Chapter 19 #2
Before Lory could ask questions, Anees rolled on, “As you know, most of Ashthorn’s students applied to come here. They come from loyal magical bloodlines, ready to defend the kingdom and its current ruler. But some are brought in as an alternative to execution—just like you and Aiden.”
A sharp pain ran through Lory’s chest at the mention of Aiden’s name.
“Those criminals are perhaps the most powerful wielders at the academy, and Khay is instrumental in keeping them in line. With his own powers of dreamweaving, he is good at sowing seeds in people’s minds, but you have heard that before, so I don’t need to bore you.”
Suppressing the many questions gathering in her head at the news that her father was advising the King of Brestolya on everything magic destruction, Lory asked a question she had never asked Khayrivven because their limited moments were never enough to fit everything.
“How does that work exactly? The powers, I mean… Do people have more than one ability, or is that just Khayrivven with his Flame-born fire and the dreamweaving?”
For a moment, Anees chewed on her lower lip, her eyes darting to Bleek, before they returned to Lory.
“Lots of magic wielders have more than one power, but they are all connected to their element or their category of magic. Take me, for example: I have matter manipulation for textiles. I can stretch it to leather, but that’s about it.
When I manipulate, I can change color, texture, and consistency.
I can add material and make it disappear, but eventually, all of that is temporary.
It’s a lot of different skills, but they are all related to the same power.
” She shot a glance at Bleek, who gave her a slight nod.
“If you take Hadrian, his magic is more unique and less practical than mine, even when it is very useful for missions and for his specific discipline of tutoring.”
“Would you like to guess?” Bleek winked at her, and Lory’s stomach did a flip she wasn’t aware had been coming.
So fast her neck hurt, Lory shook her head. “Just tell me, already.”
That earned her a grin from the Gilded phantom, and her skin tingled as Bleek held her gaze for a second longer than necessary.
“Hadrian is an empath,” Anees quickly explained before Lory could wonder where those strange emotions were coming from.
Bleek’s grin widened. “And by empath, she means read emotions, change emotions, summon emotions—the full spectrum.”
Even when the strange tingle on her skin had to be Bleek’s doing, Lory was certain the nausea rolling in her stomach was real. “You can do what?”
“Manipulate your emotions,” he simplified. “But only while you’re in the direct vicinity, ideally while I touch you in some way. Hence the Gilded department,” he amended with a shrug. I’m Khay’s best asset when it comes to finding out who’s loyal and who isn’t.”
“To him?” Lory bit her tongue before the words were fully out, and Bleek let no time pass as he clarified, “To Ashthorn, of course. What else?”
But Lory sensed the true meaning of his words, that he was protecting himself by using official Ashthorn wording. Knowing who was loyal to the academy meant knowing who wasn’t. The difference was what he did with that knowledge.
“What else indeed,” Anees repeated with a smile so false Lory nearly choked on her breath.
“That’s a wicked skillset, Bleek,” she said, unsure if the bubbling sensation in her chest was of his making or just the relief of getting information for once.
“I need to get really close to people in order for it to work, and I can’t run around touching people, can I now?
So it’s still not as airtight as I’d like, but a lot better than knitting fabrics, anyway,” he said with a quick wink at Anees.
“By the way, please call me Hadrian,” he insisted, inclining his head the way he always did in Gilded practice. “And I entirely agree. Wicked.”
“Do you have any other abilities?” Lory wanted to know. “Did Aiden?”
How she found the courage to ask, she didn’t know, but both Hadrian’s and Anees’s expressions fell.
“Bellmont was one of the most skilled magic wielders I’ve ever met,” Hadrian admitted with no lack of admiration.
“His power wasn’t subtle like mine, but a banner that made the Triad covet him.
As far as I know, ice was the only thing he controlled, though.
” With a sideways glance at Anees, Hadrian inhaled a deep breath.
“Regarding my other abilities, I can offer good looks and charms.” He chuckled to himself.
“I’m also gifted between the sheets.” He cocked an eyebrow at Anees, who shook her head in a gesture of disbelief.
“Don’t flatter yourself, Bleek. You made me come once, and that was after a whole lot of trying.”
Hadrian’s eyes went wide. “That can’t be true. What about last week?” He wiped his face with a quick hand.
The look Anees gave him spoke volumes about how much of a supposed orgasm had been part of Hadrian’s imagination.
“No—” His eyes were the size of pancakes. “And the week before?”
Annes shook her head.
“Really? How about that time on the stairs to—”
“Gods, no,” Anees interrupted him. “That was horrible.” I had a bruise on my ass for a whole week.”
Hadrian looked like he was about to sink into the ground. “That time on Dunveil’s desk?” he asked meekly.
“Oh, that one was real,” Anees revealed with a nod and a grin.
“Took you long enough to figure things out.” With a sideways glance at Lory, she added, “Sorry you had to hear this, but someone had to get Hadrian off his high horse. I don’t know what he’s paying all those women to spread word about how excellent he is in bed. ”
Hadrian’s cheeks turned the color of pink desert roses as he protested. “I’m not paying anyone. I don’t have to.” As he was still speaking, his face lit up with an idea. “Oh my Guardians…. It’s not me; it’s you.”
Anees’s eyebrows knitted together in a frown. “If you want to break up with someone, you probably want to use that phrase the other way around.”
But Hadrian was shaking his head. “It’s not me. It is you, Anees.” Dropping the blue silk, he slapped his hands together, rubbing them as he beamed with excitement. “What if you’re non-receptive to my magic?”
Anees rolled her eyes. “Please. I’m not—” She stopped mid-sentence, her expression going slack. “Fuck.”
Hadrian nodded.
“You think that’s possible?”
Another nod from the Gilded phantom.
“Really? I mean… How could I never have noticed?”
For a while, Lory watched their conversation go back and forth in an exchange of surprise and incredulity, until she could no longer bear not knowing what was going on.
“What’s happening?” Her gaze bounced from Hadrian to Anees and back to Hadrian.
“I think we just figured out an additional power Anees is unwittingly wielding.” Pride shone in Hadrian’s eyes as he glanced down at Anees, whose expression was still wandering between bewildered and bemused.
“So, you’re basically saying that, all this time, I was genuinely attracted to you?”
To Hadrian’s credit, he didn’t take offense at the grimace on Anees’s face. “I guess you aren’t immune to my natural charms.”
“Not to ruin this moment,” Lory interrupted sheepishly, “but how likely is it I have an additional power, too? You know, something useful that the world isn’t afraid of.” It was a long shot, but perhaps one of them had noticed a clue that she had another ability.
“Only time can tell if there’s more to you than a little fire bug,” Anees said with the sort of affection an older sister might have, and Lory’s heart warmed at the sight of the two people with whom she didn’t need to pretend.
They knew about her magic, her past, and about Khayrivven.
She didn’t need to worry which questions to ask or about accidentally compromising Khayrivven’s secrets.
They were his inner circle, and together, they’d survive.
Not Aiden, though. The fourth man in this circle was missing, and Lory’s heart ached at the memory of the white-blond ice wielder, who had dedicated his time at Ashthorn to making up for his failure on the day Evven was killed.
One day, she’d be able to face his plea for forgiveness, and perhaps, one day, she’d be ready to fully forgive him. As for now, her heart throbbed at the loss of him in so many ways.
“Fire bug,” she repeated. “I think Aiden would have approved of that name.”
That drew a laugh from Anees, and she turned around, heading for the cupboard to extract another piece of fabric, and handed it to Lory, this one black like her uniform.
“Time for another try, Fire Bug,” she said, stepping back to Hadrian’s side and folding her arms. “Remember, less is more. And control is everything.”