Bad News
Kit/Kat
A fter the revelation in Curses everyone who is magically gifted isn’t equal. They can’t just use any incantation they read without fail. Plus, magic follows intent as well, and to be honest, a bunch of these clowns won’t have the needed intent those big spells require.”
“They don’t want to kill or torture, so it won’t work right? Is that what you mean?” I ask as we head across the main quad.
“Yep. They might think they want to because it’s what’s expected, but magic is more complex than that. It’s intuitive and very personal; someone doing it because they think they have to is less likely to be successful.”
Well, that’s somewhat comforting. I still need magic training, though.
“What do we do about me not having any magic? How can we… goose it or whatever?”
His chuckle rumbles over me even from the short distance between us. “We can’t force it, Kit Kat. That’s not how it works. But we can practice the physical and mental process with you privately—Slash would be your guy for that. Magic Battles is what he lives for.”
“Damn it. That’s what everyone says,” I pout as I kick at an invisible rock in my path. “I don’t want to ask him. He’s still being weird from this weekend.”
Oriel smacks my arm lightly. “Don’t be a chicken shit, KK. The big guy never turns down a chance to kick someone’s ass in the ring, but also, he’s fond of you.”
He is?
“Don’t look so surprised. Slash’s love language is being a bossy dick about the shit you need to do. Do you know how often that idiot tells me to clean my nest? I mean, I know I need to, but my crow prefers a hoard.” Oriel shrugs and winks at me. “Sometimes, I listen; sometimes, I don’t.”
I don’t know what to make of that statement, so I duck my head, looking at the dark cobblestones as we make our way to the arena. It’s hard for me to accept that anyone likes me, much less is watching out for me because they want to. Having people pretend to do it because they’ve been instructed to—that’s normal. But choosing to is something totally different. I have no idea how to feel about it nor what I’m going to do about approaching the huge demon.
“Oh, man, now I made it awkward. Shit.”
Feeling the heat on my face, I look up at Oriel with a shrug. “Well, I’m just a fucking mess all the time, man. I don’t know how to take compliments or praise well, much less accept that people give a shit. I’m working on it; I swear.”
“You don’t have to apologize or make excuses, KK. Most of us have wised up to your quirks and we know how to let you have the space you need to work through unfamiliar emotions.” Oriel winks at me and I mutter something incomprehensible, making him laugh. “Man, you’re an awkward little turnip when you get shy. It’s fantastic.”
Great. Awkward turnip is exactly what I was aiming for with these guys. Awesome.
“Listen up, wastes of space!”
Salem shifts next to me, looking remarkably awake for four in the afternoon. He shoots a look at Oriel and I watch as that gesture moves down the line of the guys until it stops at Zav.
That’s a bad sign.
“Today, we’re going to enchant our weapons with basic spells to increase their strength. This is a precursor to actual magic battles, so you want to ensure that you’re using this time to get your feet under you if you are not used to this kind of fighting.” Jasper’s eyes are dark as they bore into me, and I swallow hard. “It will only get more demanding and more dangerous from today forward.”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I mutter softly as my body tenses up. I’m the only one in this room without a lick of magic and now they’re all going to know. It will make my life a bazillion times more dangerous than it was prior to this class. If anyone suspected before, it was a rumor that remained unconfirmed since the guys stay with me nearly every second of every day.
“Kit Kat, it’s going to be okay,” Salem mutters under his breath. “We knew this day would come and we’ve got a plan.”
My eyes widen, and I whirl around to look at Oriel. “You have a plan?”
His dark eyes glitter with that mischievous intelligence I associate with his crow. “We do. Anton came up with it. Slash isn’t sure it will work, but he’s only used to up-close-and-personal magic battling. Those of us who are made for stealth or long range attacks have different ideas about how to ‘fake it ‘till you make it’ in this aspect.”
Licking my lips, I take a slow, deep breath, nodding once I can move again. “Okay. What do I have to do?”
