“What has your heart told you of our selections for dual mages?”
“You didn’t choose my mother because she was broken. Would you choose someone who didn’t have royal blood to be a dual mage?”
“There have been many dual mages that are not recorded, because they feel the same as you. They do not wish to rule, but they have been our strongest defenders over the years.”
“But do they have royal blood? Is it possible for a dual mage to not be royalty?” I asked, that little detail still not clear in my mind.
“I know of none, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened.”
“I see. The difference between them and me is that I don’t get that choice,” I mumbled.
“As with all choices, denying your destiny will have consequences, child.”
My element fell to the ground at my feet and disappeared. I cradled my head in my hands. How was I supposed to accept this? What were the consequences for running away?
“My mother refused to tell us.” Kellen’s voice startled me, and I jumped to my feet.
He stood in the doorway, with his shoes hanging from his fingers. The sadness on his face kept me silent.
“She said we were the only family she ever needed.” He dropped his shoes and pulled his socks from his feet, then walked to the middle of the room. I joined him, sitting across from him as I had every time we came here. He looked at me and smiled. “My father was the poster child for how not to be a fire mage. He and his element were volatile on their own, but together?” He chuckled and pointed at the ceiling. “They were always trying to create new ways to make themselves a better weapon.”
“He was a single mage,” I said.
“Yes, which is the reason he left Egypt. Two of his four brothers were dual mages. He would never inherit the throne, which was probably best. He planned nothing and allowed his anger and emotions to react for him, something a leader cannot do.”
“And your mother balanced him perfectly.”
“Yes. It’s rare for a mage to have water and earth. They are the balancing elements for air and fire. I think the elements knew she would be destined to tame my father.”
“They seem to know a lot about destiny.” I didn’t like destiny. It felt like a dictator.
“Yes.”
He reached out and took my hand in his. The contrast between us was exactly as he had described the night we healed his guardians. Not just our differences in appearance, but everything.
“I will be whatever you need, AJ,” he said. “Your advisor, friend, and warrior mage. Maybe one day, we’ll have more, but I won’t force myself on you.”
I frowned, focusing on our hands. I didn’t really know if he wanted more. I suspected it, but he was right—he never forced himself on me. I was the one making demands.
“That makes me sound really shallow,” I said.
“I just poured my heart out to you, and you think I made you sound shallow?”
“That’s not what I meant.” I bit my lip. “You’re willing to be whatever I need, but I’m not willing to look past myself to see what you need. Well, damn. That didn’t come out right either.” I pulled my hand away and stood. “I can barely comprehend the demands being placed on me. I have this undeniable attraction to you, but I don’t know if it’s me or our partner thing. Are they my emotions or something put there by my elements?”
I started pacing back and forth in front of Kellen. He leaned back, supporting his weight on his hands.
“And this thing with all these royal people. I grew up a step below poverty. How could I possibly ever speak to any of them without looking like a complete idiot?” I waved my hands above my head and looked down at Kellen. He was smiling, which made me angry.
“How is this funny? I have a hundred decisions to make, and I have no idea what to do.”
“You’re cute when you’re frustrated.”
“That doesn’t help.”
“I told you. I will be whatever you need. If you decide to take your mother’s place, I’ll be by your side, helping you with those decisions, which I think is your best choice, by the way.” He pushed himself to his feet and closed the gap between us. “If you decide to abandon your destiny, I will also be by your side to accept the consequences. That’s not the best choice, but I understand why you’re thinking about it. I’ll do everything in my power to convince you not to make that choice.” He smiled, and I wondered if he really meant it. “As for these royal people, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I’ve had some experience dealing with snobby rich people.” He reached out and traced the edge of my jaw. “And your emotions are your own. Our elements have nothing to do with it.”
Chapter 30
Light from the full moon illuminated the barren desert that stretched for miles in every direction. The occasional scrub brush cast eerie shadows across the sand. It was the perfect hiding place for the vampire I knew stalked me. I could smell his signature spearmint, cool and breezy.
I smiled as I tried not move a single muscle to give away my location. The light breeze shifted, blowing my hair into my face, along with a gust of spearmint. I jabbed my elbow straight back and was rewarded with a satisfying grunt. I rolled forward and spun on the balls of my feet, but he wasn’t there.
I silently berated myself for reacting so quickly. Patience was something I still needed to work on. The wind caressed my arms and whispered to me as it drifted past. I smiled again, still crouching low to the ground. My hands slowly met each other at my knees, then drew apart, forming a short, slender spear, pointed at both ends. It was my favorite weapon, made completely of condensed air.
Niyol taught me how to make several weapons, but I liked this one best. It was long enough to give me reach without being cumbersome.
“Stay focused, princess,” Logan hissed in my ear.
Rather than jab backwards with my pointed spear, I spun on the balls of my feet once again, then thrust the weapon up as I stood.
“Clever,” he said, grabbing my wrist and forcing it behind my back. His other arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me into his chest. “You almost caught me by surprise.”
