“How do we make our fingers shoot lightning?” Brodine asked.
“Another spell.” Reyla shared it, but neither Brodine nor Airia could do it—yet.
“It takes practice, Bro,” I said. “Work on it later. Right now, I need to teach you how to guard your mind.” I glanced at Airia. “You too unless you’ve already been taught. I showed Reyla how to do it already.”
“The only thing I learned was how to work with dragons,” Airia said. “And most of that, I taught myself. Although, no one needs training in how to shovel dragon shit. Will,” she pinched her eyes closed before opening them again, “taught me how to care for their scales and claws. Prenton too.” Her eyes shimmered with tears. “I hate how the fae have manipulated us. They killed Prenton and Will.”
“We need to find a way to remove every Nullen’s collar, and then make sure they can no longer tell we’re not wearing them,” Reyla said, her gaze seeking mine. “Ideas?”
“I don’t. Sorry.” If Vexxion was here, he might have suggestions. I needed him in so many ways, not just to stand by my side or to love me. Since we’d met, we’d barely been apart. Was it only this morning that I was with him, that I told him I loved him?
What would I give to bring him back?
Anything. I’d even give up my quest to kill Ivenrail if I could have Vexxion back in exchange.
“We’ll find a way,” I finally said.
“About that guard training . . .” Brodine’s gaze swept to the darkened windows. “I have a feeling we should master that as soon as possible.
“Or someone’s going to spy on us,” Airia said.
I told them how to do it.
“I’ll practice,” Brodine said in complete seriousness. “You don’t need to worry that I’ll give us away.”
Airia nodded, but her frown fell on Vexxion. “He’s still collared, you said by the king himself. How long do you think it’ll be before Ivenrail tracks him down to this location?”
He may have done so already.
“I’ll strengthen the wards Vexxion placed around the manor,” I said.
Brodine scrubbed his face with his palms. “How do you know how to do something like that? I understand the need to guard my mind, and I’ll work on building the forest with my supposed power, though I don’t see a well inside me like you described. Who’s going to teach us the spells we need to protect ourselves?”
“They’re inside you already.” It sounded lame even to my own ears. “Think about what you need and cast the spell. Some of the time, it works.”
Bro’s lips twisted. “Some of the time?”
“Some things will come easy. Some won’t. Magic isn’t a perfect science. Most of all, it takes practice.” I’d trained numerous dragons over the years, but that didn’t mean I could teach my friends how to perfect their magic. “We’ll start simply. In the morning, I’ll share a few spells, and you can try them while we fly.”
Brodine flashed me a grin. “I’m warming up to the idea that I can do magic.” I was so grateful to have him back, I wanted to cry. “Until I can figure out how to send bolts of lightningaround like a badass, I’ll need weapons. Leathers. This stupid tunic,” he plucked at it, “will catch flame if a dragon blows sparks my way. I feel naked without leather covering my body.”
“I’m sure Vexxion has a few things you can wear. I’ll look in his closet.”
He peered around, his attention falling on Vexxion’s family sword mounted on the wall. “I could use that.”
“No,” I barked, then lowered my voice to a reasonable level. “That belonged to Vexxion’s family.”
“It was a weapon before it became an ornament mounted on the wall,” he said with a huff.
“I said no.”
“Alright.” His scowl didn’t fade. “You two . . .” His swallow went down hard. “You reallyareone of them?” A subtle sneer came through in his voice.
“Do you have a problem with that?” A challenge came through in mine.
“No.” He blinked. “I guess not.”
“You don’t need to come with us. The collar will protect you. You can travel to Nullen territory and disappear. I’ll give you coins for a new start.”
