My breath caught in my throat. “You were there?”
“I was.” Xan reached across the table, and I slid my palm against his. “And I meant what I said, Quinn. You’re powerful and capable beyond what you know. I want to help you.” He squeezed my hand. “No. I need to.”
He released me and pulled a velvet box out of his pocket before standing to kneel in front of my chair. My heart raced. Bees stormed my gut, dizzy and electric. He opened the box and picked up a necklace.
“This is my promise, Quinn,” Xan said. “I’m going to teach you everything. Not only how to control your power but also how to navigate this world. You need to understand what families are in control of, how they work together, and what their goals are. And at the end of this, if you want to walk away, all you do is hand it back. No questions asked, and I’ll walk you through the gates.”
The charm at the end glowed in the light streaming through the windows. The shape of a diamond surrounded a sleeping cat. I’d seen that crest before. It hung all over the castle. It was the Architect’s crest.
A tremor ran down my back, and I had to focus to keep my destructive powers from spilling forward.
“And if I want to keep it?” I asked.
Xan smiled. There was no doubt in my mind that he hoped that was what I’d do. “Then you wear it and let the world know you’re loyal to the Architect.”
I swallowed. “I spent this entire time assuming you’d married up. But, um, if you can make this promise, then maybe I’m wrong.”
“I can,” Xan promised. “If I’m lying, Ezra will cut off my balls and feed them to me.”
I raised an eyebrow. “That seems to be your go-to when you’re trying to get me to trust you.”
Xan shrugged. “If it still holds power, don’t tempt it.”
Magic. A new saying and maybe a new start? I focused on the pendant. The blurry shape of Ezra, standing at the door to the kitchen, caught my attention. How long had he been listening?
I couldn’t see any downside to this. I needed control over magic. Clearly, a safe place to practice anything beyond the basics was essential if I wanted to avoid hurting anyone, especially my friends. Money had been my first step toward independence, but it was only a small start. Power, knowledge, anything I could get my hands on to defend myself was good, right? If I took my coin and left today, I didn’t know where I’d go, but Xan was offering to teach me. I could take it and run once I had a plan and control.
The pendant swung between us.
I pushed the chair back and kneeled, spinning so my back faced Xan. I pulled my still-damp hair off my neck and waited.
Xan let out a growl as guttural as his lover’s. My toes curled. The heat of his arms passed my ears before cool metal rested just above my breastbone, falling to the top of my cleavage. He locked the necklace clasp into place.
Gay,I reminded myself.And dedicated to the Architect. Everything he says must be viewed through that filter. Do not crush on the possibly evil teacher.
I stood and turned. “So, Knowledge Daddy, where do we begin?”
Xan turned bright red, and Ezra chuckled.
I wiggled my eyebrows and embraced the awkward moment.
Me. My life. My choices.
Chapter 18
Ezra
Istuckaroundmyhome long enough to see Quinn and my lover settle in for training. Quinn had wanted to head straight to the Alun, but Xan convinced her to stay and show him what she already knew.
‘You didn’t tell her about your tether. Or who you are,’I sent through our link as I left.
‘She just learned what a tether is. She needs time to process.’
He wasn’t wrong, and I wasn’t good at any of this.
‘Do what you need to.’
I trusted my lover, questioning him would only undermine that. I would not do it again. He would have to tell her before she left our home. Every one of my enforcers knew she was with the Architect. I hadn’t tried to hide anything. Too many people had seen the Architect bring her in, and Everly’s adventure at the pit fight was already spreading. Mystery breeds speculation. Speculation breeds unrest. With The Mile in our sight, this was not the time to alienate our own.
