Lory couldn’t tell what scared her more: the glimmer of suppressed anger in his eyes or the indifference smothering it the moment it appeared there.
“If I have fire magic, I don’t have family or friends they could kill.”
“Ifyou have that sort of magic,” he cut her off. “We’re still working under the assumption that you have light magic.”
The day she’d overheard him and Anees whispering at her bedside, after her magic was first triggered, flickered through her mind.
If I prematurely alert them, I won’t have time to find out if she can be useful to us.
“But you don’t actually believe that, do you?”
Lory watched him force his fingers to relax as he pulled his hands off the armrest, folding his arms in front of his chest once more, the movement making the shirt pull taut over his biceps.
“It doesn’t matter what I believe. I’m here to teach—that’s the only thing I do.”
They stared at each other, the heat returning to Lory’s skin at Falcrest’s intensity.
“Teach me, then.” The challenge in her tone came as naturally as the smirk returning to Falcrest’s face, and when he spoke again, his voice was silk and velvet combined with a honed edge that made Lory squirm in her seat.
“I don’twantto teach you, Gutter Gem. I want to show you.” Without a warning, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a black leather pouch and dangling it between them. “We have two options: Either you let me put you to sleep and I’ll coax your magic out that way, or you take the Almelyte powder and your magic will be forced out like the last time.”
“What do you mean, put me to sleep?” Did this have anything to do with his dreamweaver powers? “I thought you were already triggering my magic.”
Falcrest ignored her question. “I know you don’t trust me, so I’ll understand if you choose the Almelyte, but I’d rather get into your head than carry you back to Hand Nahrit’s infirmary.” Again, he let the pouch swing between them. “Your choice, Vednis.”
Lory folded her arms to prevent herself from leaping for the powder. Neither did she want Falcrest to take a walk in her mind while she was sleeping. “Is there a third option?”
At that, he got to his feet, pocketing the pouch and glancing down at her like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with her. “There is. But you won’t like it.”
Squaring her shoulders, Lory held his stare. “Try me.”
Slowly, Falcrest leaned down, bracing his hands on the armrests of her chair as he brought his face level with hers. “Emotion, Lory. Raw, unfiltered emotion brings forth magic.”
His scent swallowed her, and her heart leaped into her throat in a blend of fear and heat that had nothing to do with the fire that had caused the pale spots on her skin.
“Fear is what most people opt for, but there is something even more potent, and considering the way your pupils blow out when you meet my gaze, the way your heart rate spikes when I invade your space, how you can’t seem to take your eyes off me… I’d say let’s go for that other emotion.”
Lory swallowed the dryness in her mouth as the captain pulled away, prowling to the back of her chair and placing his hands on top of the backrest, right above her shoulders. “You need to consent, Lory, because I don’t want the new story to be thatIassaultedyou.”
As it dawned on Lory what Falcrest was aiming for, Lory leaped up from her chair, facing him with her dagger in her hand. “If you think lust is potent, you haven’t tried anger.”
The expression on Falcrest’s face as Lory held the point of her dagger under his chin was priceless, as was his smirk of approval as he slowly lowered his hand to the blade at his hip, drawing it with casual grace as he shoved her dagger away with two fingers. “If anger is what you want to go for, Gutter Gem, by all means, please do. Consider it foreplay.”
He hadn’t finished his words as her anger flared, fueling her movements. With light feet, she turned, jumping onto Falcrest’s chair to gain the advantage of height for her attack while he merely stood there, waiting as if she wasn’t a real threat.
“Are you planning on coming at me at some point, or will you be staying up there for the rest of the day?”
Oh, the challenge in his eyes was real—as were the flames of anger licking at Lory’s chest as she leaped at him with a battle cry.
Falcrest didn’t even bother lifting his sword; instead, sidestepping her and kicking her legs out from under her with a lazy sweep of his foot. “I’d hate to repeat my story and sayyouthrew yourself at me again.”
Scrambling to her feet, Lory fought for breath, ignoring the throb in her hip where a bruise would bloom by tomorrow. Dagger at the ready, she brought some distance between them, assessing Falcrest’s casual stance, his broad shoulders, and muscled arms. He didn’t need a blade to stop her, and he knew it. If she didn’t adjust her tactics, he’d have her on her back again in a heartbeat.
“What’s wrong, Gutter Gem? Are you afraid of me?” With his gaze, he dared her to attack while the rest of his body said he was bored.
“I’m not afraid of anyone.” Circling him, she weighed her options: a quick stab under his arm or a punch to his stomach. His face was too high up, and he was expecting her to use her dagger, judging by the way he kept the shiny silver blade within view by adjusting his stance with every other step she moved around him.
“Those are a fool’s words.” Tension rippled along his back as she made two quick strides to complete the circle, and he turned to face her once more.
