Hearts of Stone

20. Lost Skills and Mysteries

Wrong. 

She was doing everything wrong, as if four days of lying around and worrying over Cage had driven every ounce of battle skill out of Kat.

He'd only spared a few moments in which he changed his filthy clothes and wolfed down something from the kitchen, after which he ordered her to the armory. It made her want to hit him with something even more, but she complied and got to work. 

After watching her for what felt like an hour, all trails of lingering amusement vanished. Instead, his expression morphed into an annoyed frown, as if her incompetence was a personal affront.

"Stop it, you're embarrassing yourself," he growled.

She lowered her sword, sweat dripping down her back. "So we're back to growling now?"

In truth, she didn't mind the interruption of the exercise. She'd thought swordplay would be a welcomed distraction after everything she'd been through lately, but it didn't work. Torn between the need to yell at him and the fear of the voices inside her head, it took all she had not to drop the sword.

It appeared that nothing could distract her from her anger at him anyway. And anger didn't make her better. It made her sloppy.

It wasn't even about him either, but the idea that she had fallen so hard for someone who could kill her. Someone she didn't truly know. It was the fear of information and her dire need to know.

It was the beast and the curse and her failure to escape all of it. He made an excellent point. Why hadn't she left? Why hadn't she saved herself and returned to her father? Maybe it was because he'd shown her the deepest proof of love possible in their situation. He'd set her free.

"What happened to you?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm angry," she answered with a shrug.

"About my disappearing?" He tilted his head, his annoyance replaced by curiosity.

She growled, too, exasperated by how that look on his face only made her want to hug him. Why? Why when he'd probably sink claws into her the very next moment and tear her to shreds like that poor tapestry?

"No. That annoyed me, too, but it's this whole situation that's driving me up the wall. So shut up and go away."

He quirked an eyebrow, obviously unimpressed with her rudeness. "Is this the part where I remind you that this is my castle and I do whatever the hell I want?"

"No, this is the part where you shut up and go away." Her hands shook so badly from anger and exertion, she was half afraid she'd end up cutting his real face this time.

"It's you who should have gone away while you had the chance."

And she felt more stupid about it with every passing second. But the thought of returning to her father seemed to drain her more. Her life had been so boring without Cage.

You need him. You need his magic, his danger.

She shook away the voice. Her thoughts were becoming jumbled and her heart stuttered. Sadness, loneliness, anger, disappointment. Fear of rejection.

"Why do you keep trying to throw me out?" You told me you loved me.

He rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed with her. "Because I want you to live."

"What kind of life would that be?"

"Better than no life at all!"

His words cut through her, filling her with both shame and pain. "Don't you want to fight for us?"