Free Caged Warrior by Lindsey Piper Page B

Nynn’s case, he believed
     the key was how much she secretly craved an outlet for her anger. Given the right
     tools, she wouldn’t need to be coerced or intimidated anymore.
    One such tool sat in his palm. The nighnor was anold, brutal, effective weapon. A single crushing blow. To the spine, the nape, the
     forehead. It meant instant death for a human, while a serious blow to a Dragon King
     permitted enough time to sever the head with a Chasm-forged sword.
    That method was the finale he’d enacted at the last Grievance.
    “Here,” he said.
    “You don’t fear my wild reprisal?”
    “I would, if I thought you could wield it with one hand.”
    Nynn cupped the heavy iron skull. Her shoulders slumped to keep it from dropping to
     the damp, slippery floor. Training cells were kept damp for just that purpose, to
     make finding purchase even harder. Once this woman fought on rougher ground, she would
     be even more sure-footed and skillful.
    The chilly dampness would test her endurance, too, as would the cell’s complete austerity.
     Neophytes were denied every creature comfort. No pallet. No toilet. Just a slit trench
     that was washed clean where the crevice water flowed out a drainage pipe. The four-by-four-foot
     iron cage remained a lingering threat.
    She would only have what he gave her. Until she won. The thrill of victory combined
     with basic rewards made reluctant fighters into eager ones.
    The close-fitting training armor he’d provided was not a reward but a necessity. She
     needed to learn how to expose her limbs to harm. Protecting one’s body was instinct.
     Only patience and practice would override her urge to shrink from an attack, rather
     than surging forward and putting her trust in leather and metal.
    One of her arms, bare of armor in order to permit more maneuverability with a shield,
     flexed with a gratifying degree of muscle tone. She was lithe, beautiful, and fit
     for combat. Now all she needed were techniques—not to mention her gift, which she
     couldn’t even remember after the fact.
    He had three weeks.
    Pell needed him. Never had he been promised a reward for so little work. Usually a
     favor so extraordinary required winning a Grievance. Although, in truth, watching
     Nynn struggle with the hefty nighnor promised work enough.
    “Come at me.” His voice echoed off the domed ten-foot ceiling. “This is your chance
     to let loose the hatred I see.”
    He didn’t think she would. Too much sense. Too much pride, when she already knew the
     futility. Yet the vigor of her sudden attack was impressive. Rather than charge, attempting
     to strike him, she spun and hurled the weighty weapon. Leto arched backward using
     the reflexes he’d honed for two decades—no matter his collar. The nighnor hit the wall just over his left shoulder. Shards of raw cave rock splintered out
     from a crater.
    She breathed hard, hands propped on her knees. Without food, pushing that hard would
     continue to test her endurance. Her eyes shot sparks that were nearly literal. He
     didn’t like how he was drawn to her blue fire.
    He braced his stance. “Learn anything, neophyte?”
    “That nighnor s are heavy?”
    “They are.”
    “That I can take you by surprise?”
    Hiding his reaction took effort, because she certainlyhad. As Leto had seen in the Cage, she was a fighter. He would see her blossom into
     a vicious creature who wouldn’t recognize her own face. That would break her. And that would make her a worthy partner.
    “No, you should’ve learned that I do everything with purpose. There are other weapons
     better suited to your frame. Now you’ve lost dinner, too. A day’s rations gone, with
     nothing gained.” He knelt to retrieve the dagger. “Take this instead.”
    She studied the blade for several moments, as if she could read its purpose. He’d
     never seen a warrior—let alone an untested woman—assess a weapon with such immediate
     understanding. And where were the aftereffects of her