Chapter 4
CHAPTER
When I awoke in the morning, there was a striking energy pulsing through me.
It bobbed alongside the low hum of the bond, itching for its own attention, aching to be acknowledged and accepted.
I reasoned this must be some other side of the bond I had yet to experience.
Was it conceivable that opening myself up to the possibilities of the bond had strengthened it?
I was alert, which was unusual for me at this time of the morning.
Even without windows to herald the light of day, my body buzzed with a sense of purpose and did not yearn to linger beneath my bed linens. Was it the excitement of seeing him?
At breakfast, he slid my plate closer to his, and I glanced around to see if Nori or Cairis had taken notice.
Would he be so brazen with his affections?
Did he care what the others would think?
He said it was our secret now, so I had to believe he’d let me choose when and who found out about our intertwined fates.
Though I wasn’t particularly hungry, I had filled my plate with a sensible breakfast, reminding myself that the Dark Wielder’s texts specifically encouraged proper sustenance.
Despite my efforts to ignore it, I still carried the strange energy I’d felt since waking, not sure what to do about or with it.
Cairis did not let us forget about his daring plan for the flight field following our morning meal, and though Varro assured them I had done well portaling, the thought of doing it mid-flight intimidated me.
“Everyone have their stones with them?” he inquired excitedly.
Each of us pulled the tiny moonstones from our pockets where they were stowed, showing them off to each other like children.
“Great! Hurry up and finish so we can get out there before Saryn or Theory ruin this for us.”
I looked up at Varro as he shoved two more bites of oats into his mouth, winked, and pocketed a tiny orange which I was almost certain was for me.
When we arrived outside, I was glad to have added another layer to my attire.
The gusts were chillier than the days prior, as winter’s grasp inevitably continued to tighten its icy grip.
I disliked the feeling of cold on my wings, but for Cairis I was willing to entertain it.
Without hesitation, he declared, “Me first!”
Cairis unfurled his large black wings, the taloned tips shining in the morning light. He hovered just above all of us, this time making his portal expand wide enough to allow his impressive wingspan to pass through.
“Last one to the far side’s a weakling!” he proclaimed before suddenly darting through the portal and disappearing.
Soon after, we heard jovial laughter echoing from the distant side of the valley as a small cloudlike ring appeared and Cairis zoomed out, doing nothing to contain his self-aggrandizing celebration.
“This is amazing!” he yelled back to the rest of us.
Without hesitation, he generated another loop and soared through it, disappearing and reappearing again on the other side.
Suddenly, I heard the rustling of Nori’s wispy, white wings unfurling beside me, sparkling like water beneath the sun.
She let out a small giggle before she was up and through her own portal, appearing at Cairis’ side.
And so, it began. He immediately disappeared again, leading her on a chase all across the open valley.
I took a step closer and stared up into Varro’s eyes, alight with entertainment.
Silently, slyly, I took my hand and slid it down into the pocket of his trousers, letting my fingertips graze his thigh.
The only thing separating our skin was the thin lining of his pocket.
His eyes widened at the act. He swallowed, and I watched with pleasure as his jaw flexed instinctively.
I grabbed the tiny orange, withdrawing it, and said wickedly, “I’m going to need this.”
Then I unfurled my wings, taking flight before he could respond. I focused all of the pent-up energy inside of me on generating a portal. Just as I felt the tickle of the bond, I plunged through the swirl, leaving him alone and speechless while I joined the others.
I exited at Nori’s side, an inescapable giggle leaving my mouth from the exhilaration of it all.
Cairis’ idea was brilliant. Varro arrived quickly after, and what ensued was a frantic game of chase as each of us flitted and darted after one another, trying to guess the other’s next destination.
We weaved in and out, mixing our skills of agility and evasion with the calculated use of the stones.
We could have done this all day, except that our bodies wouldn’t allow it.
This was much more taxing than flight alone, and I was fixated on the thought of the orange where it now rested in my pocket.
