Follow Your Bliss, page 30
To his credit, he was brave, running full at me with a battle cry. But I urged Pistachio straight at him, daring him to back down or be trampled.
At the last possible moment, he yelled “Bloody hell!” and threw himself aside into a low part of the clearing that had taken on rainwater, landing with a clanking splash that sent mud spraying all over him and his horse. He righted himself, pulled off both gauntlets with jerky movements, and threw them hard across the clearing in my general direction. He stood and wiped the mud from his tightly trimmed beard, eyes flashing. A vein bulged on his forehead, and his fists clenched at his sides.
I hated when they stayed to fight instead of just leaving. More than that, I missed the good ol’ days when Ady used to fight them off for me. She was up there tossing apples into her mouth like a human would eat popped corn, her eyes tracking the fight. She gave me an enthusiastic talon’s up.
“Please.” I reset the lance to its upright position. “Just go away. Thank you for trying, thank you for your concern, but I don’t want to be rescued. Today or any other day.”
“What have you done to her?” he shouted, looking up at Ady then back to me.
“Oh, for gods’ sake.” I dismounted and advanced on him with a sword, planning to drive him farther back down the path from whence he came. I punctuated my words with the clanging of my weapon against his. “Go! The! Hell! Away!”
But he was in his element on the ground. Instead of me backing him down the path, he backed me toward the sheer side of Ady’s monolith. I parried blow after blow, but he kept coming, his sword meeting mine at every turn. I was strong, but he was taller and stronger. He backed me up against the mountain, our swords straining together.
His eyes were bright and intense, and his strength was crushing me. I pushed harder, determined not to break, but I was folding.
Unless.
I blinked and shook my head, breaking eye contact and letting up just a little on my sword. I looked at him and around the clearing, as if seeing it all for the first time. “What’s happening? Who are you? Please don’t hurt me!”
His face changed from fury to concern, and he loosened his pressed sword.
Ignoring Ady’s snorting laughter in my head, I let him take my weapon. I cowered away from him with my back against the rock. “Please sir, don’t hurt me!”
“I won’t, Princess! I won’t.” He threw our swords aside and held his palms out, backing away from me a little. “See? No weapons. You’re safe now.”
He glanced up at Ady, and I chambered my thigh, delivering a front kick to his face just as he turned back to me. His head spun sideways, and he wobbled off balance as I followed up with a rear-legged kick. He dropped to the ground. I raced to Pistachio, grabbing my secret weapon from a scabbard on her side: Steelbane the Sword Slayer—Baney for short. Forged in dragon fire, Baney lived to break lesser swords.
I whirled around to see him recovered, holding both our swords and advancing on me.
His face was red and twisted. “That was a dirty trick! I came here to help you.”
But that was a lie. No one ever came to help me. I learned that lesson at a very young age.
“No, you didn’t,” I spat at him. “You came here to kill my friend and take me against my will. You’ll get what you get!”
I advanced, a battle cry erupting from my lungs. My first hard strike broke his sword off at the hilt. He cursed and flung it away, drawing my sword up to fight with wide eyes.
I pulled Baney back but hesitated. “You’re going to make me break my own sword?”
“I didn’t come here wanting to kill anyone!” he shouted back. “I thought you were in danger!”
That only pissed me off more. Where were his people when I was actually vulnerable and alone, when I was held against my will in my own home? No-fucking-where.
I growled and struck with enough force that Baney broke my sword he carried off at the hilt. I’d liked that one, too. He threw himself sideways, slipping in a patch of mud and falling to his back, floundering. His eyes were wide, and he held one hand up in supplication. Baney had that effect on people.
“I yield!” Forth struggled to his feet and held his mud-streaked palms toward me. “I’ll leave you alone. Stormbreaker.” He stretched one hand toward his stallion.
“Stormbreaker’s mine now.” I shrugged. “Spoils of battle and all.”
“But it’s,” he huffed, “a very long way back to Oprolodas.”
“You should’ve thought about that before you came to abduct me. Now go before I change my mind and slice off your head.” I whirled Baney around in a flourish for emphasis, its notches catching the sunlight.
His face blanched, and he glanced up at Ady. She drew a talon across her neck and waggled her feathery eyebrows at him. “Oh, no, Nesrin,” she deadpanned, just loud enough for us to hear. “Don’t do that again.”
“I’ll go.” He stepped toward his horse then stopped to look at me. “At least let me get my things.”
I nodded once, slowly, like a queen granting a boon.
He bowed then unfastened three saddle bags, arranging them on his shoulders. A couple of times, he took a quick breath and looked at me, as if he had something to say. But both times he closed his mouth and returned his attention to his bags.
Most men took their defeat and left without a fuss. It’d been a long time since I’d cared about what people from the outside world could tell me or thought of me. But for some reason, whatever this was bothered me.
“It’s a shame you’re so eager to get rid of me.” He shouldered his last bag. “We would’ve made a hell of a team on the battlefield.” He pressed his nose and forehead to Stormbreaker’s long nose, patting his cheek.
“What battlefield?” I demanded, trying to ignore his kindness to the horse and maintain my anger. But a cold wind snuck down the back of my tunic and chilled a dripping bead of sweat, sending shivers across my skin.
