by Sadie Moss
“Not ’til everyone is up! If I let you dig into it now, there’ll be nothing left by the time Miss Crow and Corin are awake.”
“Yeah, well, I bet he got something better than bread,” Fenris muttered with a pout before his eyes landed on me. “Killer! You’re awake!”
He bounded over to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and burying his nose in my flaming red locks. Maybe it was the wolf in him, but he seemed to have a real thing for smelling my hair.
“How’s Corin?” he murmured.
“He’s good. He’ll be fine.” I tried to keep my voice neutral as I said it, but Fenris’s chuckle told me I hadn’t been entirely successful.
“I bet he will.” He smirked knowingly.
I’d been more nervous about Fenris’s reaction to my night with Corin than anyone else’s. Fen was the only other one of these men I’d kissed, after all, and as far as I knew, shifters didn’t usually share mates. But then again, this bond was something unique. Maybe he felt the same way Corin did and knew that no one of them had more of a claim to me than any of the others. Whatever the case, I was relieved not to see any trace of anger or betrayal in his rich brown eyes as he looked down at me.
Then he steered me quickly toward Darcy, holding both my shoulders from behind and presenting me to her like a prize. “See? She’s here! Now can I—?”
She rolled her eyes, her kind round face scrunching up as she tried to suppress a smile. “Oh, all right. You eat like a wolf!”
“I know.” He raised his eyebrows wickedly at her then attacked the bread like he hadn’t eaten in weeks. It was a testament to how much he liked all of us that he didn’t actually devour the entire thing himself.
Corin joined us a few moments after Retta and Darcy left the room to take care of other chores, and then Jae cast another thin glowing dome of protection around the kitchen island. According to Retta, Beatrice had headed to the palace early in the morning, and although I trusted the two Blighted servants, I still didn’t want to risk them overhearing.
As the rest of us ate at a more restrained pace, I told the men what my grandmother had said last night, about her promise to help me navigate the politics of the palace, and about her worries that I may be in danger from one or more of the Representatives. I didn’t voice my hope that I could change Beatrice’s mind, maybe even recruit her to our side, but I was sure they could all see it on my face.
When I finished, Akio nodded thoughtfully from the stool next to me. The beautiful black tattoos winding up his arms and across his chest rippled as he stroked his chin. He’d neglected to put on a shirt again today, and I was starting to wonder if he had some kind of allergy to fabric. “So what we need to find out is which members of the government lean more toward your grandmother’s side, and which ones would side with Nicholas.”
“Okay, then I guess that means I should head to the palace and schmooze more of the Representatives. See if I can pick anything up.” I flicked a glance at Corin, biting my lip. “But maybe I should go alone this time.”
Corin grimaced, but his face didn’t hold the same pain it had last night.
“That was our thinking,” Jae said, green eyes thoughtful. “With one small addition. We need to resume your training.”
“Now?”
“Yes. Given your grandmother’s concerns, and the fact that you’ll be meeting with the Representatives on your own, its imperative that you have the best tools to defend yourself. Your shifting and charming abilities are advancing well, but spell casting is a much more complex and nuanced magic.”
Akio grunted as if he was offended by that. He rose smoothly from his seat like a predator stalking its prey and leaned over me, voice low. “Oh, I don’t know. I think incubus charm is rather complex and nuanced. Don’t you agree, kitten?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing I could block out the honeyed tone of his voice as lust and anger spiked my blood pressure. He knew I hated it when he used his charm on me.
“I’m armed,” I ground out through gritted teeth.
“I’m aware.”
His sultry voice promised pleasure and pain, sin and redemption.
“Come on, Akio. Cut it out.” Corin’s voice broke through the hazy fog in my brain, and I felt a puff of air hit my cheek as Akio huffed.
“You all get to have your fun,” he muttered, but his overbearing presence eased away from me.
Ugh. This.
This was why I didn’t know what to think of my bond with Akio.
He ran so hot and cold on me—caring one minute and callous the next, devastatingly alluring but always a little aloof. I knew how Fen felt about me, and after last night, I knew exactly how Corin felt. Although Jae was so controlled it was sometimes hard to get a read on his feelings, I knew that, at the very least, we had a close friendship. But I’d never been able to tell if Akio truly cared about me, or if he just considered me an entertaining diversion.
There was no question he was bonded to me the same as the others were, but that didn’t actually mean he had to like me. Or that I had to like him.
After all, you didn’t have to like someone to….
Fighting the flush that heated my cheeks, I looked up, carefully ignoring Akio’s heavy gaze as I turned to Jae. “You don’t happen to know a spell for turning an incubus into a gerbil, do you?”
The mage’s usually composed face split in a wide grin.
“We’ll see what we can do.”
Practicing magic always made me a little nervous. Although I was slowly gaining control, and my powers had settled down inside me since my four had arrived, I was still wary of accidentally blowing things up in a magic flare. Still, I was prepared to risk the furniture in Beatrice’s sitting room or a few of her shrubs outside if need be for my training.
