by Sadie Moss
I swallowed. “Yeah, sure. As I’ll ever be.”
“Good. Come with me.”
We headed down the hall to Akio’s office. When we stepped inside, my mouth fell open. I’d never been in this room before, and now I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to leave. Three of the four walls were covered with large bookcases, and tomes of all colors and sizes filled the shelves. I knew Akio was an avid reader, but I hadn’t realized his collection was this amazing.
I stepped past Jae, running my fingers over the spines of the books, as if I could absorb everything in their pages just by touching them.
“You like to read?” His voice was soft and warm.
“I love it.”
“That’s good. That will be a great help as you study magic.”
“It will?” I turned to him, surprised.
He nodded, green eyes serious. “Some of the Gifted can only do one kind of magic. Elementalists, for example, can control one or more of the elements. Witches and warlocks can brew potions, but their power ends there. Wizards have magic inside them, but can't access it without complex incantations. Powerful mages, however, are limited only by their ability to keep learning.”
Two chairs sat against the wall with no bookshelves, a small table between them. Jae took a seat, and I followed him dutifully, curious despite my apprehension.
“I knew mages could get really powerful. Are there any who know all the magic there is to know?” I asked, settling in the chair opposite him.
He shook his head, his elegant features softening. “You’re looking at it the wrong way. There are endless possibilities in spell casting. Magic is just the building block, the raw material to be shaped by your will. Or not shaped. If you don’t learn to control it, it will run rampant. This is why most mages start training at a very young age. Control is paramount in magic.”
The way he was describing my powers, as an almost separate entity that existed inside me, made me cringe.
He went on. “I’m in the minority in this opinion, but I also believe it’s imperative for mages to study history and philosophy. We wield great power, and too many mages treat that power as a right rather than a responsibility. They learn how to tame their magic, but not how to tame their own natures.”
I cocked my head at him curiously, not quite sure what he was getting at.
He pulled his chair away from the wall to face me more fully and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Have you ever had a bad day, Lana?”
I snorted a laugh. “Tons of times.”
A slight smile lifted the corner of his delicate lips, before he said, “So have I. Have you ever been so angry or frustrated that you lashed out at someone or something you shouldn’t have?”
Ugh. Way too often. I dipped my head in a nod, suddenly self-conscious about my quick temper.
“So have I,” Jae assured me, though I had a very hard time believing that. Without realizing it, I’d mirrored his pose, leaning toward him as he talked. His brilliant green eyes held lighter specks that seemed to glitter in the morning light, and I felt myself falling into their depths as he continued. “Now imagine that instead of just lashing out with your fists or words, you had the power of the universe at your fingertips. What kind of spells might you cast in anger?”
I gulped. That thought was terrifying.
“That’s how too many mages live. They’ve learned how best to use their magic, but not why or when. The capacity for empathy and self-discipline becomes exponentially more important the more power one has.”
That made sense. But gods, if I felt nervous about being Gifted before, I was sweating buckets now. “Jae, I—”
He took one of my hands gently, his smooth fingers tracing a soft pattern over my palm. “I don’t know you well, Lana. But I believe you’re a good person and one completely worthy of the magic you have. But I would be remiss if I started teaching you spell casting without reminding you of the implications of the power you wield.” Jae’s eyes darkened, the beautiful green retreating as his pupils dilated. “I take care to control my emotions, to let my higher instincts rule my baser ones. I’ve seen too many mages corrupted by power, and I’ve witnessed the pain it can cause.”
He paused for a moment, staring at the patterned rug on the hardwood floor, lost in his own thoughts.
My brows furrowed. It seemed more like he’d experienced the pain it caused. But before I could press him for more information, his face cleared, the peaceful demeanor returning.
“But that having been said, it’s time for you to learn some magic. Let’s start with levitating, since you seem to have a penchant for it.”
His lips tilted again in an almost-smile. I had a feeling he would have a great sense of humor if he ever let it out. Whether because of his magical training or whatever it was in his past that had hurt him, he seemed determined to tamp down any extreme emotions—even the positive ones.
I had a sudden desire to draw him out, to break past his calm facade and see what the man behind it was really like. Blinking, I shook off the thought. I should be more concerned with controlling my own wild impulses than trying to draw wildness out of Jae. The words “cool” and “collected” had never, ever been used to describe my temperament. But if I wanted to use my magic without risking the safety of those around me, I was going to have to try.
“Okay.” I grinned. “I wonder how mad Akio will be if I make his desk float?”
Turned out, Akio did not like it when I made his furniture levitate.
He never would have found out if I hadn’t lost control as I was lowering it back down, but the heavy thud drew all three of the other men in the house racing to the study. He ranted and raved about “respecting other people’s property” while I tried to suppress my grin of satisfaction. Drawing on my magic without being connected to the four of them was vastly more difficult than it was when we were touching, but I was slowly learning how to spark the power on my own.
After that, the incubus forbade us from using his study for any more of our lessons, so for the next few days, Jae and I were relegated to practicing in the living room. We hadn’t done any more levitation, but he’d taught me an illusion spell I could use to make myself invisible. That one had been harder to learn, but I had been extremely motivated. As someone who made her living sneaking around, the power of invisibility was almost too good to be true.
