“Eat,” I commanded.
She shot me a suspicious look and opened the container. “I didn’t know Tupperware existed here. Is this actually safe to eat?”
“It’s not poisoned, if that’s what you mean.” I snorted. “It’s stir-fry. I picked up the recipe during a trip to the human realm, along with a handful of those plastic containers.They’re almost as handy as magic.”
“This is real stir fry?” she asked, sniffing at the food as she removed the fork I’d attached to the lid. “It’s not some weird fairy shit that you cooked up to look like stir fry?”
“For the love of Selir, would you just eat?” I groaned. “You said you were hungry, and I would like for that tonotbe a distraction during our meeting.”
Bechora scoffed but did as I asked. I moved back to my chair and settled in, trying to busy myself with anything I could to avoid staring at my mate. She let out a soft moan of pleasure, and I stiffened, my eyes shooting to her face.
“This is actually really good,” she said before shoveling another bite into her mouth.
“Yes, well, I take great pleasure in perfecting recipes. I’d be truly surprised if you didn’t like it.”
“That’s surprisingly human, albeit arrogant as fuck.” She laughed.
“It’s not arrogant when it’s true.” I smirked, forgetting for a moment that I needed to maintain my distance. “Dragons are known to have a great many skills.”
“Alright, Gordon Ramsey. Whatever you say,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“I know not of this Gordon of which you speak.”
“Of course not.” She snorted before turning her attention back to her meal.
This time I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. She was almost beastly in the way she shoveled the stir-fry into her mouth. I’d never once found myself aroused by the way a female ate, but there was something so wild and carefree about Bechora inhaling food I’d made that it didn’t take long before I was adjusting myself in my slacks. I wasn’t sure if it was the mate bond or her, but it was making me question my resolve. The only thing that kept me in check was the knowledge of what would happen if anyone found out she was mine.
“Thank you for the food,” she said softly, leaning forward to set the now-empty dish on my desk. “Would you mind tellingme what this meeting is about?”
“Yes,” I said, pausing to clear my throat. “I scheduled this meeting as I thought it would be useful for you to work on your shielding ability outside of classes.”
“I don’t understand. It’s a pretty common ability, from what I read before the term started.”
“Shielding is a common ability. Even those who cannot produce them on their own can create one with a spell. What isn’t common is the ability to create nearly impenetrable shields, which you did. Your roommate told me everything she’d tried to break it, and any one of the spells she used would have broken a normal shield summoned by a novice.” I didn’t bother telling her that I suspected the only reason I’d been able to break the shield was because I was her mate. “Only two others on campus can create a shield that strong. One of them is Dean Femirea, the other is a third-year student.”
“Oh,” she replied, her eyes wide. “But at orientation, they said I was a fire mage.”
“It’s not uncommon for supernaturals to have a second ability. Typically, their primary ability will manifest during the orientation rituals, and their secondary will appear shortly thereafter.”
Bechora frowned, her lips pursing for a second before she spoke. “What if there are more than two?”
“It’s rare, but true elemental mages do exist. They can control all of the elements: fire, water, air, and earth. Depending on parentage, they could have innate shielding abilities.” I studied her reaction closely, noting what appeared to be disappointment. “As I said, true elemental mages are incredibly rare. It’s far more common to have one or two abilities.”
She wiggled her finger in a circle as if to physically bring us back to the point—“how do I access it? Because I gotta be honest, it would have been insanely useful in combat class today. I wouldn’t have ended up mauled by a damned bear.”
My dragon bristled at the mention of her sparring accident,and I made a mental note to have a word with Rumlock.
“We’re going to attempt a visualization exercise to locate your power.”
Bechora let out an amused snort. “Just close my eyes and go to my happy place, then?”
“Not exactly,” I replied. “But yes, it’s easier if you close your eyes.” I waited a moment for her to do so, watching as she relaxed back into the chair. “Most supernaturals describe their magic as feeling like a ball of energy within their core. I want you to mentally work your way through your body, starting with your toes, and just feel.”
She cracked one emerald-green eye open and pulled her lips into a frown. “This—”
“Seems silly,” I interrupted. “I am aware, but if you can recognize how the rest of your body feels, you will be able to recognize when something is different. In this case, the difference we’re looking for is your magic.”
“Fine,” she huffed, closing her eye.
