by Nicole Hall
Ryan seemed to have the same idea. He nodded his head at the bag hanging almost sideways in her grasp. “Eat your other donut if you want, but come inside for clothes at least. It’s too cold out here.”
He turned and walked to his building without looking back. Zee had the distinct feeling he was running from her, and wondered what he’d do if she chased him. She waited until he went through the door to dig the other donut out and eat it in three bites.
Her toes were so cold she couldn’t feel them, but she was hesitant to go back into the apartment. Partly because Ryan had told her to and she didn’t respond well to orders, but partly because she missed her forest. She’d lived outside Mulligan all her life, but the town was a strange new world to her. It was a lot to absorb with very little warning.
A couple bundled in coats and boots walked by on the sidewalk, glancing at her curiously, and she was reminded that she was making a spectacle of herself by being obstinate. The park was not her forest. Nothing there could help her. She braced herself for sharing the small confines of the apartment with Ryan and went inside.
The meat smell had dissipated by the time she closed the door behind her, but her stomach growled anyway. Apparently, two donuts weren’t enough food to satisfy her. Ryan was in the kitchen mixing something in a bowl, and she found herself drawn to the play of his arm muscles. It was an inconvenient distraction considering her recent decision to keep her body to herself.
“What are you doing?” Zee asked.
Ryan didn’t look up from his stirring. “Making an omelet. You’ll need something more than sugar and carbs to power you through the hell of the human world.”
His words were mild, but Zee heard the rebuke. She chose not to rise to the bait. “The term ‘human world’ is inaccurate. We all share the same world, some more so than others. I like humans well enough, but my life has been consumed with the needs of the Fae, as it should be.”
“You mean you don’t normally waylay men in parks bearing food?”
“You’re the one who brought me the donuts.”
“Yeah. Why do you think I’m making you eggs? It was the only way I could think of to get you to make that noise again.” His eyes dropped to her lips, but he forced them back to the bowl.
“There are other ways.” Her voice sounded almost hoarse. Curse my treacherous mouth. Why couldn’t she control herself when Ryan was around?
Fire ignited in his eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind.” If he’d been running before, he was done now.
She tore her gaze away and took in his living space for the first time. None of the furnishings matched like the rooms she’d seen on television. The scruffy brown couch she’d fallen asleep on sat in front of a large screen on a pale wooden console. A bookshelf held large volumes of books titled with random letters and symbols as well as a small resin figure brandishing a sword. She moved closer and bent to get a better view. It was a male wearing needlessly complicated armor with a large head and small black dots for eyes. He had long white hair and a scar across one eye. What’s his significance to Ryan?
She chanced a look back into the kitchen, but Ryan was facing the stove with his back to her. The pan in front of him sizzled, and a new delicious smell wafted toward her. Food was definitely proving to be her favorite part of the larger world.
A pile of neatly folded clothes sat on the edge of the couch, and a quick search revealed soft stretchy pants and a plain green shirt with long sleeves. They didn’t look like Ryan’s style, so she assumed they were the clothes from Sera. Zee grabbed the pile and took it with her into the bedroom she’d woken up in.
She changed quickly and was surprised by the relief she felt when she took the dress off. Humans preferred the form of a tiny, winged creature in a ball gown, but she favored this larger size. Form was more fluid for the Fae, so despite her partialities, she didn’t like being restricted to a single shape.
The stretchy pants weren’t entirely pants. They hugged her curves but only made it as far as mid-calf. She suspected they came to Sera’s ankles and sincerely hoped they returned to their previous smaller size when she removed them. The shirt was boxy but flowed past her hips. It was probably Jake’s. The color reminded her of new leaves, and a burst of longing shot through her for her cottage in the Glade. No matter how tempting Ryan was, she needed to stay focused on returning to the Wood.
Thick socks had been wadded up inside the shirt, so she pulled those on as well. She stopped shivering and was once again grateful for Jake and Sera’s kindness. The pants were remarkably comfortable, and she made a note to ask Sera where to find some.
Ryan was putting two steaming plates on the small table in the corner of the room when she came out of the bedroom for the second time that day. It was a drastic difference from the first time.
Zee sat down in front of one of the plates and waited for Ryan to take his seat. “Why didn’t you do this in the first place instead of going out to get donuts? Not that I’m complaining in any way.”
“I had other errands to run. The donuts were an afterthought.” Ryan started shoveling food into his mouth, so she followed suit.
While not as good as the donuts, the eggs were warm and savory. She ate for several minutes before she ventured into conversation. “We should start your training today.”
Ryan choked then took a long swig of water. “I’m pretty busy today.”
“I slept for a full day. You had plenty of opportunities to finish your errands then. I expect you can make time now to fulfill your end of the bargain we made.”
He ate in silence for a moment, chewing thoughtfully. “How are you going to teach me if you can’t use your own magic?”
“I taught Sera without using magic.”
“You were in her head.”
Zee smiled. “Ah, but that’s not magic.” She didn’t offer any more explanation, though she could see it was killing him not to ask. It wouldn’t be difficult to connect with him enough to monitor his progress. The hard part would be keeping herself from going too deep.
