Becky

Meanwhile, back at the manor…

It was two men fighting. Of course.

Banging into each other and knocking tables and chairs over as they went. The damage reports for the broken furniture would fall to Becky, and they would take forever. Before, she was annoyed, but now, she was furious.

She strutted into the room, footsteps pounding behind her.

“Rebecka, you could get hurt!” Blade’s voice echoed up the staircase, but she was too angry to care. Little rats.

“Cease at once!” She didn’t scream it; she simply commanded it in a louder tone than her normal volume. Proper and proud, her grandmother had always called her.

The two interns were slamming fists into each other’s guts, blood dripping down their faces, while other interns lined the walls, throwing food along with obscenities. Some noticed her command and stopped, while others were too lost in their mutiny to give a damn. The two fighters looked like if someone didn’t stop them soon, they’d kill each other.

Fine. She’d tried it the proper way. Now it was time for proud.

She reached down, tore her skirt up the middle to allow for more movement, and dove into the fray against Blade’s and now Gideon’s yells. She gripped the first intern by the hair and used his surprise to her advantage as she slammed her elbow into his face before sweeping her foot out to knock him to the floor, where he fell with a thud. The second, shorter intern, still high on adrenaline, charged her, but he was using brute force and she agile intellect. She dodged away from his grab easily before knocking him in the back and pressing against a nerve that made him howl in pain before collapsing alongside the other one.

She took a step back and straightened her glasses. “If this hall isn’t

spotless before the end of the workday, I will be certain to tell the boss in great detail who was responsible and what sort of punishments I would deem appropriate—starting with switching to the non-energizing cauldron brew.” There were panicked murmurs, but nobody moved. “Now!”

A flurry of bodies ran frantically to the exit. Nodding, satisfied, Becky spun on her heel, her thigh partially exposed to the cool air in one of the highest points of the manor. She moved what was left of her skirts to cover it before glancing up and finding Blade standing before her.

He was gaping at her, his perfect white teeth visible as his mouth hung wide open. “What in the deadlands was that?”

She’d be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy the astonishment on his normally confident face. “That was me doing my job.”

“No, no, no. Hold on, soldier. Where did you learn to fight like that?”

She grinned to herself, finding a nearby mirror to fix her hair. She slid the falling pins out, and thick, silky brown waves fell down her back. Pulling her fingers through the strands, she began pinning it back up. “You’d be surprised how paperwork strengthens the muscles.” She dropped a pin, and it was fished up quickly by one of her favorite pixies. “Thank you, Nalia.” She gave the pixie a small smile and began pushing the pins back in, the skin on her face yanked tight.

Blade laughed, wagging his finger behind her. “Oh, no. You’re not getting out of this that easily, lovely Rebecka. I’m not giving up until you—”

But he was cut off when one of the interns who had been fighting, Caden, stood up and gripped her by the shoulder hard enough that she yelped in pain. “I was going to win! This was my chance for a promotion, you frigid witch!” he screamed in her face.

In seconds, Blade was pulling the man away from her and restraining him against the brick wall with seemingly no effort. When the intern tried to break free and reach for her again, Blade shoved an arm into the man’s chest, pinning Caden in place. “Apologize,” Blade thundered. “Now!”

The intern sneered, blood still dripping from his nose. Becky watched, motionless, her hairpins forgotten.

“I’m sorry,” the intern mumbled, still squirming, though he stopped when Blade pressed his arm tighter across the intern’s chest.

“Louder.” The dragon trainer smiled, but it was a far cry from the jovial man who charmed everyone and flirted in the office day after day. This was what lay beneath the surface. This was just for her. “So she can hear you.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Erring,” Caden said loudly, humbly. Blade released him, keeping his body between Caden and her, then pounded the man on the back.

“There. Now, that’s better, isn’t it? Do we see why manners are important?” Blade then gripped the intern by the collar and tugged him close. “Speak to her like that again and I’ll throw you to my dragon and let him pick his teeth with your bones.”

The intern cried, sprinting away as soon as he was released. Becky could only stare, slack-jawed.

But Blade had already moved on, like the encounter had never happened, straightening his sky-blue vest. “So? Where did you learn to fight like that?”

“I, uh…need to get back to work,” she said hesitantly, backing away. Blade frowned, scratching his head. “Of course. Maybe later?”

She swallowed. “Maybe!” But she was already sprinting toward the stairs, where Gideon Sage leaned against the wall, a knowing look in his eyes.

“So I was right,” Gideon said, shaking his head. “It is you.”

“If you say a word, I will deny it,” she hissed, angry at herself for being so careless. Of course he’d recognized her; she’d just given him blatant evidence with her showmanship.

Gideon flattened his mouth into a grim line. “I understand secrets, Ms. Erring.” He emphasized her name, knowing now that it was false. “I won’t say a word. Don’t worry.”

She turned back and noted Blade’s frown, the way he eyed the small space between her and Gideon. He was misunderstanding, and she had to let him. Her secret must remain just that—a secret.

Or her whole world would topple.

And the life she’d built for herself with it.