“Kellen followed your stupid rules when he fought,” I replied, raising my hands. “I will not.”
“So be it.”
Within seconds, he shifted to his wolf and lunged again. I pushed him to the side once more, this time with greater force. He rolled twice before regaining his feet and immediately surging towards me.
Say the word, and I will end him, the wind whispered to me.
I ignored its tempting offer and whipped another gust of air in the wolf’s direction. He dodged it and plowed into me. I fell on my ass, the wolf on top of me.
He lowered his jaw within inches of my face and drew in a deep breath. I dug my fingers into the fur around his neck and pulled him closer.
“Do you know what I did to the last monster that threatened my partner?” I whispered. “I pulled all the fluid from his body, leaving a dried-out husk behind.”
I watched his blue eyes widen at the implied threat. My blood rushed through my veins, pulsing in time with my anger. How dare they issue a challenge that threatened Kellen’s life? Did they really think I would stand by and do nothing? I suffered at the hands of bullies my entire life, but that part of my past was gone. I finally had the strength to fight back, and I would.
“I have water and air, you bastard. Step back, or I’ll kill you.” I shoved him once again, using the wind to knock him away.
I pushed myself to my feet and looked at the wolves surrounding me. They ranged from gray and black to light brown. Most were the same size as my opponent, but a few were larger. The blue-eyed wolf glared at me, growling softly.
The shifters directly in front of me parted to allow Victor to walk through, still in his human form.
“I told you not to interfere,” he said.
“I believe my partner has endured a more severe injury than your wolf,” I replied. “I don’t see how it matters.”
“It matters because you disobeyed,” he responded.
“What is it you like to say to me?” I asked, tapping my chin. “Oh, yeah. You don’t command me.”
Several growls erupted around me, and I struggled to tamp down my fear. Victor took a deep breath, but I didn’t miss the way his eyes shifted color.
“You’ve put me in another quandary, Ms. Johnson. There are penalties for what you’ve done, but the consequences are more than I’m willing to sacrifice.” He took several steps towards me until he was just out of reach. “What is a leader supposed to do?”
“If you were the leader I thought you were, we wouldn’t be having this discussion,” I snapped. “You claim to be our allies, but here we are playing your stupid games. An ally would be providing us sanctuary against the evil that hunts us.” I waved my hand at the arena and several wolves cringed. “But here we are, fighting against our so-called friends.”
The sky clouded over, muted lightning flickering between the clouds. The wind whipped around me, pulling at my clothes and whispering in my ear. I ignored its pleas for destruction.
“If I didn’t completely trust Kellen’s judgement, I would say you’re working for the damn vampires, not against them.” I took a step closer to him as thunder followed the lightning across the sky. “So, what are you going to do, Victor?”
His eyes narrowed, and a low growl passed his lips. “Are you challenging me?”
“Do I look like I want to be in charge of something this archaic?” I asked in return.
“You look like a lost child playing in a world you know nothing about!” he yelled.
“Because you won’t give me the opportunity to learn!” I bellowed back. “We’ve wasted precious time with this stupid, whatever this is, when Kellen and I could’ve been training.” Lightning struck a nearby tree, shattering the limbs at the top. Swirls of wind gusted through the arena, creating small dust devils that disappeared in seconds. “Call off your mutts, or kill me now. I’m done with your games.”
“How dare you command me!” Victor roared.
“You stubborn bastard!” The wind once again buffeted me, and Victor leaned into the gale.
“Give them to me, Alisandra,” the wind said as its translucent form appeared next to me. “I will teach them to respect their betters.” It disappeared as quickly as it appeared, and I wondered if I really saw it. I balled my hands into fists to hide their trembling. I suspected the wind was reacting to my rage, and while I welcomed it now, I would need to learn how to control those emotions later.
“So, what will it be?” I asked, turning back to Victor.
He stared at me with an unreadable expression for several moments. “Bring your mage to our medical wing, and we’ll see to his injuries,” Victor replied.
