The men are gathered around me, their faces illuminated by the glowing orbs, their expressions a mixture of awe and disbelief.
“Um, well, there’s water now, I guess,” I whisper, not quite believing what has just happened. The magic, the power, it wasmine.
“DUDE! I love a girl who knows how to get wet!” Maximus yells over Alexis’s shoulder. I ignore his irritating crassness and refocus on the wonder of the moment.
I made water.
And godsdamn—I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck. Magic is hard work.
Magic!
That means I’m no longer a dud.
That means MY SPARK HAS WOKEN UP!
I don’t know how, but I am absolutely sure my very essence is now undeniably awake. Magic flows through my veins as effortlessly as blood.
When my thoughts settle, a quiet, exhausted, contentment takes over my body. So this is what it feels like.
Donovan clutches my face in his hands. “Way to super-nova your power, Tee-Tee.” There’s a broad smile on his lips, and histurquoise eyes are swirling with emotion. “Though if anyone is going to defy expectations, it’s obviously going to be you, my clever little witch.”
"Kiss me," I breathe, the demand slipping out before I can stop it.
He doesn't hesitate. He crushes his mouth to mine, hard and hungry. I melt into him, the exhaustion of the spell vanishing under the heat of his body. He pushes me back against the damp rock wall, his thigh slotting between my legs, pressing right against the ache the magic woke up.
"Gods, baby," he groans against my lips.
I wind my hands into his hair, ready to climb him right here in the tunnel, when a throat clears loudly.
“Must you?” Cosmo snaps.
Donovan breaks the kiss but keeps me pinned, resting his forehead against mine for a second before turning to glare at Cosmo. He doesn't let go of my waist. "Yes, I must, and show my girl the respect she’s due. She’s just made water for fucks sake. She’s a miracle.”
Cosmo snorts. “Miracle is a little overblown, but I’ll admit, she seems to have her uses.”
Gently letting go of my body, Donovan moves towards Cosmo, pushing a finger into his shoulder. “Theo probably has more power than the rest of us combined,” he growls. “Time you changed your tune, Cos.”
I turn my gaze to Cosmo. “It’s OK, Donovan. He’s probably just intimidated by my greatness.”
A laugh echoes down the tunnel. I glance past Cosmo to Alexis. He nods his approval. Lol.
Now I’ve got magic—plus Donovan, Ludo, and Alexis at my back—my days of being intimidated by Cosmo Drakeward are over.I take another cupped hand of the cool water and delight in the way the liquid soothes my throat.
But all the pleasure evaporates when I picture Wes down here.
Lost and thirsty.
“Breaks over,” I say, straightening up. “Let’s go.”
9
With eyes that are still foreign to me, I watch as the dragon drinks the life-giving water my nymph made.
He gorges himself, taking what isn't his.
Sadly, it is for the best that he quenches his thirst. If he grew weak, my Nymph would not leave the dragon behind. She is too good. Too pure for the monsters she collects. But there will be a reckoning if he continues to disrespect her. His bones will break easily with these hands.
The other men are better. The professor constantly scans the shadows, remaining alert for any trouble that may threaten Theo. That pleases me. He has the eyes of a watchman. The centaur doesn’t have the internal and external scars of battle like the Professor and me, but his time alone in the desert seems to have honed his senses. And the centaur's loyalty and devotion to Theo are tangible.
