“Are there wizards at Evergorne Court?”
“No.”
Her lips spread wide in a fake smile before smoothing. “I enjoy living, which means I’ll avoid wizards. Have no fear of that.” Her hand flicked to the crystals. “So, pure fae man, are you saying you're much too sophisticated for pedestrian wizardry?”
I liked the sparkle of mischief in her eyes, how she teased me.
I likedher, and the thought surprised me. I wouldn't trade Reyla’s feistiness for an ocean of perfect, compliant maidens. She was a firestorm trapped inside the skin of a woman, and I only felt alive when I was with her.
There was no denying I craved this woman, but this was much more than sexual. I wanted to share all her smiles and taste her horig cakes, to lounge in a meadow on my back with her in my arms and stare at the stars. To shove off my worry and fear of what might soon happen and just be. Her. Me. With nothing else between us.
My feelings were bounding down a hillside with no way to stop, and there wasn’t a fucking thing I could do about it. I was succumbing and almost welcomed it.
I forced my thoughts and emotions away, locked them down tight, and focused on why we shared this tower room together this evening. “The pale, glassy gray crystal is called fulgurite.” Iwouldn’t normally bother to discuss the properties of each, but I wanted to point out what they could tell us about this complex woman too close beside me. “You've used your magic to create lightning, so I expect this crystal will hum or glow in response to your power since it can pulse and magnify a bolt's intensity.”
“I’ve used my finger lightning a few times, but I can’t see how it might make much of a difference in my life.”
“If channeled, use of electricity could do a variety of things. We'll address them if you show more than rudimentary skill in that area.” I pointed to the burnished gold stone with shimmering flecks. “This one could indicate an affinity for light manipulation or solar power influences.”
“I've used my finger to light my way in the dark, but manipulating solar influences doesn't sound like big powerful fae magic to me.”
“Imagine being able to harness the ability of the sun.”
“It's a huge, fiery ball.”
“Exactly.” My lips twisted up in a real smile, and hers joined in as if we were friends. People who trusted one another.
There could be no trust between us.
“The black one is obsidian,” I said. “If it glows or hums when you shoot your tiny beam of lightning at it, this could mean you have an ability for shadow magic and in a few lucky fae, nullification.”
She lifted her finger and lit it, then blew out the light, smirking. “Watch out there, Lore, or I'll nullify something I expect you treasure above all else.” Her finger pointed toward my groin.
I adored how she called me Lore. No one else had for a verylong time. “It would take more than your fingertip to nullify that, Wildfire, but you keep dreaming that you'll see it, let alone get close enough to ignite it.”
“Keep taunting me, and you might change your mind about that.” She directed her scowl at the remaining crystals. “Get this over with. I've got a bed to lounge in, perhaps with someone special.”
The time was coming when Merrick's knowing smirk would grate through me like the dullest blade, but it wouldn't be this night.
“Amethyst is the purple stone. If you ignite it, it means your power could include mental projection or emotional influence.”
“That might be interesting. I'd like to influence a few people. Although, I don’t need manipulated enemies. I need friends. All I have are you and Merrick. Lord Briscalar, perhaps.”
“You see me as a friend?”
“Don’t push it.”
“You’re the one who mentioned it.”
She shook her head.
“You’ll have many friends.” They wouldn't be able to resist her. And if they did, well . . . I wasn’t above making sure it happened.
“And the last one?” She waved to the green stone with dark gray swirls.
“Malachite could show us if you have the ability to manipulate plants.”
“I suppose that would be great if I was a gardener.”