“I’ll take care of my mage,” I retorted. “Are you allies or enemies? Tell me now, so there is no confusion later when the vampires show up at your door.”
His lips pressed into a thin line, and he lowered his eyes. “We are allies.”
“Then let me heal Kellen in peace.”
I turned my back to him, a move I’d seen in dozens of movies over the years. I knew it was overly dramatic but not nearly as impressive as the storm threatening to break loose. I hoped Victor was sincere about our new relationship, but for now, I had more important things to worry about, like healing my partner.
I knelt next to Kellen and brushed my hand across his sweaty brow. My eyes drifted to his chest, and I shook my head. The leather did nothing to protect him from the wolf. Three long slashes ran from his collar to his stomach. His bloody arm rested across his abdomen, and I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat. Dirt and blood covered the puncture marks that still oozed.
“You better hope that damn dog doesn’t have rabies, or I’m going to be really pissed,” I called over my shoulder. There was no response as I wrapped my fingers over the wounds on his forearm. “A little rain to wash this away would be really nice.”
I focused on the abundance of moisture in the air without closing my eyes this time. It formed into small drops that merged together as they floated towards me. With my free hand, I guided them towards Kellen’s open wounds, watching in awe as they settled over him. I pushed what I now knew to be my healing power into Kellen’s arm. I embraced his pain as warmth and fatigue washed over me, but I gritted my teeth and kept going.
A small light beneath his dark skin jumped from him to me.
“Sparky, I need to know if there’s any internal bleeding. Will you tell me?”
It moved up my arm to my elbow, then turned back and slowly returned to Kellen.
“Procrastination is not attractive, little one,” I scolded.
More rain fell from the sky, and I looked up at the still darkening clouds. The drops turned to a steady rainfall, coating my face and seeping into my clothes within seconds. I ignored it and focused on the punctures beneath my fingers. I felt them slowly shrink until they were nothing more than angry welts.
“Wow, I feel like shit,” Kellen said, raising his head. “Damn, that hurts.”
“Which part?” I asked, smoothing the water from his forehead. “Does your arm still hurt?”
He gasped as he tried to sit up and fell back. “Sort of, but my chest is killing me.”
“Be still, Kellen,” I ordered as I unbuttoned the leather vest and peeled it off his chest.
The rain had already soaked his clothes, mixing the blood and dirt. I pressed my hand against the three open wounds and frowned. Blood and grit stuck to my hands. What if the cuts started closing with pieces of dirt and linen in them?
“Damn.” I looked at his face and found him staring at me. “What?”
“Nothing,” he replied. “Please continue.”
“I might need help getting your shirt off or at least pulling it above the cuts on your chest.”
Kellen lifted his arms and grimaced as he gripped the collar of his shirt, then ripped it down the middle. He flinched as it peeled away from his shredded skin. Water cascaded off his shirt and across his chest.
“Or… that works,” I said.
He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, his head lulling to the side. A large, purple bruise covered his left jaw. Rainwater dripped from my chin and hair as I leaned over him, once again placing my hands over his chest and pushing a pulse of healing into his wounds. A flood of warmth surged toward me along with his pain. But something else was there as well. A sense of contentment?
“Sparky, what are you seeing?” I whispered, hoping Kellen wasn’t conscious.
My pain increased as the little spark floated beneath my hands. Is this what Kellen was talking about when he said he could feel my laughter when the little spark raced around my ribs? I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to focus on my connection to Kellen. Each time Sparky passed an injury, I felt his level of concern or anguish depending on the severity. We made a quick run through the rest of Kellen’s major organs. There was lots of bruising, but nothing broken.
I leaned back and sighed. “Thank goodness.”
“For what?” Kellen whispered, placing one of his hands over mine. He pushed himself into a seated position next to me, and waves of emotion washed over me. Gratitude, dedication, longing. My face flushed, and I looked away from him. I knew I cared for him, or I wouldn’t have risked myself, but were these emotions his or mine? I had no idea.