He pulled away and met my eyes, his face softening. “Oprolodas and other nations are joining forces. We’re marching against Galter Velius.”
I recoiled. That name was a punch in the gut. Frowning more deeply at him, anything I could have said died on my lips.
He shifted his burdens and spoke gently. “I thought you’d want to know.” He bowed to both of us. “Dread Dragon, my lady, I’ll spread the word that you’re happy here and not in need of rescue.” He gave me a pained look—was that pity? Then Prince Forth of Oprolodas turned toward the forest and walked away.
Dropped that on me and walked casually away, the back of his armor glinting in the nearly-setting sun. An old anger edged with panic rose in my gut. I ceased to see the golden trees, Forth’s retreating back. Instead, I saw my uncle’s army breaking like a wave against the palace. Saw my eldest brother, Talon, through the iron bars of a dungeon cell, bruised and bloodied on the filthy floor, barely clinging to life. Galter stood beside me. His cruel hand, fresh with my brother’s blood, gripped my arm like a vice. That’s what’ll happen to you if you don’t comply.
Nesrin. Ady’s voice called me back, and the spell of his words broke. A cold breeze careered through the clearing, chilling my sweaty skin and the tears tracking down my face.
I whistled to Pistachio and collected Stormbreaker’s reins. I patted the stallion’s nose, thinking of how Prince Forth had put his head against him and trying not to feel like an asshole for taking the man’s horse.
“C’mon Stormbreaker. You don’t have to live with that mean ol’ man anymore. Let’s find you some fresh apples, hmmm?”
After I’d settled the horses in the stables and put my weapons and armor away, I found Ady sitting in the dragon-sized settee in the treasury. Her tail was curled around its carved feet, and she was painting her talons by the cheerful fire roaring in the hearth.
Her black eyes assessed me from beneath raised eyebrows, a black talon half-painted blood red poised in front of her. “You’re no fun anymore,” she said, gesticulating with the foreclaw that held her nail brush. “When I first brought you here, I used to at least entertain you when I defeated your suitors. I passed that torch to you because you’re capable of defending yourself now, but would it kill you to learn a little showmanship?”
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Acknowledgements
I would never have written this book if my sister and I hadn’t played with Barbies when we were little, and if I didn’t have anxiety. My big sister was done playing Barbies way earlier than me, and as I grew up, it always bothered me that my Barbies—fully fleshed out characters—never had their stories finished. So when I was older and far from home (and struggling HARD with anxiety), I started telling myself more grown-up stories about my Barbies to help me fall asleep at night. Rose, Heather, and Abby were my three favorites. In fact, the original Rose, a Sweet Roses PJ doll, is pictured above.
Thank you SO BIG to Despina who selected me as her 2024 KissPitch Mentee for Follow Your Bliss. I cannot express how much your edits improved this book, how much I value your opinion and input (you were right literally every time), and gosh, how darn thrilled I still am that you picked MY BOOK and ME to mentor. You are brilliant, I’ve been so lucky to work with you, and I love you!
Thank you to my Mom and Buddy for buying us Barbie dolls, and thanks to you and Papa for all the support!
My beautiful, brilliant, loving sister, I love you forever, and you’re in all my happiest childhood memories. I invite you to remember reading Hardy Boys Casefiles so our Barbie storylines would never lack for international intrigue and assassination attempts, tossing our Barbies off the shed’s roof and into the big swimming pool, and eating French fries on plates sitting on a board stretched across a kiddie pool on the porch while our Barbies floated around the edges. Thousands of Barbie outfits changed, hair brushed, tiny shoes selected, “floaties” getting them up and down from high places, and Barbies going mountain climbing through Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Finding the best Barbies at the flea market on Sunday mornings, and, more recently, watching the Barbie movie together because there’s no one I’d rather watch it with. (And you were right: I totally stole your Crystal Barbie. In my defense, I was little, and as it was happening, all I knew was that one doll was way prettier than the other, and that was the one I wanted. Whew. I’ve been holding onto that for a long time. I’m really sorry.)
Thank you to ruisfree for creating the most perfect cover for this book. I’ve always wanted my own illustrated cover, and what you created for me is more beautiful than my wildest dreams. Thank you for your patience and your kindness!
Thank you to my betas and CPs, Kalla, Marina, Kahlan, and Darcy, and thank you to Abby (Deck Daddy is the gift that keeps on giving!) and Livy who was kind enough to be excited when I asked her if she would read and blurb my book (thank you so much!!). Thank you Skyla for your encouragement. I love all my Hex Quills. Thank you to my dear, brilliant Owls who took me under their wings and continue to teach me so much every day. You are all a fucking delight, and I love you all. Thank you to my Starry Knights for supporting me and my books! Y’all are seriously the best!
And of course thank you and all the love to my sweet husband and my adorable kids without whose support I would not be able to write anything at all, and for my cats who love to interrupt my writing time with scratching at the door (Niv) and needing scratchies (Magokes). Also thank you to Mónica whose unfailing support of my writing career warms my heart. She-Ra and the superheroes love you! Thank you to my dear Sarah, who I love and miss every day and who never fails to cheerlead me—you are too damn far away, and I’m ready for our permanent beach vacation. Love you!
Holly Rose, Follow Your Bliss