But as it turned out, Jae had other plans. He ushered me into his shiny silver car and drove us through the Capital to a neighborhood I’d never been in before. It was on the other side of the People’s Palace, about the same distance from the hulking marble monstrosity as my grandmother’s house. The mansion he pulled up to was made of dark stone, and it was even bigger and more intimidating than Beatrice’s place.
“What’s this?” I asked, peering through the windshield at the sprawling estate. It had actual spires piercing the sky, and the dark facade made the whole thing look ominous somehow.
“This is where I grew up.”
My eyes bugged out as my head snapped toward Jae. “Holy fuck. Was your bedroom in one of the towers or something?”
He stopped breathing for a moment, but then his chest rose and fell sharply. “No.”
Shit. I’d forgotten how messed up his family situation was. He probably didn’t have many great memories of this place. I wondered if his dad being such an asshole contributed in some way to Jae becoming the clear-headed, good-hearted person he was. The apple deliberately falling far from the tree.
Jae seemed to recover himself and slid from the car, walking around to open my door for me. As he led me toward the house, he said, “My father has a training room with walls specially designed to withstand blasts of magic. I need to teach you how to fight, and we couldn’t have done that at your grandmother’s house without risking extensive damage. Anyone can see how much she loves you, but I thought we’d put her love to the test another day.”
I squeezed his hand, appreciating his oblique vote of confidence in my ability to win Beatrice over.
Asking her for help would be risky, but I had to believe I could change her perception of things. She’d been stuck in her old way of thinking for far too long, surrounded daily by people who despised and distrusted the Blighted. But she had a good heart. I had to believe that.
“Does that mean I get to blow stuff up?” I asked hopefully, following him through the cavernous interior of the house. The inside was just as dark as the outside. If I’d thought Beatrice’s empty mansion felt like a museum, this place seemed like a prison.
He shot an amused look over his
shoulder, a happy grin spreading across his face for the second time today. My chest squeezed at the rare sight.
More of that, please. More smiles like that.
We descended a set of stone steps and walked down a short hallway before Jae pushed open a large door on the left. He ushered me through, and my mouth dropped open into a silent O as I took in the huge room.
It was rectangular and devoid of any furnishings. The ceiling was two stories high, with windows high along one wall admitting shafts of light that fell across the floor in geometric shapes. The windows on the other side of the room looked like they connected to the interior of the house. A viewing area, maybe?
A dark material that felt slightly springy covered the entire floor.
I paced the perimeter of the room, taking it all in. The walls were made of elaborately carved wooden panels, and I ran my finger over the surface of one, sensing the magic within it. “These aren’t wards, are they?”
“No.” Jae shook his head, stepping out of his shoes and walking to the middle of the space. I’d never seen him barefoot before, and for some reason, I liked it. It made him look comfortable and casual, as if a part of his carefully composed mask came off with his polished shoes. “Not as you know them, anyway. They’re enchanted to withstand damage from magic. They’re not indestructible, but they can take a beating.”
Nerves and excitement tingled in my veins.
Take a beating?
Whether Jae knew it or not, he was definitely speaking my language right now. I could use a good fight to blow off some steam.
Then again, a magical fight didn’t sound like nearly as much fun as the old-fashioned “fists and blades” kind. I squared my shoulders confidently anyway, slipped off my shoes, and marched into the center of the room to meet Jae.
He walked toward me, green eyes soft and intent. “You’ve been able to conjure both flame and ice. Today, we’ll work on using those elements defensively and offensively, and maybe we’ll add a little wind into the mix too.”
“Are you going to teach me how to put up a shield?” I asked, remembering the giant blue fireballs I’d seen Jae throw at the mage who attacked Akio’s house. I didn’t want one of those flying toward my head unless I knew how to block it.
But Jae shook his head. “Shield magic is actually incredibly difficult, and unless you’re excellent at it, not very effective. The strongest magical shields are static, unmoving. Like wards. But in a fight, you usually can’t afford to remain still. So the best defense is offense. If someone throws a blast of fire at you, meet it with an equally strong blast.”
“So if you hit me, I hit you harder?”
Humor sparked in Jae’s green eyes. His bare feet shifted restlessly on the mat, and it struck me for the first time that he moved like a fighter. I always thought of him as reserved and studious, but that definitely wasn’t the only side of him.
“Not quite,” he corrected me. “It’s a defense, not a retaliation. You have to be quick enough not to let me hit you at all.”
A prickle of nerves skated across my skin. I considered asking him to go easy on me until I was sure I could reliably summon a fireball in the blink of an eye, but my pride wouldn’t allow it. I’d rather get all my hair burned off.
Bending my knees slightly, I settled into a ready stance, feeling for the magic burning low in my belly. It glowed strong and steady, available for me to direct it as I pleased. I expected Jae to throw a blast of magical fire or ice at me, but instead, he straightened, cocking his head and narrowing his eyes. Then he walked slowly toward me.
He came so close I had to look up to meet his eyes. The bright green of his irises danced with humor, more playful than I’d ever seen them before.
“What?” I asked, smiling, though I wasn’t sure why.
“There’s just one thing before we begin.”
I furrowed my brow, not understanding what he was getting at, then almost jumped out of my skin when he reached down and slid his hand up the side of my upper leg, slipping it under the fabric of my dress. His fingers brushed the sheath strapped to my thigh, and he raised an eyebrow.