“I don’t think anything is broken,” I replied. “Sparky helped me check everything.”
He raised his eyebrows, and hope and uncertainty assaulted my overrun emotions.
“Sparky, I’m done now,” I said, attempting to stand. Kellen grabbed my hand and forced me to stay by his side.
“You can feel it?” he asked.
I nodded and pressed my lips together as more emotions flooded me. They had to be his; mine were never this strong.
“We need to find Sparky’s shut off switch,” I said. “Those feelings are more than I’m capable of dealing with.”
I pulled my hand from his and stood. His fear of rejection surged forward, igniting a wave of guilt from me. I’d dealt with that fear my whole life, and now I’d subjected him to the same feeling twice. He rose beside me and swayed.
“Wait. Logan’s comments make sense now,” he said. “We were supposed to experience this the first time. I’ve always been able to feel yours, but they were not usually directed at me.” His face flushed, but he continued. “I imagine you’re overwhelmed right now. Take Sparky so you’ll have a break from me. It will give me time to…” He paused and looked at me. I felt his emotions subside, and he held his hand out to me.
“I don’t want you to know what I’m feeling right now,” I replied. “I’m pretty sure I can’t subdue any of it the way you just did.”
“And I can’t keep it under control forever. I need time to sort it out,” he responded.
I bit my bottom lip, uncertainty weighing on me. Should I even worry about what he thought? Maybe if he could feel it, then I wouldn’t have to say it out loud. Maybe he could help me decide what I really wanted. And maybe I was dreaming.
“Come on, Sparky,” I relented. “Let’s humiliate the new mage for a while.”
Sparky soared across the space between us and Kellen laughed. “I might be a little jealous,” he said, still chuckling. “Am I that unpleasant to be around?”
“No, he just endured a lot of pain and agony for you. I imagine he needs a break.”
I turned towards the muddy arena, the steady rain still falling around us. The large, gaping holes Kellen created were still there, but the wooden seats were abandoned. The shattered limbs from the lightning strike smoldered on the ground just outside the ring of benches.
The earth rumbled beneath my feet as the craters closed. Kellen sighed, and I looked over at him.
“Too much magic,” he said. “I’ll be worthless for at least a day.”
“I feel like this was all a waste, Kellen,” I said, looking around the arena. “Why would he make us do this?”
“It is tradition for new wolves who wish to join the pack,” he replied.
“I’m not a wolf, and I have no desire to join the pack,” I argued.
“True, but we’re asking for his protection.”
“Which he should’ve given willingly as your ally. Why all this?” I waved my hand around the space.
Kellen narrowed his eyes at something behind me, making me turn. Matt wound his way through the benches and stopped a few yards away.
“Your room is ready at the lodge,” he said, looking at the ground.
I stomped towards him, my anger rising with each splash of muddy water. “Why?” I demanded, stopping inches from his chest and craning my neck to look up at him.
“Please, pr…AJ,” he stuttered out my name and continued. “Victor didn’t believe your true heritage until today.”
“What does that mean, Matt?”
He looked past me to Kellen, then back to me.
“Didn’t he tell you about your family?” he asked, motioning towards my partner.
“Yes, I know. I’m the Magister’s daughter. My looks alone prove that,” I replied, not hiding my bitterness. “It has nothing to do with what happened here.”
Matt looked over my head again, confusion clouding his features. “Your family has ruled the mages for centuries, AJ, but that isn’t all. Your great-grandfather united the supernatural races, creating alliances that were not broken until the Magister took over.”
I turned and looked at Kellen, then back to Matt. “Still not clearing it up for me.”
Matt sighed and sat on the nearest bench, ignoring the puddles of water on its surface.
“Victor thought you might have been a bastard child, one that didn’t carry the blessings of the elements,” he began. “Your mother is the first in your line that only has one element which is probably why she made the choices that have led us here. I imagine she resents the elements for rejecting her. Today’s test was to prove you had both elements. He knew you had water, he watched you use it the other day.”