I grew more tired with each portal, and my mouth was parched.
When we all landed back on the flight deck, I was practically famished.
We headed back to the dining hall to refuel, exchanging spirited remarks and laughter.
We arrived in the sparring room feeling thankful for a meal to recuperate from our nonsensical games that morning.
Theory and Saryn stood there waiting, per usual, as if we were somehow tardy.
I tried my best to blend in so that Saryn didn’t send me back to the closet for further reading.
I wanted to train with the others—and be by Varro’s side.
“Today, we want to see you mix elements of your magic with combat. Each of you shows strength in different ways, so you’ll need to be creative in choosing when and what to wield.
If done well, I imagine more than one of you will need the healing pools this evening,” Theory explained, looking eager to explore the notion.
We went through the normal motions of stretching and reviewing our weapons.
Ever since Idris spent a healthy sum outfitting us for the Canary Veil, most of our weapons were sized perfectly to our stature and skill.
I admired the blades as I adhered them to my thighs.
They were lightweight, the handles fitted to my grip.
The sword sheathed at my back was among the finest I’d ever held, also lightweight, yet still substantial, the metalwork second to none.
I had become almost protective of it. My trainer at the academy back home used to joke about naming his swords.
I had scoffed dismissively at the time, but the idea had grown on me since this beauty came into my possession.
I just hadn’t come up with a name worthy of her.
I glanced around the room, taking note of what elements could be used to my advantage.
I watched as Varro prepared, beginning to tighten leather straps across his waist and torso to hold his arsenal in place.
My cheeks warmed at the sight of his muscular form, and that all-too-energetic sensation rippled across the otherwise calm bond.
Saryn assessed us with his one good eye, the other covered by its usual black patch against the border of his sharp cheekbone.
If he weren’t so demanding and arrogant, I’d almost describe him as ruggedly handsome.
None of us had ever seen underneath the patch, and I doubled my mental shields while toying with that curiosity.
“How about every Fae for themselves?” he suggested mischievously.
I rolled my eyes at the proposal. By now, you’d think I’d be used to his stunts.
The four of us spread out in a square, each of our backs up against one of the stone podiums bracing the ceiling. We glanced back and forth, looking at one another and trying to determine who would strike where and with what.
Nori may have been a pacifist before the Imperi, but I would never underestimate her cunning again.
Not after what Varro told me. Do not let her innocence sway you, I told myself, remaining alert.
Suddenly, she sprinted to the center of the room.
As if the fire from the torches were attached to her fingertips, she drew the flame to her, shaping it into a protective ring.
The heat of it forced me to step back and shield my face.
She remained at the center but continued to pivot, watching for anyone who might try and extinguish the flames.
Cairis pushed the fire nearest him into an archway with a smirk.
This brief manipulation allowed him to enter Nori’s circle, no extinguishing necessary.
He raised his sword and drew her into a duel while the fire raged around them.
I began to pace the inferno’s perimeter, attempting in vain to make eye contact with Varro amid the smoke and flame.
Before I could make any sense of his location, he was suddenly behind me with one blade in his left hand at my neck and the other hand holding one low to my belly. He could have flayed me from either vantage if he wanted to.
“I so love to feel you writhe against my blade,” he said in the old tongue, menacingly. With my body restrained against his knives, the only weapon at my disposal was my mind.
I dropped my mental shields, knowing that he would always be listening, even if we were not mind-melded.
I let my thoughts run wild and free. Distracting him with visions of our naked bodies pressed firmly against one another, writhing in passion as my lips roamed his mouth, his neck, his ears.
I wrapped my legs around his waist, scraping my hands across his wide, muscular back, unable to satiate the hunger I conjured in this illusion.
As expected, his attention was diverted briefly enough for his grip to slacken ever so slightly, allowing me to make my move.
I slammed my head into his face, drawing blood from his nose and causing his arms to drop as he instinctively reached toward the injury.