When the cock crowed three times, I woke up to a beautiful autumnal morning. The sun cast its golden light onto fiery yellow and red leaves perforated only by evergreen firs. A breeze swept through the clearing, carrying the scent of freshly tilled earth, crisp leaves, and bonfires. I took a deep breath and exhaled as the clouds drifted across the sky.
What a perfect day for a run! Nature's birthday gift.
Since I'd recovered from my magical mishap four weeks ago, I'd kept my promise to whip myself into shape. Every morning began with an hour-long run through the gardens. On days when I felt really brave, I tried the obstacle course, which always kicked my ass and made me want to collapse in a heap of sweat and sore muscle.
I wanted to impress Lord Darius with my hard work before we started our training sessions. A few times, I saw the Shadow Rider watching me from his study, his gloved hand pressed against the glass. Whenever I caught him staring, he would turn away. But I couldn't help but notice that he'd begun to take his brisk walks around the same time.
Today I felt strong, so I decided to wear leather armor for extra resistance. I framed my pale face with a loose braid so that my bushy bundle of wayward fire would stay out of my eyes. Unaware that I wasn't alone, I flexed my arms in the mirror and grinned.
Yes! They're no longer sticks!
"Damn, girl!" Axa said as she stood in the doorframe, and a yelp escaped my lips as I whipped around to face her. "All your hard work is paying off. Your twiglets have turned into lemons!"
"Thanks to you and our evening combat sessions," I replied.
"Yeah, I ain't the only one who can carry fifty-pound bags of soil now." Axa came in and gave me a giant hug. "Happy birthday, sis!"
"Thanks," I said with a grin. "Hey, are you up for a run?"
"Aww, fuck no! I like my knees, thank you very much. I'm hitting the iron." She flexed her bulky muscles, and my cheeks flushed crimson. "Don't worry. Ain't no way you gonna look like this. Gotta compare like with like--I could never run ten miles per hour."
"Just like I could never lift five hundred pounds."
"Before our workouts, though, you gotta see your birthday present."
"I told you not to buy anything."
"Who in Hades said I bought you anything, dumb-ass?" she asked with a grin. "Come on, you're gonna love this!"
As Axa walked with purpose through the hallways, I had to jog to keep up with her long strides. "Come on, keep up, pencil legs!"
"I don't have--"
Axa came to a halt when she arrived at the giant wooden castle doors and pulled me to one side. "You know we got a bunch of new recruits last night, right?" she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
"Oh, no! You're not setting me up with a guy, are you?" I whispered with a suspicious glare as I folded my arms.
"Shit, no!" she exclaimed in an excited whisper. "This is much better. I pulled some strings--well, Lord Darius did--and we made sure one of your friends got accepted!"
YOU ARE READING
Deception
Fantasy"Science is magic comprehended, and magic is science misunderstood." ___ The evil kingdom of Gatál has conquered the peaceful kingdom of Halcía and has ruled the land with an iron fist for the past sixteen years. When an infamous Gatál press gang c...
