Chapter 2
Manus fell on me hard, knocking my last dagger from my hand as he pinned me to the mat with his body, the steel of his own blade cold against my neck.
He was only slightly taller than I was, but his weight was heavier than I would have suspected from his appearance.
He was tight and compact in his human form, much like he was as a cat.
“Shit.” I pushed on his chest, trying to dislodge the Shifter. “You get me with that move every time.” I was covered in sweat and breathing hard from the long workout. I’d been able to get one dagger from him today, but he had still completely disarmed me. Again.
Even so, after only a few weeks, battle training was coming along well, which was more than could be said for my spells.
Bevin was growing increasingly irritated with me.
Yesterday, when I tried to use an easy spell to block a book she threw at me, I misspoke the incantation, letting the book conk me on the head.
A late surge of misdirected power then sent the book flying at her face.
She got up and circled the room, muttering as she paced.
Her bun floundered from side to side, punctuating her ire.
After two rounds, she left me with a glare. That was the end of the lesson.
“You’re doing fine, Keena.” Manus had been working on my fighting skills.
I had always been better at sports than the delicate stuff.
I had little grace. But who’d have thought I was a natural fighter?
As I lay on the floor, the strangeness of this new life washed over me again.
I’d seen and done too many weird things in the castle not to believe it all for truth, yet there were still moments that made me question my own sanity.
Manus took in a breath. “You’re not insane, Keena. It’s all real. You’re doing great,” he said as he helped me to my feet, reading my mind once again. He was used to reciting this speech and was always patient in reassuring me.
“I wish my magic skills were as good as my right hook. Bevin’s about to give up on me, you know,” I complained as Manus ushered me back to my chambers.
Hogan hurried along in front of us, grumbling about yet another tear in the black leather vest he’d fashioned for my workouts.
The Gnome opened the door to my rooms and stopped short, making me bump into his back as he ducked, more than bowed, to the people in the room.
In front of Hogan was an amazingly tall, willowy woman with hair so blond it was almost white.
She was draped in a dress that was the liquid blue of a tropical lagoon.
The dramatic satin affair was made in a Victorian style with white braids and tiny golden ribbons at the bodice.
Her skin was creamy, her eyes sparked a blazing blue I had never seen before, and her facial features were delicate and full of confidence.
She didn’t smile as she looked up from the stumbling Gnome to me.
Manus put his hand on my lower back to ease me forward. Following his urging, after I caught my balance, I moved into the room, laying my blades and the shields on the table, one at a time, using the familiar actions to give me time to recover from being surprised.
“So,” she said in a tone that could only have been interpreted as disgust. “You’re Keena.
” She didn’t look impressed as she circled around me, looking me over as if I were some ugly stain on her new white carpet.
She stopped to face me and two men moved up close behind her.
Until they moved, I hadn’t even realized they were there.
That wasn’t very smart on my part. Manus would be so disappointed if he knew.
We’d spent a good amount of time working on opening my senses to my surroundings and I missed two men in my own room. Bad.
The taller of the two looked like a stereotypical Vampire from the movies.
I’d learned they were real, but somehow I hadn’t pictured the beings Bevin and Manus spoke of with such reverence and respect looking like this guy.
Hollywood didn’t get many things right about the Kith, but they nailed it with this Vamp.
Slicked-back hair and a black velvet cape draped over a crisp white shirt gave him a comical look.
But his height and the fact that he was looking down his long, narrow nose at me with a cold sneer took away from the ridiculous effect of his attire. His dislike of me was very evident.
I shifted my attention to the other man.
A young blond whose face was boyish, but the rest of him proved he was a man.
His naked, perfect chest was clean shaven, and his stomach sported a fabulous six-pack, which was displayed nicely above a tight pair of tan leather pants.
From the stretch of leather in the front of those pants, it was easy to guess what his particular talent was.
The group looked me over as if I were somehow substandard. I felt suddenly self-conscious in my sweaty and torn black leathers. I unconsciously tried to straighten my hair. Manus pushed past me into the room and made a halfhearted bow.
“Feldema, you’ve come to meet your sister. How…nice of you.” I noticed he didn’t use a title. Everyone else I had met in the last few weeks had held some sort of title, and first introductions were always formal. His intentional dismissal of her title showed a great amount of disrespect.
“May I present Keena, Priestess of the Wild.” He then turned to me and bowed deeply, swinging his arm under his chest. I didn’t like what was going on or the feeling that I was being left out of something important.
“Manus, you insult me again, and I’ll make your face green for a month.
” Her voice was light, but her cold blue eyes said she meant it.
I hadn’t seen anything like that in my spell books yet, so I wasn’t sure if she could really do it.
Looking at her cold features and callous eyes, I had little doubt that she had the temperament to do it, if not the spell.
I felt a small tingle of her power calling to mine. Not much, just enough to test me. I had to fight the urge to answer her call and struggled to hold back my burgeoning powers. If she wasn’t showing me all of hers, I wasn’t showing her mine at all.
She turned to me, silent for a moment, taking another scathing look up and down.
“You still have no real power, or I’d feel it.
You realize you have mere months.” It was a statement, so very matter-of-fact.
I had no idea what she was talking about, but there was no way I was going to let her know that.
She went on, “I’ve looked forward to this, sister.
I had heard of your arrival, and I have to say, I was a little worried.
” She smirked and looked back to the Vamp, flinging her white-blond hair. “Misplaced concern.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I watched her and tried to keep my face from showing my growing confusion.
“Feldema, you should go. The priestess is in need of a bath. You’ll be properly introduced soon enough.
Doran will be back from another pack gathering this evening and I’m sure she won’t be happy to find you and your…
friends here.” Manus opened the door wide for them, making it clear it was time for the trio to exit.
As she stepped through, Feldema looked back to me with a blatantly fake smile. “See you soon, sister.”
Manus slammed the door behind them and warded it with a few flicks of his wrist and an annoyed grumble.
At least I knew a ward when I saw one these days.
No one could use that door unless he wanted them to.
I’d successfully drawn a few wards in my work with Bevin, but not one strong enough to physically block an entryway.
I stood looking at the closed door and realized that I hadn’t said a word while she was in the room. I had only stared at her, dumfounded.
What a great first impression.
Hogan led me to the bath and removed the leathers with a mumbled incantation.
I stood naked before him and Manus. I was finally getting used to them dressing me and helping me bathe.
It had taken many uncomfortable moments and several screaming fights, but they had finally convinced me it was the norm.
Now it almost felt normal. Turns out I like being pampered.
“That’s my sister? Nice girl.”
Hogan held out his hand for me as I stepped into the tub. The water was perfect, as usual, and scented oils and freesia petals floated on its surface, soothing my sore muscles as I sank deep into the water.
“She is your twin half-sister. The archaic Vampire was Kendrick, one of her consorts.” Manus was still grumbling.
I turned the former piece of information over in my head, but I couldn’t get it to make any sense. “Clarify the half-sister bit, please.”
Hogan cleared his throat. “Your mother acquired seed from two men into her womb and held it with a powerful spell to conceive the two of you at once.” I looked at Hogan as if he were crazy.
Which was in itself crazy. After all, a Gnome and a Shifter were helping me bathe.
Why would anything be crazy to me anymore?
“Your mother was a very wise Witch, Keena. She knew that her child was to be High Priestess and leader of the council. Because she had two girls, she also knew they would have to fight for the right to be High Priestess and the strongest would hold the title.”
“Fight?” I looked at Manus. He nodded and let the Gnome go on.
“You will battle Feldema in the ancient ways. By might and by witchcraft to prove you’re the true heir to the throne of High Priestess.”