They filed out in her wake, a procession of identical sneers and superior glances. As the door swung shut behind them, I exhaled slowly, tension draining from my shoulders. I was the last one left, the sudden silence a blessed relief after Valeria’s pointed barbs.
I finished removing my leathers, stripping down to my undergarments, and allowing myself a moment of stillness in the empty room. A month ago , I would have responded to such threats with immediate violence. The arena had taught me to strike first, to establish dominance through fear. But here, in this nest of nobility and privilege, different rules applied — rules of patience, of calculation, of carefully chosen moments. Maybe once Valeria got comfortable with dragon riding, I could knock her off somewhere away from the city. I grinned wickedly at the thought.
The door creaked open behind me, and I turned, expecting a straggler from Valeria’s group. Instead, Lord Varin stood in the doorway, his tall frame blocking the exit. His lips curved into a smile that never reached his eyes.
“Lady Cantius,” he said, stepping fully into the women’s changing room and letting the door swing shut behind him. “How fortunate to find you alone.”
20
Ifelt a chill run down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold stone walls of the changing room. The look in his eyes reminded me of arena masters sizing up new acquisitions — calculating potential value against the effort of breaking resistance.
“This is the women’s changing area, Lord Varin,” I said. “You seem to have lost your way.”
“I’m exactly where I intend to be.” He took another step toward me, close enough that I could smell the expensive perfume he wore — desert spice and something sharper beneath. “You’ve been quite the topic of conversation since your arrival, Lady Cantius. A mysterious noblewoman with no family connections and exceptional combat skills.”
“My background is hardly a mystery,” I replied, keeping my voice steady despite the alarm bells ringing in my mind. “And I fail to see how it concerns you.”
“Everything in this academy concerns me.” His smile turned predatory as he moved closer still, deliberately invading myspace. “My family has attended this institution for eight generations. We understand how things work here.”
I took a step back to maintain the distance between us. “Then you should understand that this is inappropriate.”
“Inappropriate?” He laughed again, louder this time. “Such delicate sensibilities from a woman who fights like a mercenary. I wonder what other contradictions you contain.”
His gaze travelled down my body in a way that made my skin crawl. I’d endured similar looks in the arena, from spectators who watched female gladiators with hunger rather than appreciation for skill. The difference was that now I had a choice as to how our interactions would go.
“Lord Varin,” I said, my voice hardening. “You will leave. Now.”
Something flickered in his eyes — surprise, perhaps, that I would speak to him so directly. Then amusement replaced it.
“You don’t give orders here, Cantius.”
“You misunderstand my position entirely. Valeria was right — you do need a lesson in how things work at the academy.”
I met his gaze coolly, even as I calculated exactly where my knife was located in my belongings behind me. “Remove your hand.”
“Or what? You’ll report me?” His grip tightened painfully. “To whom? The instructors who know my family have funded half the buildings here? The cadets who know my reputation?”
He forced me backward until I felt the wooden bench against the backs of my legs. His free hand reached for my face, fingers grazing my cheek in a mockery of tenderness that made my stomach turn.
“You’re a nobody with a pretty face and some combat tricks,” he said softly. “Useful for now, perhaps. But disposable. Whereas I am untouchable.”
I kept my expression neutral even as rage burned through me. “Are you quite finished?”
Confusion flickered across his face at my calm demeanour. “You don’t seem to understand your situation.”
“I understand perfectly.” I let my voice drop to a whisper, forcing him to lean closer to hear me. “You believe that because you were born to privilege, you can take whatever you want. That your name shields you from consequences.”
His smile returned, triumphant now. “Exactly.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” I moved with the speed that had kept me alive for months in the arena. My hand shot out, shoving hard on his chest while my leg hooked behind his knee. Varin gasped in shock as he stumbled backwards, but he was fast too, and his fingers snatched at my chest bindings as he went down, and we crashed to the floor together.
“You little—” His hand wrapped around my hair twisting painfully as he rolled over pinning me beneath him. His other hand caught me hard across the face and I blinked as my vision blurred for a second.
Copper filled my mouth. The taste was familiar — a companion from countless arena fights. I spat blood onto his pristine tunic, watching satisfaction bloom in his eyes at the sight of it. That was his first mistake. Thinking my pain was his victory.
“Is this how Lord Varin proves himself?” I hissed through clenched teeth. “Ambushing women in changing rooms?”
“I have no need to prove myself,” he said as he dragged away the bindings over my breasts. “And you haven’t seen abuse yet. I was going to be gentle, but now I’m going to enjoy ruining you.”
