Chapter 15 #3
I put my attention back on the waves, watching them bounce off of the boulders to the right of the coastline. “Amazing doesn't do it justice. How did you know I’d like it here?”
“I pay attention. You spend most of your free time on the beach.”
“Oh,” I breathed, my voice shaking. “How did you find this place?”
“I ran away from my father when I was eight. Found myself here. Took them an entire day to find me.”
Though I wanted to ask him why, I learned my lesson from last time.
He only shared as much as he was comfortable with, though I wanted to know more of that Sebastian.
The version of him that had feelings too large to release.
I wanted him to confide in me. To know him at his core.
I wanted to know the things he believed would make me sick.
What book he was reading, and how he reacted when he found out he was gifted by Caius.
I wanted to know every minuscule detail about him.
But instead of asking, I changed the subject.
“Maybe we should start wielding. It’s getting late, and I’m cold,” I whispered, sudden sadness sticking to my words like honey.
Sebastian agreed. “Let’s start with some shielding first. I’ll throw some of my magic at you. Do everything you can to stop it from reaching you.” He kept his eyes wide as he spoke, making sure I comprehended his instructions.
I bobbed my head yes, liking that suggestion. Once we started wielding, I wouldn't last long. In fear of seeming weak, I had been quiet about how draining my powers were.
“Ready?” he asked, pivoting in the sand to look at me.
I closed my eyes and focused on calming my mind, body, and soul. “Ready.”
A chill much icier than the fall air caressed my skin.
Pricks of ice bit my flesh before my body’s heat melted them away.
I recognized the droplets as Sebastian's magic, and imagined myself telling the storm to dissolve.
I used every ounce of my focus to concentrate on stopping the snowflakes he summoned.
All at once, the goosebumps on my skin faded away. I opened my eyes to meet Sebastian’s gaze, tilting my neck up to watch the snowfall over the beach, landing everywhere except for where I stood.
“Good job.” He smiled proudly, and as he lowered his hands, the snow vanished.
I grinned from ear to ear, relieved that I was able to shield properly on the first try. “I’ll be honest, I wasn't sure how I would differentiate between shielding and wielding, but between class and now this, I think I’m starting to get it.”
“Don't be so quick to assume. I was making it easy on you.”
“Oh, so now you decide to take it easy on me? Where was that mercy back on the mat?”
“If I make things too hard on you, you may request a new guard.”
“I might just do that, anyway.”
Sebastian snickered, letting a smile slip free.
He didn't give me any time to celebrate my achievement before he harnessed more magic for me to block.
I successfully shielded a few more times, some of which I was able to keep my eyes open for. Happy with the progress, we took a few minutes to rest before starting to wield.
My mouth opened to let out a yawn, the exertion from this evening had begun to consume me.
Sebastian grinned apologetically. “We’ll make this quick. I know it’s late, and you must be really tired from having your ass handed to you on the mat.”
“Well maybe if someone wasn't such a try-hard, I would have stood a chance,” I retorted, laughing at the same time.
Sebastian’s lips quirked up once more as he held his hands out to me. “Come here.”
“I don't need to be touching someone to use my magic against them.” I was hesitant to take his hands again in fear that I’d do something I’d regret.
“I know. But you're still new to this and contact makes it easier. Come on.” He gestured me over with a wave.
I gulped but stepped towards him. My hands were so small compared to his, fitting inside of his palms with room to spare. Before I could lose myself in his face, I squeezed my eyes shut and aimed my focus on relaxing my body. “What should I try to make you do?”
Sebastian spoke to me softly as to not distract me from my inner peace. “Whatever you want.”
“Whatever I want? That seems a bit bold to tell someone who can do exactly that.”
“I saw how you reacted to the crab incident, so I know you won't do anything too harsh,” he replied.
Air blew from my nostrils in a subtle laugh. “That crab didn't body slam me to the mat while training, though.”
“Valid point.”
I shuffled my feet to cement myself in the sand, then loosened my limbs, letting my arms go slack and using the support from his hands to keep them from dropping to my sides.
I completely relaxed myself, calming the thoughts in my head that never seemed to rest. My jewels sent jolts of energy throughout my face, signaling that my magic was active, ready to emerge and take control of the man in front of me.
I imagined my command, repeating the words inside my head, and when I was ready, opened my eyes and said, “Drop your cloak.”
Sebastian released my hands and raised them to untie the knot that held his cloak around his neck. He meticulously moved his fingers to release the strings, then it fell to the sand in a puddle at our feet.
“Woah,” was all he managed to say, his blue eyes opened wide, showcasing his amazement.
He hadn't seen my magic yet, so this was an entirely new experience for him. I couldn't relate, but I imagined it must be bizarre to have no control over your actions.
A gust of wind passed us, and he shivered as he picked up his cloak, shaking the sand off of it before wrapping it tightly around himself. “Alright, let's do a few more then we can go.”
“The cold air catching up to you?” I teased. The adrenaline from using my magic was enough to warm my body.
Sebastian smiled. “Yeah, actually it is.” He stuck his hands back for me to grab. “Ready when you are.”
I laid my palms on his, feeling the warmth of his skin on mine. My heart urged me to pull him closer, but my brain granted the thought to release as quickly as it came.
I removed all of the air from my lungs, and repeated the steps I'd been practicing ever since my magic manifested.
“Show me your tattoo.”
Sebastian released one of my hands, using it to bunch his cloak up, revealing his shirt to me. He slid his arm out of the sleeve and flaunted me the dagger tattoo that covered his bicep. The lines of ink soaked into his skin were intricate and detailed, perfectly representing his mother's dagger.
Reaching a hand out to touch him, I ran my fingers along the edge of the inky blade that marked his body. The contact caused electricity to blaze through me. I'd touched him before, but this felt different. Almost intimate.
He shivered, and I wondered if he felt the same thing that I did when our skin made contact. But maybe me caressing his arm made him uncomfortable, or maybe it was just the cold air.
I tore my fingers away from him. “This time can you try blocking my magic as I use it?” I asked in a desperate attempt to break the one-sided sexual tension.
He cleared his throat, adjusting his shirt and putting his arm back in his sleeve. “Sure.”
I prepared myself to wield once more, and when ready, spoke my command.
“Tell me a secret.”
Nothing happened.
I tried again. “Tell me one of your secrets.”
Sebastian didn't speak, proving his shield successful. I dropped my command.
“Good thing I was able to block that one.”
“Why? Got a bunch of dirty secrets up in there?” I tapped his forehead.
“Wouldn't you like to know.”
I would.
By the end of our session, my body felt so broken that I had trouble walking.
I tried not to let Sebastian notice me stumble as we made our way to the dormitories.
He walked me all the way up to my room and unlocked my door with his key, holding it open for me.
I lost my balance a little as I entered, but caught the door frame, using it to keep myself upright.
“You okay?” His eyebrow raised.
“Yeah. I'm just exhausted, it's been a long night.” I disregarded his concern and glanced at the clock. “We really have to do this every single night?” I moaned.
He smiled apologetically, his eyes studying mine for the briefest of moments. “You should get some rest.”
We said our goodbyes, and as soon as the door sealed behind him, I collapsed onto my bed and didn't rise until late morning the following day.