My heart raced with adrenaline. I tamped down the surge of desire that continued to get stronger in his presence. Two weeks ago, when Kellen informed me Logan would be part of my training, I had a panic attack. Nothing Kellen said could convince me I wanted to be around the vampire, until Logan returned. All signs of the crazed vampire lying on the floor, covered in blood and violence, were gone. He was again the quirky man who called me princess and made me laugh.
Things changed again when we started spending our evenings training. The more time I spent with him, the closer we became. We didn’t just train. He answered my questions about my family, my magic, my connections to the elements, everything that Kellen wouldn’t.
“I knew you were there,” I argued. “But I’m not as fast as you. There’s no way I can catch you by surprise.” I was grateful he couldn’t see my pout.
“Then we’ll try again.” He released me, and I stumbled forward.
“It’s pointless, Logan. Once you are in my personal space, I’m done.” I put my hands on my hips and faced my so-called trainer.
His dark hair had grown in the last couple weeks. It brushed the tops of ears on the sides, and he pulled the top back into a ponytail. “A month ago, I could follow you around for hours without you noticing. You’ve made progress. So, we’ll try again.” He crossed his arms over chest and shifted his weight to one side, his lean, muscular body outlined by the moon’s light.
“The only reason I know you’re there is because I can smell you,” I countered. A gust of wind blew sand into my face, making me cough. “Okay, Niyol helps too.” I waved my hand over my face several times, trying to remove the specks of dust.
A second later, Logan was inches from me, the moonlight reflecting off the flecks of green in his brown eyes. “What do mean you can smell me?”
I took a deep breath, en
joying his scent. “You should quit chewing gum. You smell like spearmint.”
“I don’t chew gum, AJ,” he replied.
“Really? Well, that’s odd.” I stuffed my hands in my pockets to keep them from reaching out to him. Did he feel this too, or was it just me?
“How long have you been able to smell people?” he asked.
“A couple weeks?” I shrugged, trying to make light of it, but I knew why he was concerned. He and I still hadn’t talked about that night. Every time I brought it up, he refused to answer. But little things, like his smell and my desire to be close to him, fueled my need to know what happened.
“Ever since your fight with the vampire?”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“AJ, this is serious. Why haven’t you mentioned it before?”
Because you won’t talk about it, I nearly said but held my tongue.
“I thought you were chewing gum,” I lied. “How was I supposed to know it was actually you?”
“Who else?”
I kicked the dirt at my feet like a child in trouble. Why should I feel guilty about it? I didn’t ask to be bitten, and I didn’t want the side effects that came with it, except the smelling part. Logan and Kellen both smelled amazing.
“Just you and Kellen,” I replied.
“Come on. We’re going back to the house.” He grabbed my elbow, but I jerked it away.
“Who put you in charge?” I asked, refusing to move.
“I’m in charge of your safety, and right now, I’m concerned there is part of a vampire lingering in your blood.”
“Whatever. So, I can smell the two men in my life. Big deal.”
His eyebrows met in the middle, and I glared at him. Would he really open up this time?
“I’m not done with my training,” I said. “I haven’t managed to stab you.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Very much.”
“Well, I’m done. See you back at the house.”
A puff of sand was the only sign of his leaving. I kicked the rocks at my feet and started walking back towards the estate. He wouldn’t really leave me. He stuck to me like glue unless Kellen was there. Then, he was my permanent attachment. Between the two of them, I never had any time alone.
I missed it, sort of. The feelings of rejection and loneliness were buried in my past, as recent as it was, but having time to daydream, read, sketch, or anything whimsical would have been nice. All my time was monopolized with training.
At least I was no longer ninety-five pounds of skin and bone. Kellen forced me to eat three meals a day, and every morning was consumed by some type of cardio workout, then weight training. The rigid schedule then jumped to lunch, immediately followed by history lessons and a nap. At sunset, Logan took over with weapons’ training and teaching me how to communicate with Water. The wind, Niyol, reveled in my combat training, enjoying every minute of it. But Water was reclusive, unwilling to be part of any offensive training. I still failed at convincing it to help me learn.
I felt stronger physically and magically. But all my magical training came from Niyol and Logan. Kellen and I still hadn’t really worked at using our elements together. He talked about it a lot, but that was it. I hoped we would take the time to do it before we went to the palace.
“Where is your mind tonight, princess?” Logan asked, materializing next to me. I knew he didn’t really just appear. His movement was faster than I could see, making it look that way.
“Everywhere,” I replied.
“That takes a lot of brain power.”
I smiled, knowing he could probably see me despite the lack of light. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I am fairly intelligent,” I quipped, feeling his shoulder brush against mine. I shivered, but not because I was cold.
“I did notice,” he replied, not putting distance between us.
I sighed, forcing my thoughts away from him and returning to my element. “I feel like I’ve failed Water somehow,” I said. “Niyol is so willing to teach me anything, but Water... I don’t even know his name.”
“Maybe he realizes that Niyol is not as volatile as he could be, so he doesn’t need to interject into your training,” he suggested.
