Chapter 28

Aurelia POV

The main training yard of the Redmoon estate smelled of iron, sweat, and churned earth. The morning cold was biting, but I barely felt it.

Hardwood clattered against hardwood with a deafening crack.

I pivoted sharply on my heel, bringing my practice blade up just in time to catch a brutal overhead strike. The force of the blow rattled through my forearms, sending a jolt of pain up my shoulders, but my feet stayed planted in the dirt.

Declan, the guard, didn’t pull his next strike. He spun, driving the butt of his wooden sword directly toward my chest. Golden magic sparked along my skin, flooding my muscles with sudden speed. I ducked beneath his sweep, swept my leg across the muddy ground, and clipped his back ankle.

Declan stumbled forward, catching himself on one knee before turning back to face me, his graying hair damp with sweat. A low, approving grunt escaped his throat.

“Better,” Declan said, stepping back into a defensiv