“No safety net.”
Oh. My daggers.
Finally understanding his meaning, I nodded.
Holding my breath, I lifted my skirt slightly, giving him better access to remove the daggers from their sheaths at my thighs. His long fingers deftly pulled the blades free, and heat burned through me everywhere his skin grazed mine. The shock of sensation was as surprising as it was pleasurable.
I swallowed so hard he could probably hear it.
After setting the daggers carefully by the door, Jae turned back to me. He raised both hands, summoning two small spheres of blue flame.
“Now. Are you ready?”
Chapter 13
“Godsdamn it!”
I ripped off my empty dagger sheath and threw it across the room, frustration burning through me. It was the only thing I had available to throw, and it wasn’t nearly satisfying enough. Jae had probably made a wise call taking away my weapons.
I pressed my hands to my face, breathing harshly as I tried to reign in my temper.
“That was better, Lana.” Jae’s voice was soft and warm, but I was too worked up to be soothed by it.
“No. No, it wasn’t. You threw the equivalent of a single lit match at me, and I barely blocked it. How am I supposed to defend against an actual fireball?”
“It takes time. That’s why we needed to continue your training. Other mages have had years of practice by the time they reach your age. You’re playing catch-up, and you’re doing it incredibly well. But you can’t expect to master everything right away.”
I dropped my hands and tilted my head back, releasing a yell of frustration, but Jae didn’t flinch. He walked toward me, studying me carefully.
“When you try to use magic to block an attack, what are you thinking of?” he asked seriously.
The last thing I wanted to do was talk through my failure, but I trusted Jae enough as a teacher to know he must have a good reason for asking. So I repressed the urge to snap out something sarcastic and considered his question.
“I don’t know. Gathering the magic inside me. Summoning fire and then trying to make the flame go where I say. I just can’t get my brain to work fast enough.”
He tilted his head, regarding me. “No, a fast-working brain isn’t your problem. Tell me—if someone throws a punch at you, what do you think about?”
My brows furrowed. “Nothing.”
Jae’s face lit up. “Of course! That’s it.”
Before I could ask what he meant, his fist snapped toward my face.
He was fast. I hadn’t been wrong about him being a fighter. My body reacted before my brain caught up, head bobbing to the side as I deflected his blow with my forearm and threw out a right hook. He danced away, barely avoiding my counterstrike.
“What the hell was that for?” I kept my hands up, narrowing my eyes at him in mock anger even as my heart pounded with excitement.
He walked back toward the center of the room, the hint of a smile dancing on his lips. “Just testing a theory.”
“Do you punch all your students?”
His smile widened. “Only the ones I know can defend themselves.” Then his expression morphed into the serious one he always wore when discussing magical theory. “I think you’re making this harder for yourself than it needs to be. Trust that you have magic. Trust that it will be there. Then stop thinking about it, and focus on the fight.”
I chewed my lip.
Stop thinking about the magic. Easier said than done, considering it had entirely upended my life, but I’d try.
Shaking out my shoulders, I dropped into a loose stance again, gesturing to Jae to let him know I was ready.
He whipped his hand out, throwing an arcing stream of fire at me. It was bigger than any of the other practice blasts he’d sent my way, and my adrenaline spiked. Without thinking, I raised both hands and hurled a l
arge ball of orange flame toward it. The two magical blazes collided with a cracking sound, exploding into nothing.
I looked at Jae, my mouth hanging open. “Holy gods. Did you see that?”
His bright green eyes gleamed with pride. “Yes. I think I made a mistake going too easy on you at first. I should have known you could handle more. You thrive under pressure.”
My heart thrummed in my chest, excitement making my body buzz. “Do it again!”
For the next hour, Jae and I traded blasts of ice and fire. The less I thought about the magic and the more I thought about the fight, the faster and stronger my counterstrikes became.
When he was satisfied by my progress with those elements, he taught me how to summon wind and use it both defensively and offensively. It was a harder element for me to master, but Jae assured me that was perfectly normal. All mages had certain strengths and weaknesses, but the weaknesses could be overcome with practice.
I only managed to block a fireball with wind once, and it was a close call—the flames were so near me when they finally winked out that I could feel the heat on my face. I did, however, come up with a new tactic of summoning a blast of wind behind myself and using it to boost my speed in an attack. There were a few false starts where I accidentally bowled myself over, but once I learned the amount of pressure I could take, it became a highly effective maneuver.
“That’s good,” Jae said, his normally smooth voice a little rough as he tried to get his breath back. I’d successfully blocked his fireball with a blast of ice then used wind to propel myself toward him at lightning speed, taking him down to the mat.
“Thanks!”
I rolled off him. I was sweaty and sore, my clothes had gotten singed in a couple of places, and my hair was a wild mess. But I was having the time of my life.
I stood and extended my hand down to help him up. He accepted my grasp, but tugged me down to sit beside him instead. I plunked onto the mat, watching the patterns of light dance on the floor. They’d moved across the room as we worked, the only indication that time was passing. It had felt like the blink of an eye.