Unfortunately, Christine had called shortly after the desk incident and informed Corin that the Resistance made a strike on a shipment of food and other goods bound for the Capital. All operatives were to lay low until further notice since the Peacekeepers would be out in force looking for the culprits.
Our living situation had felt crowded enough before, but now that none of us could leave, it felt positively stifling. Four men, one woman, and a million confusing emotions were too much for one house. To avoid Fenris’s hot glances, Corin’s stilted silence, and Akio’s grousing, I threw myself into my studies with Jae.
The mage was unlike any other Gifted man I’d ever met. In my experience, most of them were power-hungry, self-involved assholes, but Jae was the complete opposite. He was thoughtful, careful, and empathetic. Being in his presence was a balm on my soul, his placid green eyes soothing my turbulent emotions. We spent half our time together practicing spells and the other half just talking, discussing philosophical ideas and concepts of morality I found fascinating.
Jae was obviously smarter and better educated than I was, but he never made me feel stupid, listening carefully to my thoughts and opinions and responding with interest. Akio always cocked an ear to listen in on our conversations, though he pretended not to. But Fenris and Corin’s eyes glazed over when they heard us, Fenris’s tongue lolling out of his mouth like a dog on a hot day.
But at the moment, all four men were focused intently on me.
And I was focused on my empty palm, which hovered just in front of my face.
The room was silent except for my slow, even breaths.
&n
bsp; “You know… this would be… a lot easier… without an audience,” I said, careful to keep my emotions from burbling up.
Stay focused, Lana. You control the magic; it doesn’t control you.
“Yeah, but we don’t want to miss the big moment!”
Fenris’s body was nearly vibrating with excitement. His belief in me both bolstered my confidence and terrified me. This was hard enough when the only person I would let down if I failed was myself.
“And it’s important you learn how to do magic with distractions present. Combat spells in particular will almost never be cast in an ideal, quiet environment. You need to be able to find your focus even in the midst of chaos.”
Despite his words, Jae’s voice was soft and soothing. Maybe tomorrow he’d make me do this spell while winging plates at my head, but for today, I could tell he just wanted me to succeed.
I closed my eyes for a second, stoking the banked energy of magic inside me and relaxing my muscles to let it flow through me. Then I lifted my lids and stared intently at the empty space above my palm.
Three heartbeats later, a small flame burst into existence, hovering a few inches above my hand.
“Ah ha!” My eyes widened, and I glanced quickly over at the guys, afraid if I took my gaze off the flame for more than a second, it would disappear. But it kept burning, steady and strong, a tiny little ball of magical fire.
Fenris let out a whoop, and Jae clapped his hands together.
“Holy gods! I did it!” I stared at the fireball for a moment longer, studying the hypnotic detail of the shifting orange flame, and then curled my hand into a fist under it, dispelling the magic.
“Well done, Lana.” Jae’s green eyes shone with pride. “Now see if you can do it again.”
My confidence bolstered, I held out my palm once more, drawing on the magic inside me. When I latched onto it, I directed it toward my hand and—
The wall of Akio’s house exploded.
Chapter 14
The blast hurled all five of us across the room. Pieces of wood pelted me like shrapnel, and I shook my head to clear it as I staggered to my feet.
Adrenaline roared through my body, panic rising in my throat like bile. “Oh, fuck! Jae, I didn’t mean to—”
“That wasn’t you, killer,” Fenris said grimly. All four men stepped in front of me, forming a protective barrier. “That came from outside.”
I looked toward the destroyed front wall of Akio’s house. The dent in the plaster that I’d been determined to fix one day no longer existed. The gaping hole near the door was choked with dust and smoke, but through the haze, I could see several figures approaching.
“But… what about the wards? The concealment spell?”
Jae raised his hand as he answered, a spark of blue flame flaring above his fingertips. “They must have a ward stripper. But I don’t know how they broke through the concealment. They shouldn’t have been able to, damn it.”
He shook his head in frustration, but Fenris nudged him. “We can worry about that later. First, let’s not get dead.”
My mind cleared, the initial wave of panic subsiding as my body prepared for a fight. This, at least, was familiar. I reached down and ripped away the bottom half of the stupid dress I’d been stuck wearing this morning, revealing the twin dagger sheaths strapped around my thighs.
Akio glanced back at me, his dark eyes widening as they slid down my body. “Is this really the time to—?”
“It’s so I can fight, jackass. Don’t look if you don’t want to see anything.”
Before he could respond, Jae threw out his arms and hurled a blast of blue fire at the approaching figures. The one in front, a wiry man with a nose that looked like it’d been broken at least twice, gestured quickly, and a wall of ice sprang up in front of them. Jae’s magic slammed into it, sending cracks skittering across the surface of the ice.
“They have an elementalist,” he said grimly. “I’ll deal with him. You three, keep Lana safe.”
I bristled at that. I’d keep myself safe, thank you very much. Or if not safe, I’d at least take a few of these attackers out with me. I’d never been one to sit out a fight. To drive that point home, I jostled my way forward just as Jae shot another ball of flame at the wall. The ice shattered, revealing five figures behind it, and my dagger flew through the air a second later, impaling the tallest one in the chest. He grunted and dropped to his knees, then toppled forward like a felled tree.