I dropped onto the bench next to him, my wet clothes squelching beneath me. “He could’ve just asked,” I said. “I would’ve gladly shown him without anyone getting hurt.”
“He also needed you to make a commitment,” Matt said reluctantly. “We all did. We can’t fight the army the Council has created.”
Thunder rumbled across the sky again, and I took a deep breath. “I don’t like being forced into anything,” I hissed.
Matt looked over at Kellen again and shrugged.
“Say it, Matt,” I stated.
“My God. Can’t you do something about that, Kellen?” he asked, then turned back to me. “You were probably the only one who, well... Everyone else could already see your attachment to him. It’s obvious. You just wouldn’t admit it to yourself.”
I deflated. Was I really that transparent? If everyone else already knew how I felt, why was I so undecided? Because I didn’t want someone dictating my future. Without the prison of my deformity, I should’ve been able to make my own decisions. But here I was, trapped in my ignorance and fighting a battle I couldn’t win.
“There’s a lot I’m still missing,” I said. “Will I have time to learn? Will Victor stop being an ass and leave me alone?”
Matt chuckled. “Victor will be Victor. He’s been the one to keep our pack safe from the Magister and the vampires for a very long time. He isn’t used to someone challenging his authority.”
“I didn’t challenge him,” I insisted. “He was being an idiot.”
“She doesn’t know,” Kellen said. “I’ll tell her when we’re someplace where we can’t be overheard.”
Matt nodded, and I felt my eyes narrow with my patience. “You’ll tell me now,” I said, my anger flaring again. “I’m tired of the secrets, Kellen. You sprinkle information on me as you see fit, but all it does is leave me ignorant and pissed off.”
“Fair enough, but it’s a conversation we should have in private.” He looked down at me with the familiar impassive gaze. “Not here.”
Matt c
huckled and rose from the wet bench. “I’m glad it’s you and not me, man. Come on, I’ll take you to your room.”
Chapter 22
“Are you kidding me?” I asked, standing in the middle of a lavishly decorated suite, looking at the door to the only bedroom. Did they really expect us to share a bed? We were partners, but that didn’t mean I was sleeping with him. My face flushed at the thought, and I turned my back to them.
“Is something wrong?” Matt asked.
“Nope, it’s perfect,” Kellen answered, walking him to the door. “Thank you for bringing up our bags. I really need a change of clothes.”
“No problem,” Matt replied. “Victor gave us instructions to leave you alone until tomorrow. Dinner is at seven if you’re interested.” He closed the door behind him, and Kellen leaned against it looking at me.
“Don’t say it,” he said. “I need a really hot shower and dry clothes. We’ll discuss the sleeping arrangements afterwards, as well as answering all your questions.”
He walked past me, picking up one of his bags. I glared at his back until he closed the bathroom door. I couldn’t argue with him. He’d just fought a battle for me, one that left him injured and exhausted. I could at least let him shower in peace.
I looked around the extravagant suite. A small kitchenette took up the corner by the door, equipped with a mini-fridge, microwave, and narrow pantry. A Keurig rested on the black granite countertop, and wine glasses hung from the overhead cabinets. A round hardwood table and four chairs occupied the space next to the kitchen and a tan, leather sectional sofa faced patio doors that led to the balcony. A thick oriental rug covered the hardwood floors, and two doors flanked each side of the room, one for the bathroom and one for the bedroom.
I dropped into the short end of the sectional and stretched out, ignoring my wet clothes and shoes. I needed time to think about everything that happened. I was making too many rushed decisions I knew I’d regret later. Again, I went back to the same question I asked myself the day before. How did I go from being nobody to the most important person in a fight between supernatural beings? I had no idea they even existed until now, yet my family seemed to be the key to it all. Why wasn’t I allowed to know them? Did my mother abandon me, or did she really believe I was dead? She didn’t act like she cared, and she was willing to pay to have me killed. I shook my head. No, she abandoned me. I was an idiot to think otherwise.
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