The Stepsister Scheme

overhead, the sky remained dark. Danielle stifled a yawn. “How long was I asleep?”
    “Several hours. Not long enough. You need your rest, Princess.”
    The thought of returning to that dream made her shudder. “What have you been doing while we slept?”
    “I finished feeding the aviars, then brushed them down. All the while trying not to inhale.” She wrinkled her nose. “Quink wasn’t kidding about Wind-breaker, there.”
    Danielle managed a weak smile.
    “I also cleaned up the mess you two left.” Talia pointed to their clothes, which hung drying from the branches a little way down the tunnel.
    “I’m sorry. I should have—”
    “You’re not a slave anymore, remember?” Talia snapped. “Stop acting like one.” She picked up Danielle’s sword and handed it to her. “Come with me.”
    Danielle managed a small smile. “If you’re trying to convince me I’m no longer a slave, shouldn’t you stop ordering me around?”
    “You’re obviously too shaken to sleep.” Talia smiled. “I can remedy that. Besides, it will be good to get your blood moving so that your body won’t be as stiff.”
    Danielle gasped when she tried to stand. She used her sword like a cane, hobbling after Talia until she reached a place where the passage split in two directions. To her right, she could see the three aviars. They slept standing up, bodies pressed together so their wings blanketed one another.
    “This way,” Talia said, leading her down the left passage. “Sit down and spread your legs apart.”
    Danielle raised an eyebrow, imagining what Snow would say if she were here. But she did as she was told, clenching her teeth at the strain on her thighs.
    “Good. Lean to one side. You need to loosen the muscles, or you’ll be completely useless in the morning.”
    Talia worked Danielle through a series of exercises, demonstrating each one with an ease that made Danielle want to punch her. Which might have been the idea.
    When they were finished, Talia bounced to her feet, drew her sword, and turned to face Danielle. Her free hand tapped the glowing mirror. “This is your target. I want to see what you can do.”
    “I can barely walk, let alone stab you.”
    “Oh, you’re not going to stab me.” Talia’s grin widened. “But I want you to try anyway.”
    Slowly, Danielle pulled her sword from its scabbard. “What about the noise?”
    “Snow can sleep through anything.” Talia folded her left hand behind her back. Her sword angled up across her body. “Bend your knees, then lunge.”
    Danielle set the sheath on the ground and tried to match Talia’s stance. The effort sent new pain tearing through her thighs, but she clenched her teeth and forced her legs to bend. She lowered the tip of her sword until it was level with the mirror, then took a broad step forward.
    The pain in her thighs made her yelp, but she managed to shove her sword forward the way Talia had demonstrated.
    She expected Talia to step back or beat her blade aside. Instead, Talia stepped forward, twisting easily out of the way. Her fingers clamped around Danielle’s wrist. At the same time, Talia brought the tip of her own weapon up beneath Danielle’s chin, so that Danielle’s eyes crossed trying to focus.
    “Try to relax,” Talia said. She released Danielle and lowered her sword. “You’re tensing before you attack, and you draw your arm back before you lunge. You might as well scream, ‘Here I come!’”
    Danielle tried again, a smaller lunge that didn’t tear her legs as badly. This time Talia danced aside and used the flat of her blade to tap Danielle’s elbow.
    “You served food for your stepmother and stepsisters, right?” Talia asked.
    “Since I was old enough to carry a platter,” Danielle said.
    “Ever spill anything?”
    For a moment, she could hear her stepmother’s furious screams, calling her a worthless, clumsy, ugly mess of a girl, while her stepsisters laughed from the doorway. “Not if I could help it.”
    “Good.” Talia stepped back. “This is the same thing. Keep your upper body straight and still. Turn sideways, so you present less of a target. Use your hips and legs to move. Try to stay with me. And relax !”
    “Relax, she says,” Danielle muttered. Moving with slow, easy steps, Danielle did her best to keep up with Talia. Talia retreated faster, and Danielle matched her pace. The tip of her sword barely wavered.
    “Better,” Talia said again. “Now fall.”
    “What?”
    “You’re