Ryan finished eating and took his plate to the sink. “As much as I hate that I’m still at your beck and call, I’ll hold up my end of the deal. Magic practice, then we work on the problem with the Wood, then even though it’s Sunday, I really do have some work to do before school tomorrow.”
Zee wanted to ask about his job. She’d watched his progress from cocky youth to mentor for other cocky youths, and it sparked a sense of pride in her that he’d chosen to dedicate his life to helping kids like he had been. Does he enjoy it? Would he continue down that path if he were free to leave Mulligan or would he choose something else? It had never been the right time to ask because they couldn’t help pitting themselves against each other whenever they were together, but she’d wondered.
His reluctant agreement meant it was still not the right time to ask. She finished her food and took the dirty plate to the counter. Ryan was putting the pieces he’d used into what she assumed was a dishwasher. He grabbed her plate last, closed it up, and came around the counter to stand stiffly in front of her.
“Where do you want to do this?”
Zee held in her smile. “Are you always this terrible of a student?”
He met her eyes in challenge, like she’d hoped he would. “I’m an excellent student. I simply don’t like the subject.”
“We’ll see.” She gestured to the couch. “Might as well get comfortable.”
Ryan settled onto one end, and Zee took the other. They were close enough to touch if they chose, but both kept their limbs firmly on their own sides. “Let’s start with something simple. Shield your mind.”
Zee’s power had been vast before she’d stepped out of the Wood, but limited in that she couldn’t reach past the line of trees. Except with her mind. She could connect with unshielded humans even outside the Wood, even without magic. She’d lost all her other abilities, but her mind and her capacity to sense Ryan’s power remained strong.
He made a feebl
e attempt, using force of will to try to stop her, but she was able to push past it easily. Will was fickle and could be redirected with little effort. She spoke into his mind because she was already there. Lesson one: magic is about faith and visualization. Create the image you want and believe it to be real.
Ryan jerked back. “Don’t do that. I get what you’re trying to accomplish, but speak to me out loud.”
She inclined her head. “Very well. You have a basic shield already. It protects you from ambient noise, if you will. I want you to build something bulkier. Something that will stop an intentional invasion. Find an image that represents strength and protection to you, then apply it to yourself. Visualization and faith.”
He sighed and closed his eyes. Zee could poke around and watch his progress as she’d done with Sera, but his reaction to her mindspeak implied that he didn’t want an audience. She took the time he spent concentrating with his eyes closed to look her fill without him knowing. His hair was getting longer. It used to be short and spiky on top, but now it fell in black disarray around his face. He wore an elastic hair band around his wrist, but as far as she knew, he hadn’t used it in the last few days. She preferred Nordic braids for her hair, but she’d bet the simpler braids of the Celts would look good on him.
His high cheekbones made her think of Fae ancestry, or maybe a Celtic warrior to go with the braids. At first glance, he was thin, but she knew his clothing hid lean muscle. He sat cross-legged with his back against the arm and his hands resting in his lap. She knew his palms had been coarse against her back, and she wondered how a teacher managed to acquire such calluses. Her mind started to wander to other places she’d like to feel his rough hands, but she reined it in and brought her eyes back up to his face.
He was watching her.
Zee hesitated for a second, then tried to push into his mind. A round shield she recognized blocked her attempt. The same red, white, and blue symbol appeared on his shirt. It made her wonder if both were an attempt to protect himself from her. She nudged it, but it held steady, so she prodded harder. No matter how she twisted and pried, she couldn’t get past it. How annoying that he’d learned how to lock her out when she most wanted to know what was in his mind. He was an excellent student.
“What next?”
Ryan’s voice was low, and it conjured an image of the two of them writhing on the messy bed in the other room. Her cheeks flushed, and a small smile came then went across Ryan’s face.
He knows. Somehow, he knew what she’d seen. Her shields were firmly in place, and she’d just smacked into his, so it shouldn’t have been possible. And yet, as the moment stretched, they were both struggling for breath again.
“Next we test your magic.”
Ryan straightened up from his slouch. The attitude of playfulness he’d had since breakfast vanished, and he was left brooding. “That’s a bad idea. I don’t want to hurt you.”
She cocked her head. “Then you won’t. Magic will obey you as long as you believe it will. Yours is unruly because you expect it to be. Keeping control of it should feel as natural as moving an arm or a leg.”
“Should, but doesn’t. Nothing about this feels natural.”
“I know you can learn to control it, and I know how to guide you. I’m not afraid.”
He didn’t look convinced. In fact, he looked almost scared. Zee was saddened to think that he’d never been able to feel the joy that came with his power. It was enough to have her shift a little closer and take his hand. He tried to pull it back, but she held firm. Physical touch would help the connection, and he needed to see that she wasn’t afraid of him.
“You won’t hurt me. Release your shield. I’ll lower mine and monitor.” It was gratifying that he lowered his shield immediately, but the second he let go, she was inundated with a rush of emotions. Desire, resignation, determination, and at the forefront, fear. Zee couldn’t tell if the fear was for her or of her, but she was intimately involved in the emotion. Her shields eased back up a little to slow the overwhelming flow, and she hoped this would be a quick lesson.
