapon itself as she pulled out the rod she’d taken from Siva. Her hands moved, and he could tell she’d been practicing when she found that notch on the staff immediately and the second half of the weapon slid out. She began to twirl it between two hands and Lazarus squinted.

Vaughn stilled, lifting the halberd from the ground silently—only to bring it down on top of her head.

Or try to, rather.

The spinning staff had picked up enough momentum that the hook on the end of the halberd caught, twisting away from her body and out of his grasp. She brought the staff to an abrupt halt, stamping her boot on the end of weapon, only inches short of the deadly twisted metal end.

“There’s no way she could have stopped that without knowing where he was,” Draven commented.

“Perhaps she heard him,” Lazarus remarked.

“Not with him dragging the halberd behind him she didn’t. That’s the first time he’s tried that, and it didn’t throw her in