“Was that how yours was?” I asked, then regretted it. Logan wasn’t always agreeable to talk about his lost magic. “I’m sorry, Logan, you don’t have to answer that.”
“You shouldn’t be sorry,” he replied. “I would love to talk about my element tonight, even if he is no longer mine.”
“Are you sure? I can’t imagine how painful it would be.” I hung my head and kicked at the sand as I walked. “Niyol and I have become so close in the last couple weeks.”
“My relationship was much like yours and Niyol, except mine didn’t speak to me. We focused on calming your mother rather than encouraging her to fight.”
I looked up at him when he didn’t continue. He stared at me with a strange expression.
“What?” I stopped walking, and he stopped beside me.
“You are everything she should have been.”
I pulled my gaze from his, feeling his sadness and longing. So, I wasn’t the only one experiencing this. And where did that come from?
“I’m sorry, AJ. I’m supposed to be helping you learn, not forcing my self-pity on you.”
He started walking again, but I didn’t follow him. How did I feel his emotions? I expected it with Kellen, because of our connection, but not Logan. Yet every day, it became stronger. I hadn’t told him because it helped me know where he was during our training, giving me an edge I didn’t have before. He stopped a few yards away and slowly turned back.
“You’re the little bit of vampire still in my blood, aren’t you?” I asked.
His shoulders sagged in the moonlight. “Possibly. Probably.”
“How did it get there?”
“You don’t want to know that answer,” he replied.
“Yes, I really do. Kellen is satisfied with not knowing, but I’m not.”
I felt his indecision… and was that guilt?
“I had to give you some of my blood to keep you alive,” he said. “I believe it’s lingering for some reason. I didn’t expect it to. Your body should have filtered it all out.”
I shivered at the thought of having drank his blood. Maybe it was better I didn’t remember it. “What is it doing to me?”
“I’m not sure.” He closed the space between us and looked down at me. “I’m a baby vampire, as far as they’re concerned. I don’t know enough about my kind to give you an answer.”
“Is there no one you can ask?” My thoughts went to Mr. Smith, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to have that conversation. Kellen approached Logan about it and told me he was satisfied with the answer, but he wouldn’t share. He said it was Logan’s story to tell.
“Yes, but it would require me to leave,” he replied. His finger traced my jaw and warmth bloomed in my middle.
“Am I slowly turning into a vampire?”
“No, that would’ve already happened, if you were going to,” he replied.
“Then what? You must be feeling the same thing I am.”
“I have all kinds of theories, but I’d rather have an answer, not a guess.” He looked towards the estate, a shining beacon in the darkness. “Kellen’s back. Let’s go.” His hand drifted down my arm and caressed my fingers before he stepped away from me and towards the estate.
I sighed and followed. I wouldn’t get any more answers tonight.
Chapter 31
“How was training?” Kellen asked as Logan and I entered the kitchen. “I don’t see any blood, so I’m guessing you failed to stab him.”
Humor danced in his brown eyes, and I forced a smile. “No, he won’t hold still long enough. It’s almost like he’s afraid it’ll hurt.” I climbed onto one of the bar stools and rolled my eyes at the vampire.
“Imagine that.” Logan took the seat beside me. “Just because I can heal from it doesn’t mean
its painless.”
I waved my hand at him and smirked. “What’s a little stabbing amongst friends?”
“You are not funny, princess.”
“Are you kidding? That was hilarious. Don’t you watch any TV?”
Kellen chuckled and leaned on the counter across from me. His eyes shined with a happiness I didn’t feel; at least one of us had a good evening.
“Are you two done for the night?” he asked.
I looked at Logan, my smile waning.
“Yeah, we’re done,” he said. “She’s as fast as she’s gonna get. I think more practice summoning her weapons will help with control and finesse, but she doesn’t need me for that.”
I tried to block out his sense of resignation but failed. Kellen looked at me with narrowed eyes. Did he feel it too? Was he getting it from me?
“So, what do you have planned for me?” I asked, trying to stifle the uncomfortable atmosphere.
“If you feel up to it, I was thinking of a late dinner and a movie,” Kellen replied.
“Someone wasn’t here to wake me from my nap, so I had plenty of sleep.”
“Did you miss dinner?” he asked.
“Nope. Mr. Vampire woke me up with a plate of bacon and fresh coffee.”
Kellen’s eyebrows rose as he turned to Logan. “Breakfast in bed?”
“Hell, no,” I chimed in. “He walked by my door, waving the aroma around, then went back to the kitchen.”
Kellen laughed, his smile lighting up his eyes.
“We can’t have her spoiled, can we?” Logan asked, winking at me.
“Whatever,” I replied, waving my hand in his direction.
“I’ll be gone for a few days,” Logan continued, catching my fluttering hand. “Enjoy your movie and dinner, princess.” He kissed my fingers and walked away, disappearing down the hall.
I winced, something tugging at my heart as I watched him walk away.
“You okay?” Kellen asked.
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