A fleeting image of herself looking over her shoulder with her dress untied almost made her let go of him. Ryan was trying to ignore the image, but it kept circling back in his mind. Zee sighed. It was hard enough to fight her own weakness for him, but it might be impossible if she had to fight both of theirs simultaneously.
She wasn’t afraid of his magic, but her reaction to him could prove dangerous in its own right.
4
RYAN
“Nudge your magic into waking, give it a simple task.”
Zee said it like it was easy, but all Ryan knew was how to make his magic as tiny as possible. Her presence in his mind was both reassuring and disconcerting. He had to keep telling himself that she knew what she was doing and could handle herself if anything went wrong.
Ryan linked their fingers and opened the door inside him. Zee’s hand became a lifeline as his magic surged through him. It was both him and not him at the same time. Memories of the car crash flashed across his mind, and he fought to focus on Zee instead. As afraid as he was, she was his calm in the storm, and he wanted to do this for her. He wanted to prove that he was capable of being in control after all the years of running from it.
The maelstrom died down, but Ryan felt the core of it in his center, waiting. She’d said a simple task, but his mind was purposefully empty of everything but Zee. Naked. He frantically searched for a safer task since he assumed she didn’t want to be suddenly nude in his living room, but his magic surged forward at the thought. For a couple of tense moments there, it was a near thing, but he held it back, barely.
Zee chuckled. “Fae aren’t embarrassed by nakedness. Even so, I’m afraid it wouldn’t have the end result you’re hoping for.” Her grin was a little too knowing for his comfort.
He was hoping for that scene with the two of them in the bedroom, but that had nothing to do with magic. Focus.
The truth was, Ryan had no idea what he was capable of. A simple task could be anything from flying to the moon to starting the dishwasher that he’d loaded earlier. Come to think of it, he really needed to do that.
He’d barely finished the thought when the dishwasher roared to life, startling him. His head jerked toward the kitchen.
His magic had stirred, but not in the uncontrolled way he was used to. He’d set a small portion of the whole on a task, and that little bit had smoothly followed through. He grinned and squeezed Zee’s hand when she scanned at the kitchen.
“I did it. I made that happen.”
“I know. An unconventional choice for a first spell, but functional. Well done.”
She was proud of him. More importantly, he was proud of himself. It wasn’t something he’d ever thought he’d associate with magic. Like ever. Ryan had to admit, using magic to turn electronics on and off from across the room did seem useful.
His mind started down the rabbit hole of tinkering with magical electronics. What kind of technomancy stuff could he create? When he’d set up Wi-Fi in the Wood for the Fae, he’d had some magical interference that he’d had to work around. Zee had done something to boost and smooth out the signal, and at the time, he hadn’t wanted to know. Now the possibilities were intriguing.
“Magic and electronics usually don’t mix well together.” Zee’s voice almost made him jump. He’d actually forgotten that they were still mentally connected. The more time that passed, the more comfortable he became with Zee in his mind. She wasn’t obtrusive, and her presence was oddly soothing.
“Has anyone done any testing to figure out why?”
Zee laughed. “And possibly waste what few luxuries we have in this technological age? No. We’re careful not to perform complicated or powerful magic around our phones and computers.”
“Huh.” Ryan was itching to get his hands on some defunct computer parts from school, so he could figure out the interplay. He knew what happened when powerful magic was mixed with a large piece of techno
logy, but what if they could find a way to make it safer? Maybe smaller and more contained? Magic and tech could both act as a check against the other to protect the people using them. Very interesting stuff.
Zee touched his knee with her free hand to get his attention. “I think that’s enough for today. Completing a spell is quite a bit of progression for a novice. Given how today went, I don’t think you’ll have trouble with the more complicated components next time.” She smiled and patted his arm. “I am going to need my hand back though.”
When he focused on their hands, a tendril of dark red magic had wrapped around them both again. Zee wasn’t struggling against it, but he could see an indentation where the magic was putting physical pressure against her wrist. He’d essentially tied them together.
Ryan’s heart rate picked up, and his eyes shot to hers, hoping she’d have more instructions for him. But Zee only leaned sideways against the couch cushions and waited. He could still feel her in his mind, a quiet presence exuding confidence and faith. She was convinced he could figure it out on his own, and harnessing some of her calm, Ryan wanted to prove her right.
He scowled at the tendrils and imagined them uncurling from their wrists and retreating back into his skin. The image was a little creepy, but it worked. His arm tingled with the power though, so he pulled the magic back and back until it finally settled in his belly.
Zee squeezed his hand then let go. “I knew you could do it. It doesn’t take much to manipulate power that’s always been inside you. The next lesson is to keep it contained when you don’t intend to use it.”
“Wouldn’t that have been useful for the first lesson?”
She held up both hands like a scale. “It’s a push and pull dynamic. Whether you learn to push or pull first, you still have to learn to grip it to make it useful.”
