Page 18 of Kill the Queens

“Name?” Bethra called.

“Reed Copeland,” he said back, a single brow arching as he looked slowly from the head guard to the queen. Reed gave a deep sweeping bow. “What an honor it is to have one of our beautiful queens here to witness my audition for guardsman. The most stunning of the four if I remember correctly.”

It was three now, though they didn’t need to know that.

Farah snorted, bringing her empty hand up to her mouth as she chewed on her thumbnail. Her grip on the staff had tightened and the waves crashed against the glass just a little bit harder.

“Age,” Bethra bit out, not impressed with his attempts at flattery.

“Twenty-four.”

Farah dropped her hand from her mouth and folded her arms over her chest again. He was an impressive specimen at his age, she could admit. Farah was only twenty-two and she wondered if two more years would give her strength like he had if she continued to practice.

“Very well. You enter the ring.” Bethra pointed a finger at one of her guards who stepped forward cracking his knuckles. She gave little warning to either before she shouted, “FIGHT!”

The two moved into motion easily. They became a beautiful choreographed dance of strikes and blocks that even surprised Farah. However, the fight didn’t last long before Reed landed one solid blow to his opponent’s temple. The guard’s face jerked to his right, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, and his body crumpling to a heap on the grass. Applause from thesurrounding men erupted before the guard’s body fully hit the ground with a thump.

Bertha looked up at the queen with a smile that suggested she was impressed. “Potential soldier material?”

Farah gave a dry laugh. “Give him two guards to fight off this time,” she whispered as Reed helped his opponent, who was starting to come back to, gently to his feet.

“Go again, Copeland.” Bethra nodded. “You two.”

Two of the large guards stepped into the ring, sizing Reed up as he looked at them with a nervous chuckle that sent a thrill of excitement through Farah that settled between her legs.

“Fight!” Farah yelled before Bethra could get it out. She was too eager to see Reed fall, too excited to find some sort of weakness.

Both guards lunged for Reed who ducked and weaved through their arms. He moved a little slower now, though every punch he landed still stunned the men he was fighting for a few seconds. The loose red shirt he wore darkened to crimson as sweat seeped into the fabric.

Farah never blinked as she took in every swing, miss, and strike. One of the guards fell. Reed pushed his limp body away with his boot before he spun and flung his hand into the other guard’s gut and a loud crack echoed. The guard let out a long wheeze before he held his ribcage and knelt to the ground.

“Another victory!” Bethra commended.

Farah was impressed, even if that feeling was buried deep down under the ick of her jealousy. Reedhadto fall. One way or another Farah would see that he did.

“Another round,” the queen barked. Reed and several other gazes snapped suddenly to hers. If it had been anyone else, they’d already be packing their bags to join the queens’ army. “Three men this time,” she commanded.

Bethra sighed but that was the only sign she gave thatshe didn’t agree with the queen. She waved three more guards forward. Reed shook out his arms as he stepped in a slow circle while the guards surrounded him. In the next breath, Bethra was shouting for the fight to begin and all three guards lunged.

To the queen’s surprise, he was still able to give the first guard—whose hands had been far too low to protect his face, Farah would have to mention that to Bethra—a solid swing that sent his body hurtling backward. Reed’s strength had not wavered but his speed was certainly the issue as the other two men swept him up in their grip. They held Reed between them with wicked laughter at their triumph.

The third man rose, rubbing at his chin and growling under his breath. Farah’s heartbeat slammed inside of her chest. She took a small step forward. A single fist met Reed’s jaws. Then another to his ribcage, a mockery of the punch that Reed himself had landed earlier. The guard jabbed Reed’s face and there was a crunch as his nose broke and blood poured out.

With a shudder, Reed sagged in the guards’ arms.It wasn’t good enough.The guard turned to look at the queen, his victorious smile fell as she shook her head and said, “Hit him again.” A punch landed against Reed’s solar plexus leaving him coughing. Blood splattered from where it fell over his mouth. Reed spit into the dirt.

“Again,” Farah said. Bethra shuffled next to her.

The guard struck.

“Again.”

Blood appeared over Reed’s eyebrow, oozing into his eyes. He wobbled between the guards but took a shuddering breath and lifted his head to glare at the queen.

“Again!” she bellowed as the guard hesitated.

The locks of hair that sat around Reed’s face had dampened with sweat and blood. The gold didn’t shine as brightly. He grunted as another fist found his middle.

“Again.” Farah repeated this process over and over, the guard looking at her questioning between each one. “I will tell you when you’re done!” Water slammed against the globe of her staff now.