“Let's go, Ember. I can train you somewhere else,” Rath said.
“Train him?” Xae called as he strode over. “To do what?”
“Defend himself,” Rath met Xae's stare belligerently. “As good as he is at knocking certain people onto their fat asses, he needs to learn to do it without magic.”
“Did you just call my ass fat?” Xae growled.
“Uh, could we take this down a bit?” I asked. “Your ass is perfect, Xae.”
Both men ignored me.
“Yeah, I did. And?” Rath growled back at Xae.
“And you're full of shit,” Xae said. “And mistaken if you think you're the best option for Ember.”
Everyone went quiet.
Until someone broke the silence by asking, “Are they still talking about combat training?”
Good question.
“You think you're better for him?” Rath demanded. “In what way, Xaedren? Are you more dependable than me? More proficient with a sword? More dedicated? You're certainly not smarter.”
The crowd made disapproving sounds as Xaedren snarled, baring his teeth at Rath. They were all correct; Rath had gone too far. Teasing was one thing, but this was serious and, frankly, rude.
“All right, that's enough!” I shouted as I stepped between the two men. “You're on the same side, remember?”
“I'm better for him in every way!” Xaedren took my hand and pulled me backward to his side. “And that includes training. Sure, you're good with a sword, but I'm the superior man when it comes to hand-to-hand combat.”
“You think so?” Rath narrowed his eyes.
The Tytra who Xae knocked out groaned as if in support of Xae's argument.
“Xae, Rath's my mentor—” I started to say.
“Yeah, I do. I may not be a scholar, but neither are you, Ratharin,” Xae cut me off. “And I don't have to be a genius to know I can kick your ass. You want me to prove it? Let's end this argument right now. Hand-to-hand, you and me. Winner trains Ember.”
“Challenge accepted,” Rath said.
“No!” I pulled my hand out of Xae's grasp and shoved at his chest. “Don't do this.”
Xae pulled me into his arms, lifted me off my feet, and kissed me. He kissed me long and deep and so passionately that I was dazed when he set me back on my feet.
“It will be all right, love. Trust me,” Xae said, then nuzzled my forehead.
Love. Oh, fuck. That smacked the sense back into me. My stare shot to Rath, who looked as if I'd just stuck a blade in his heart. I made an apologetic face at him, but that upset Xaedren, who yanked me away, marching me to the far side of the circle that had been formed by Wraith Lords.
“Xae, please, don't—” I tried again.
“Stop, Ember,” Xaedren growled, cutting me off again. “You know why I have to do this. Do not ask me to back down now. It will shame me.”
“No, it won't. Rath's my mentor. He's supposed to be the one to train me.”
“He wants you, and I see the way you look at him.”
“Goddess damn it! I loveyou, Xae, and you have me. Isn't that enough?”
“Not if he's going to insult me and say that you'd be better off with him.”
