Thane frowns. “Even without one.”
“Okay, and what about the unbonded animali?” I ask, thinking about the voice in my head that had warned me to flee during the sky fight. “Can they enter the games?”
“An unbonded animali could still decide to bond with you durin’ the games, yes,” Raith replies.
“And what about a zenali?” I go on. “Have any of them ever bonded with a student?”
“A zenali?” Raith’s brows lift and he regards me. “No zenali has ever been willing to bond with a student, but I suppose it’s possible. Why?”
“No reason,” I mumble. “I guess I’m just getting desperate.”
“You’ve already been through so much, treasure, and yet, you still underestimate yourself,” Galen says with a dry laugh.
Thane watches me expectantly, and I sigh, taking another bite of my bar and chewing it exaggeratedly. “That’s because I still can’t do much. I have what? Some shadows that might be able to loosen binds, but I’m not able to kill anyone with them. I can perform basic shadow tasks like cloaking and making shadow pathways randomly when my magic feels like complying, and I can talk to some of the shadow creatures. Did I miss anything? Oh that’s right, and I have a magic stretchy vagina.”
Raith grins broadly. “Yes, yes, you do, sunshine.” He stretches his arm along the back of the couch behind me, and my cheeks warm as his gaze heats.
“Knowledge is power,” Galen tells me. “In this instance, it will be your asset.”
“And I’m so grateful for what you’ve all taught me,” I say. “But without decent powers, you have to admit my chances of survival are still reasonably slim.”
There’s silence for a moment, and the guys all shift like they hate hearing that.
“Your magic is still blocked for some reason,” Thane says. “It’s only a matter of time now until you get them. You’re our mate. You must have incredible power locked inside you. You simply have to access it.”
“Well I don’t know where you’ve been, but I’ve been trying to do that for weeks now,” I counter.
The guys all share a look.
“What?”
“Perhaps, I should say what we’re all thinking,” Galen drawls. “You’ve gained more power when you’ve slept with each of us. It seems there’s only one left, and that may be just what you need before the games commence.”
It takes me a moment to realize what he’s suggesting, then as one, all our gazes go to where Knox is sitting on an armchair shrouded in darkness with a drink in his hand. His eyes harden as we stare at him.
I fidget with the remainder of my protein bar. “On second thought, I’ll be totally fine,” I chirp quickly. “I’m sure I won’t be killed the second I step foot in that arena.”
The guys don’t take their attention from their friend, and Galen gives Knox an insistent look.
Thane’s chest rumbles when he breathes out a resigned sigh. “Galen’s right, Knox. It makes sense that she might grow even stronger with your…help. You’re the final piece.”
I don’t want to stare at Knox, but I also can’t look away. I might have a magic vagina, but what if his cock might be the answer to all my problems? It’s a weird thought to have, but it does kind of make sense that sleeping with my last mate might help shatter the remnants of whatever curse is still lingering on me. And hell, I could use all the help I can get before entering the games.
Knox’s expression is unreadable, and he places down his drink. My breath hitches, because for a moment, I think he’s going to agree. I mean, after all he had admitted to keeping Satine in that cell because she’d touched me. That means he cares, doesn’t it? My heart thuds a wild beat, and I don’t want to look too hopeful, but I can’t stop myself from staring at him. From wondering what would happen if we spent the night together. Would it really help to bring my memories back? Would I finally rediscover who I am?
He opens his mouth and a single word comes out, shattering any hope I had. “No,” Knox says, and the rejection stings as my excitement deflates. Then my mate disappears into a cloud of shadows.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
~ Shade ~
Thane watches while I spend the night with Galen and Raith. As much as I’m still upset that Raith dropped me in the sky, Galen’s box of chocolates earned them some brownie points. Besides, now that I’m a little more level-headed, I guess I can acknowledge that they had saved me up there, even if I had thought I was going to fall to my death.
That night, I sleep blissfully unplagued by nightmares, but when I wake, I can’t help wondering if Knox was telling the truth. Is he the reason I’ve been sleeping so well? And if he is, I’m a little terrified to think about what my sleep will be like when he isn’t shielding me from my nightmares. I try not to dwell on it.
At breakfast, it’s announced that the celebration dance will be that evening with the games to commence the following day. Some of the students buzz with excitement at the news, and I come to the conclusion that it’s either because they’re the more powerful students in the academy, or because they’re delusionalenough to think the games is their chance to prove themselves. The rest aren’t so keen. A couple of students mutter the words,Korsinus Aleia, choosing to die in the human realm rather than enter the games. Which sounds bleak, but I guess it’s better than dying at the hands of your classmates if you’re certain you’re going to fall.
We don’t have any classes in the morning, but most of the students choose to continue training in the different rooms. Kenzie and I practice hand-to-hand combat, and I have to admit, I’m not quite as hopeless at it anymore. Will I be able to survive against my classmates? Well, that’s debatable, but I don’t suck as badly as I used to.Go me.
