I give him a pitying look. “That’s what I said the first time.”
He doesn’t reply for a long moment. I’m sure a part of him hears the truth in my words, and I hate myself for having to be the one to tell him that.
My mind goes to the woman sleeping soundly in the next room. I think of her brown strands that trail down the nape of her neck, and her cheeks that flush pink when she speaks. I think of the way that just having her look at me makes fire racethrough my body, and her intoxicating scent makes me feel more alive than I have in years. No. She’s a temptress sent by the fates to distract me, to test me, and every time I look at her it feels like a betrayal. To my true mate. But I know Thane and the others won’t understand that.
I turn my attention to Thane’s handsome face. Over the years, Thane has become my distraction, my rock, and being with him is the only reason I was able to wade through the darkness after my mate was killed. My love for him might not be the same as it was for my mate, but it’s the only reason I’ve survived.
Like he’s reading my thoughts, he steps forward, closing the distance between us. He roughly grabs the side of my face with his hand as he forces me to keep looking at him.
My nostrils flare as Shade’s scent grows stronger, now that I’m even closer to him. It clings to Thane, mixing with his peppery, musky scent, and my cock instantly hardens. Fuck, I want both of them together. I think of the time not too long ago, when the little human had surprised us and had appeared in Thane’s room as Thane had his way with me. I wanted nothing more than to grab her and pull her beneath me. To fuck her hard as Thane fucked me.
I curse under my breath, and Thane’s gaze moves to my lips, the hint of a knowing smile on his face.
“Taste her, Knox. Then you’ll understand,” he growls the command, his chest rumbling at his words, and his other hand moves to grip the back of my head. “We’ll protect her. No matter what happens. This will not end the same way.”
I want to believe him. Fuck, I can tell he believes it. But so did I back then. The first time.
“There’s no way she’ll even survive the games,” I warn him, hating that my friend is going to get his heart broken. No, more than his heart. Because if she is our mate, it’ll break his damnsoul when she’s taken from him. “And even if she does,” I add. “There’s no way she could survive us.”
Thane’s brows lower, lines creasing between his eyes. “She’ll survive,” he growls. “She must.”
Chapter Six
~ Shade ~
That’s it. C’mon. Please,I plead internally as power moves through my body. My eyes are shut, but I feel icy shadow magic sliding against my tingling skin.
“Okay, tell me. Am I invisible?”I ask Elgen and Tarlaz via our mental link, not willing to open my eyes just yet.
“Oh yes, child,”Elgen’s voice rasps in my mind.“It’s truly impressive.”
“Really?”I perk up, excitedly snapping my eyes open. My gaze drops to my body, but my enthusiasm quickly fades when I realize only my left arm is gone from view, but the rest of me is still very much visible.Damn.I huff in disappointment, and Elgen cackles wickedly in my head like she’s pleased with herself.
“Ignore her,”Tarlaz tells me.“You’re making progress, and that’s what matters.”
“Well, thank you, Tarlaz,”I praise him, appreciative that he’s trying to make me feel better.“And for that,”I say,“what didyou want to know about? Lemon Meringue Pie? I promise I’ll conjure a piece with my lunch and tell you all about it.”
Elgen makes a spluttering noise in my head.“But that’s not fair, girl. You said you’d tell me what Apple Pie tastes like first.”
I hold up a finger.“True, but Tarlaz is actually being nice to me.”
She grumbles something back, but I’m distracted as I peer around the auditorium. Shadow Basics class started not too long ago, and students wink in and out of visibility as they test their powers. Even Kenzie completely disappears, vanishing from where she’s standing not far from me.
After the incident the day before on the obstacle course, I’d been reluctant to use my magic today, but so far, nothing weird has happened. Or you know, nothing weirder than usual.
“That’s a good start,” Professor Lankin says to me as she walks by, her hands clasped behind her back as she inspects my invisible arm. “For a beginner. But you’re going to have to work harder than that if you expect to survive the graduation games, let alone a battlefield. Being able to use the power of cloaking is one of our biggest weapons against the Xalgrith. Their soldiers can still sense us, but if we move fast enough, sometimes we can act before they detect us.” She gestures to my arm. “Begin again.”
“No problems. Thanks for the encouragement,”I say internally to myself.
“Yes, sound advice,”Elgen responds seriously, and I realize I’d broadcasted my thoughts to the shadows.
“I was being sarcastic,”I reply with a laugh of disbelief.
“And yet, the professor is right,”Elgen says.
Rolling my eyes, I watch where Professor Lankin is halfway across the room. She stops, and Satine, Izzy, and Paiton materialize a few steps away from her.
“Excellent work!” Professor Lankin praises, obviously impressed.
