My distraction allowed Bastian to move from next to me and approach Steele and Gabe, his back toward me as he said something to them I couldn’t hear. Immediately, Steele’s gaze darkened, anger flooding his expression. Gabe’s brows shot up, a flash of fear flashing in his green eyes.
What the hell was he saying to them?
When Bastian stepped back, he raised his voice once again. “So unless you would prefer that outcome, I suggest approaching this differently, Commander. I don’t like seeing Kieran upset.”
I didn’t think I was nearly as upset as Steele was now. The man looked more than a bit uneasy—either because of what Bastian said to him or because his display of magic withoutspells showcased how powerful of a Caster he was. It should have freaked me out more than it did, but instead, I found his power interesting. I had no idea how I continued to find myself around such powerful and unique Magic Users when I was anything but that. Maybe I was a magnet for everything I wasn’t.
“Everyone at ease. Now.”
My head snapped to the right at the sound of the feminine voice filtering through the thick tension in the air. The voice belonged to a new individual who was walking through a set of doors on the side of the training room and down a flight of stairs. Her hair was a stunning tawny shade, streaked with silver and pulled back from her face. She wore a relaxed, almost peaceful, expression on her face. People backed away from her and she easily walked through the crowd, making it simple enough to tell that she was well respected and probably someone important.
There was a difference in the energy she carried. It was easy to see they respected her not because of her physical strength like Steele but because she’dearnedthe esteem somehow. True leaders didn’t need to strike fear into the people they wanted to follow them. They led by example and personified the values they preached.
A small kernel of hope sparked to life in my heart. This was someone I wanted to know more about, and if she was higher in the chain than Steele, perhaps this place wasn’t a complete lost cause. I had to believe there was a good reason people committed to whatever the cause here was. Otherwise…I shook my head as she walked through the crowd, earning nods of greeting from everyone she passed—I couldn’t think of the alternative. My hands curled into fists at my side. I wouldn’t let anything make me think that leaving Alfemir was anything but a blessing.
“Councilmember Amelia,” Gabe offered in greeting. Steele said nothing, but he offered her a short nod of acknowledgement.
“May I suggest we move this exchange to a less…explosive and public venue?” She suggested, her gaze moving over me, Ronan, and Bastian before landing on Niz. Her eyes filled with interest as she regarded the wyvern.
“This woman and her companions—” Steele began to explain.
“I have heard exactly what has happened here.” She interrupted Steele, lifting a hand to signal that he should stop speaking. “She came here of her own choice and with the dagger in her possession. We should give them the benefit of the doubt. There are three of them and thousands of us. Are you saying the army you’ve trained is that inept, Steele?”
It was official. I loved this woman. The way he bit down on his bottom lip and gave the fakest smile I’ve ever seen in my life sent a rush of euphoria spreading through me.
“Of course not, Grandmother.”
My brows raised. So they were related. Interesting.
With a small, directive head movement, he seemed to signal that we would be exiting through the glass door. Walking ahead without a word, the woman waited for us as Niz shifted back to his smaller size and landed on my shoulder. He offered a small nuzzle to my cheek in greeting, as if he hadn’t just been an acid-spewing threat seconds ago.
Bastian made an amused noise, rubbing a hand on the top of Niz’s head in greeting before following after Steele. Of course he was the only stranger unafraid to touch a lethal beast. Of fucking course. What I was surprised by was that Niz let him touch him. He barely reacted besides eyeing the man curiously before his gaze went back to where I knew Gabe and Ronan were walking behind us. I tried to ignore the eyes on us as Amelia chose a spot next to me and I grabbed my bag.
“I haven’t seen a wyvern in ages,” she admitted softly. “Let alone a tamed one—are you a Beast Tamer?”
The fact that she’d even seen a wyvern before was intriguing to me.
“Me?” I asked with amusement before realizing she was being serious. I shook my head. “No, Ronan is, though. The two of them are bonded. Niz is just very protective of me for some reason.”
Her lips pressed into a smile, letting me know that she had more thoughts than the one word response she graced me with. “Clearly.”
“Thank you for stepping in,” I offered after a long moment of walking in companionable silence. “I hope you know it wasn’t our goal to cause issues.”
I didn’t know what awaited us in the conversation to come, but if they decided to send us away, I didn’t have the slightest clue what our next step would be. The responsibility for Ronan’s, Niz’s, and Bastian’s well-being weighed heavily on me. I knew they were their own beings making their own decisions, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of responsibility. I heard Gabe talking to Ronan in a low murmur, and his name was immediately added to the list of people for me to worry about. Something told me he’d leave with us if we weren’t approved to stay.
“Oh, I believe that,” she easily agreed, reaching out to pat my hand gently. My shoulders sagged in relief as she continued, “My grandson is a bit intense when it comes to how protective he is over our people, Kieran. I promise the hostility comes from that alone. He has a good heart.”
Or maybe he’s just an asshole on an ego trip.
I kept the thought to myself, nodding as we stepped out of the training center and into the dark, rainy atmosphere that waited for us beyond the doors. My gaze ate up every inch itcould of the new environment and scenery. I couldn’t wait to see it in the daylight.
Wherever we were on Earth, it was beautiful. A turbulent storm filled the sky, and as far as the eye could see, there were rolling clouds streaked with lightning. Thunder echoed in the distance as small droplets of rain fell onto the thick forested area that surrounded the camp.
Stopping mid-step, I turned in a circle and looked around, briefly categorizing several multi-story warehouse buildings that were illuminated by artificial light around us. The warehouses seemed to be spread throughout the camp, though there were a series of smaller, more modern-looking glass and metal buildings that were collected in groupings that bordered the edge of my view.
Amelia pointed toward a warehouse in the distance. “Most of the housing is past that warehouse. The buildings you see in this area serve a more common purpose—such as the marketplace, training facility, and administration buildings. Tomorrow I’ll be sure to have someone show you around the camp when you can see properly. It might not be as beautiful as Alfemir, but I’d like to think our values here make up for it.”
“So it’s been a while since you fell from Alfemir?” I asked curiously, unsure of the etiquette for asking someone such a personal question. I hoped the older generation wasn’t privy to the newer, barbaric practices of our old home, making the fall a less sore topic.
