But in Rewyth, that was as good as a death sentence.
Show no weakness. Yield no mercy.
“You know how to use that thing, right?” I asked her regarding her knife. I assumed she could wield a weapon, but in the two times she had been attacked here in Rewyth, she hadn’t used it.
Something dark hardened her expression.
“I’ve used it before,” she said. I fought the urge to ask her when.
“Good,” I said, pulling an iron knife of my own from my hip. “Because fae are strong. Much stronger than any human. And you’ve seen the animals in the jungle now. That tiger was the least of your worries out there. You have to be ready.”
“For what, exactly? For your father to try and kill me? Sorry, but I’m not sure I’d have any chance against that. Dagger or not.”
“Let me show you,” I said as I pushed myself away from the wall. I didn’t think, just acted.
She stood up slowly, but fear crept into her features. I know she was thinking about how I held the knife to her throat, and probably how the assassin had done the same hours earlier.
“Relax,” I said. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
She snapped her gaze to me. “Great, it’s so nice to know my husband isn’t going to kill me, despite how much he likes threatening everyone else.”
My breath stalled.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” I said. I wasn’t sure which incident I was even talking about.
She simply nodded. “This is my new life, isn’t it? Fight to survive?”
“You’re human, Jade. Hasn’t it always been that way?”
She stiffened again. “Just because I’m not fae, just because I don’t live in a fancy castle or party with rich court members every day, doesn’t mean I’ve been fighting for survival every day.”
I considered her words. “When I saw you in the forest, I could have guessed differently.”
“I was fighting for my family.”
“Quite a family you have.”
“Likewise.”
I froze. Jade stared me down. Her and I were different. I knew that. Jade was a human who was living off scraps, hunting her own food.
I was a prince of Rewyth. In fact, I was the most feared prince in the kingdom. And it wasn’t for no reason.
But Jade didn’t need to know that just yet.
I held the knife to my side, pushing the thoughts aside. “The quickest way to harm a fae is a silver blade to the heart. It might not kill them, but it will hurt them enough for you to run and get help.”
She held her own knife, examining it as if it were the only thing keeping her from death.
“Try to stab me,” I said.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I’m not going to stab you,” she sneered.
“No,” I agreed. “You’re not. But you can try.”
Her brows furrowed. “Are all fae as cocky as you?”
I smirked. I couldn’t help it. “Not all fae are the heir to the kingdom.”
“And not all fae are the Prince of Shadows.”
“Also correct,” I said.
Jade’s hair was beginning to dry, curling slightly at the ends where the long locks hit her waist. She was thin, thinner than she was in the forest the first time I had seen her.
She wasn’t strong enough to fight off a fae.
As if she could read my thoughts, Jade lunched forward, dagger in hand and aimed directly at my chest.
Her form was decent, but I easily batted her away with my hand.
“Try again.”
She huffed, clenching her fists. It was good if she was getting angry. Anger would give her strength. Adrenaline.
She lunged again, this time with a grunt of frustration.
I grabbed her arm and twisted. Her weapon clattered to the floor.
“Are you even trying?” I asked.
She backed away and ran her hands over her face. “This is stupid. I’m not fast enough.”
“You have to be, Jade. And if you can’t be faster, you have to be smarter.”
“Smarter than who, exactly? The dozens of fae who may or may not want me dead?”
I rolled my eyes. She might not have been trying to be difficult, but we were stuck in an endless cycle.
“Are you done feeling sorry for yourself?” I asked.
“Excuse me?”
“Look,” I said. “I get that you’re in a shit situation. But your attitude really isn’t helping.”
“My attitude?” she repeated. I just nodded in response. “I’m sorry that I can’t be happy and helpful all the time when my sister might be freaking out, your brothers may want to kill me, you ripped off someone’s head on our wedding night, and now we might be walking into some sort of testosterone bomb. Apologies, my prince.”