Fenris shot me a wide-eyed look. “Holy fuck, killer! Look at you.”
I shrugged deprecatingly, but my chest swelled. Damn right. Unfortunately, there was no time to bask in the radiance of his beaming smile. As soon as their buddy went down, the other intruders rushed forward, pouring through the hole in Akio’s wall. They were all dressed the same, I realized—in the blue and gray uniforms of Peacekeepers. Shit.
The elementalist hurled an ice spear at us, and our group split as we all dove away from the projectile. I tucked into a roll and hopped back to my feet, rising just as Jae did.
“I’ve got the elementalist.” Jae’s brown hair was mussed, but his voice was steady. Even in the midst of battle, he kept a tight lid on his emotions. He gestured, sending a ball of fire hurtling toward the man. The elementalist met it with a blast of water. The two forces met with a hiss, and steam erupted into the air, obscuring my vision again.
Somewhere across the room, a loud growl sounded. Fenris must’ve shifted. An answering roar shook the room, and through the haze, I could make out another large animal form. A mountain lion met Fenris’s wolf in a clash of snapping teeth and bared claws, and my throat tightened with worry. I ran forward, but before I could reach them, something struck the ground in front of me and another explosion erupted, knocking me off my feet. I flew sideways, twisting in midair to look over at my attacker. A woman with hair so blonde it was almost white drew another potion out of a belt around her waist.
I pulled the second dagger from my thigh sheath and threw it at her. The blade sliced across her forearm, and she shrieked, dropping the vial of potion she held. It exploded as soon as it touched the ground, throwing her backward. I scrambled to my feet, my eyes locked on hers as she rose. The witch’s lip curled back in an angry snarl, and she launched herself forward, sprinting toward me as she reached for her belt again.
Fuck. No more daggers left.
I reached for my magic, stoking the flame of power inside myself. Jae must’ve been right about my penchant for levitating things, because without thinking, that’s what I did to the witch. Her forward motion was arrested as she rose into the air, her legs continuing to flail furiously, but her feet no longer gaining any traction. Before she could chuck another potion, I darted forward, aiming a roundhouse kick at the side of her body. She flew sideways, hitting one of the intact sidewalls and sliding down it. I dove after her, nailing her with a wicked punch to the face. As her jaw went slack and she slumped over, I yanked off her potion belt, fisting it in one hand. I didn’t know what any of these little vials did, but I was sure they were more powerful than my own current magical offerings.
Jae and the elementalist were still trading blasts of blue fire and ice. Corin and Akio fought off a gray demon that moved with superhuman speed. Between the two of them, they were keeping him occupied, but neither of them seemed to be able to land a punch on him. He was too damn fast.
“Corin!” I screamed.
He grunted as the demon landed a blow to his ribs, and when it turned to do the same to Akio, he took advantage of its distraction to shoot a glance at me.
Years ago, in what felt like another life, Corin and I had come up with a series of simple hand gestures we used to communicate during jobs. I still remembered every single one, and I prayed he did too. I made the gesture for take cover, then threw a vial filled with dark iridescent liquid their way. Corin grabbed Akio, diving out of the way as the potion landed at the gray demon’s feet.
The glass shattered, and liquid slithered up the demo
n’s leg like some kind of possessed snake. He howled in agony, clutching at his leg. He moved with lightning speed, but the liquid moved with him, crawling higher up his leg and eating away at the flesh.
Corin helped Akio to his feet as they watched the gray demon move erratically around the room, screeching and trying to scrape the black liquid off his skin.
“Thanks,” Corin panted.
I nodded, my gaze darting around the room. Fenris and the mountain lion shifter still circled each other, but the mountain lion had a large gash in its beige fur and was breathing heavily. Jae drove the elementalist into a corner, pummeling him with blasts of blue light.
I looked around again. “Wait, weren’t there five? Where’s the fi—”
A cracking sound rent the air, and a glowing whip flew toward me, wrapping around my upper body.
“He’s invisible!” Corin cried, racing toward the seemingly empty space where the whip originated.
A glowing white lash with three tails snapped out, catching him across the arms and torso. He grunted and fell back, streaks of red blooming across his chest. The magic rope binding me hauled me forward. I struggled, trying to loosen its hold on me, but the thing was like a fucking straightjacket. I couldn’t get a good windup with my arms pinned, but I twisted my whole body and threw the belt with the potions toward the invisible figure, hoping something would break and do some damage.
A white thread of magic whipped out, wrapping around the belt before it even hit the ground. The figure began to coalesce. Corin had been wrong; it was a woman. She was petite, with dark hair that floated around her head like she was channeling a thousand volts of electricity. Each of her hands held a glowing white whip, one of which was still pulling me forward.
Strong arms wrapped around me from behind, holding me back. The dark-haired woman snarled, yanking harder.
“Let her go.”
The voice speaking near my ear was Akio’s, but… not. It was smooth as velvet, decadent as fine wine. The dark-haired mage’s eyes widened, and she shook her head as if to clear it.
