“I saw you practicing outside,” Sera said to Manny. “Your spellwork was great.”
Elyse snorted.
“Ignore her,” Killian grumbled to Manny. “You’re coming along just fine.”
Another snort left Elyse’s nose. “Your casting is slow, your spells are weak, and your accuracy is abysmal.” She leveled a stare at Manny, letting him know she meant every word. “But it’s not your fault you have a sorry excuse of a trainer,” she added. Her eyes flickered toward Killian.
“Oh? And what would you do differently?” Killian said dryly, not missing a beat.
Elyse took a sip of her liquor and let it roll over her tongue as she debated if she’d rather help him or tell him to fuck off. Her ego won out. “When you first learned to wield a sword, did you childishly stab and swipe and hope you improved? No, you practiced twirling it, honing your grip, learning the weight and feel of the instrument. You worked your body, building your stamina and understanding how your own muscles and limbs work together.”
Killian opened his mouth to reply, but Elyse spoke over him.
“It’s the same with magic. You’ll improve faster if you do more than aimlessly shoot spells at one another. You have to hone your agility, your control. Then you’ll be decent. Maybe.”
Manny leaned toward her. “What do you suggest?”
She turned and looked over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of Killian rolling his eyes, and searched the room for a victim.Less than a dozen people were in the room altogether, including their group. At the nearest table was a scrawny-looking man with a mop of coppery hair. He sat alone, his bony fingers picking at his dinner. He seemed like a good enough target.
Elyse turned back to Manny. “Him,” she said, gesturing with a tilt of her head. “Tie his boot laces together. If you can do that without making yourself known, then you’ll increase your controlandstop announcing every spell you’re about to send.”
“You can’t do that,” Killian argued. “It’s cruel.”
It was Elyse’s turn to roll her eyes. “Cruel” was a vast exaggeration.
“He’s been staring at my chest since I got here,” Sera groaned.
“I’ll do it,” Manny piped in, and immediately turned to face the man. He lifted his hand and pointed his finger toward the man’s boots, his eyes squinted in concentration.
“Subtle,” Elyse scoffed.
Manny dropped his hand to the table immediately, his face turning red. But he schooled his expression into something more laidback and began to move only the tip of his finger in barely perceptible movements.
“Is it working?” Killian asked after a moment.
Sera nodded, her gaze continually flicking to the man’s boots to monitor Manny’s progress.
Elyse took another sip from her drink, watching with amusement as Manny’s lips pinched together in concentration. Killian shifted to face her.
“Tell me about this card game,” he demanded, voice low.
Elyse didn’t look at him. “What’s there to tell?”
“For starters, where is it?”
“I don’t know,” she said flatly.
“You don’t know?”
Elyse nearly gagged at the thick incredulity in his voice. “Would you like to try asking that again? Or would you rather I carve the explanation into your flesh, one letter at a time?”
Killian’s nostrils flared. It was the only sign of irritation he would cede, but it was still a small victory for Elyse. After an exhale, Killian asked in a calm voice, “How will we get to the game if we don’t know the location?”
“Through a door,” Elyse drawled. It was too easy to toy with him.
Killian shot a desperate glance at Sera, who quickly looked away.
“Fix your face,” Elyse snapped at Manny. His tongue was poking between his lips as he focused on his practice.
