The coppery young man’s feet were quiet as he padded out of the dining room and trotted down the hall. They both knew she was headed to her room. While the rest of the reevers had relatively small accommodations in the keep, hers was big enough that she never felt like leaving her sacred space.

“M’lady.” He jogged up to her, offering his bent elbow. She smiled and accepted it. His muscles were firm beneath her hands. She always enjoyed his presence.

“Any bruises?”

“These days? Always. If you don’t stop kicking my ass, I’m going to have to find a new sparring partner.”

“But then how will you ever get better?” She winked.

Amaris rested her head on his shoulder briefly as they walked, her vision swimming from the alcohol in the afternoon sun that lit the hallway. He beamed down at her, his bright, ember features glowing from the beer in his belly. The high from the morning’s exercise hadn’t hurt either.

“Are you studying today?” he asked, his question heavy with ulterior motives.

She lifted her head and looked at him suspiciously. She didn’t miss a beat. “Are you asking if I’m looking for lessons on the male anatomy?”

He grinned, delighted. “As always, I’d submit myself as your subject for experimentation.”

She gave him a shove, releasing his arm. She bit down a laugh, refusing to give him the satisfaction.

“You’re something of a bastard.”

“That I am, but one of these days you might just say yes.”

“A man can dream, I suppose.”

He feigned a bow. “I live to fight another day.” Hands in his pockets, jolly from the drinks and the exchange, Ash sauntered off down the hall. She could have sworn he was whistling.

Amaris shut the door behind her and giggled. His jovial energy was contagious. She loved that his spirits remained as she knocked him to the ground time after time. In their years at the keep, she’d watched Ash grow from months of disappointment in pummeling a weakling to the pride and respect of watching his partner blossom into one of the reev’s deadliest champions.

He’d been an excellent sport.

She peeled off her clothes and walked to the bathing room, leaving a trail of sweat-damp things on the floor. While she was treated exactly like a male reever in nearly every way that mattered, they had allowed her to keep one of the only chambers with an adjoining bathing room, just as she had her first few nights in the keep. She sank into the waters of her bath, soaking away any aches from the day’s practice. She kneaded her tender muscles under the warm, soapy water.