Xerxes peeks around the avian shifter. “First, you pick a weapon, KK. Once you do, come see Annie and me. We’re step one in this gambit.”
“Do you have something to share with the class?” Jasper’s voice is booming as he interrupts our discussion and I shake my head quickly. We don’t need him flipping out on me and I have no clue if the guys told him about this so-called ‘plan.’
“No.”
His brow raises when I don’t add a snarky comment, but he recovers quickly. “Fine. Then all of you head for the practice armory and select a weapon you feel most comfortable with. For this assignment, there are only blunted and tipped weapons available. If I catch anyone circumventing that precaution like before, you will fail this class for the semester and be unable to continue the Games prep in an official setting.”
Wow. He means business; that means he suspects something will go very wrong.
“It will be okay,” Salem says as he nudges me toward the armory area. “Just pick what feels the most comfortable, Kit Kat. Focus on the now, not what might happen.”
I snort as I look at the rack of shit I can’t identify, passing that up as too advanced for me. Oriel nods sagely, but he grabs a gnarly looking bladed thing that looks remarkably like a Klingon bat’leth. “You are a complete nerd, “ I mutter to myself as I wait for Salem to grab a long wooden staff thing that might be a demon-sized bo.
“What did you say?” Anton asks as he gestures for me to continue looking with him as the other two peel off.
“Nothing,” I reply as we head into more familiar looking territory. I don’t think I have the arm strength for a mace by any stretch, but they’re cool as fuck looking. “I was just grumbling.”
X gives me one of their bright smiles. “No need to grumble, Kit Kat. There’s plenty of choices.”
Yeah, for people capable of handling these damn things or imbuing them with magic—I’m royally fucked on both counts.
“It’s intimidating when you’re smaller like us,” Zavida says as he comes up behind me.
Noting Anton picking up a large bow and quiver, I sigh. “It’s not entirely size, Zav, and you know it.”
He nods, guiding me me further down the line of weaponry. “I do. However, size and strength and even magic are never a match for brain power, even in Hell. Jasper protects me because he wants to, but if I had to, I could outwit people who came after me. Letting him feel as though he’s keeping me safe is part of our dynamic.”
I know what he means by that and the images make my stomach tighten.
“I, uh…” I feel the flush creeping up and curse under my breath. I’ve never in my life spent more time blushing like a regency socialite until I got here and had to deal with these assholes. I fucking hate it, but I know it’s because they affect me more than anyone ever has before. “Um, well. That’s… comforting to know?”
Zavida winks at me, then gives me a shy smile. “I know I’m still earning trust, but I think honesty is probably the only way to get it. Sometimes, that might be a little much because I’m not good with shades of gray.”
“I get that,” I respond earnestly. “People are a pain in my ass to figure out sometimes.”
He chuckles, nodding at Xerxes holding up two handfuls of what look a lot like throwing stars but in an odd symbol-shape I don’t recognize. “See? X loves to use magically enhanced talons. That doesn’t require a lot of physical strength—though endurance is a thing—and like you, they don’t want to engage in close range combat.”
I frown, tilting my head. “But I’m good at close range fighting.”
Zavida shakes his head. “You’re good in this setting where people aren’t allowed to fight full-tilt dirty. We won’t know how your skill matches with your PTSD and anxiety in the real setting until it happens, Kit. We have to develop some long range options.”
Fuck, he’s right.
Sighing, I look at the remaining weapons again. “Well, I’m going with the throwing knives then. Light and in multiples to give me at least twenty-one feet to have other options, if someone has a short range projectile weapon.”
“Kit, that statistic only applies when demons aren’t using magic to enhance their weapons,” Zav whispers. “You gotta ditch everything you know from the humans about fighting. Demons and hybrids have options you never dreamed of. Start from the beginning and assume anything in the universe is possible.”
Before I got here, I would have loved to hear that phrase; now it makes my ass clench.