“Not the usual Guardian sword?” she asked.
A smile glimmered. “I’ve seen you fight, child. The glaives will be more suitable for your style of combat…”
The goddess was right. While she could handle a straight sword, her twin glaives were better, swift, and deadly.
Ely pushed to her feet, dusting the gravel and snow from her dampened jeans. When the powers Gaia spoke of hadn’t manifested, she figured manipulating shadows was it, but now…
Holy freakin’ stars!A grin started.Okay then, let’s see if I can do this again.
Steeling herself, she shut off her mind and shot up to the window, sinking seamlessly through the glass, back into the living room, landing on her feet this time.
“Yesss!” She laughed, pumping her hands into the air and doing a quick dance. Bob flickered an amber eye open. “Did you see that?”
The cat went back to dozing as if she bored him.
Still grinning, her attention settled on her canvas again, and the flush of excitement faded a little as she stared at those striking eyes seeming to laugh at her childish glee.
“Of course, you’d laugh.” She grabbed a sheet from the floor and threw it over her canvas, blocking the tormenting demon. “There, much better. This will be our secret. Don’t tell anyone, okay, Bob?”
Her model ignored her, but his tail twitched. Ely snorted. She’d found him skulking on the pier earlier, and he’d followed her up to the apartment.
“Coming?” Another lazy twitch of his fluffy extremity. “You might as well.” Ely chuckled, scooping the overweight feline into her arms. She walked out of the apartment and down the side steps. “Jeez, you sure are heavy, huh? I took down some of those dangerous Narakas, and those demons are freaking huge, but you defeat me, you huggable pile of fur. Just as well I adore you, or you’d be waddling back to the castle.” She kissed his furry head.
He purred and butted her chin.
Ely spluttered with laughter, stopping on the bottom steps, and eyed the trail leading into the forest. An hour’s walk back to the castle, carrying Bob? Nope, not doing that—
A low-grade heat swamped her. “Whoa!” she groaned and tried to lower her body temperature but couldn’t seem to get the ability working. At least the icy air helped a little. Was it because her powers were awakening?
Not sure if that was the reason, she dematerialized them to the castle. The moment they reformed on the kitchen terrace, Bob leaped out of her arms, his heavy girth causing him to skid a little as he landed on the terracotta floor. He waddled off into the garden, doubtless to stalk birds.
Ely opened the French doors and entered the enormous, open-plan dining and kitchen area, the delicious aroma of the noon meal being prepared, wafting to her. She shrugged off her jacket as she passed the long dining table to the kitchen.
Shadow worked at the window countertop, icing gingerbread cookies. She glanced up, her starburst-hued eyes twinkling. “Hey, you’re back.”
“Yep.” Ely dropped her coat on a chair back.
“Finished your morning painting?” Hedori asked, putting a large roast into the oven and shutting the door.
“For now, I have.” She stifled a grimace, recalling who she’d painted. “Thanks for letting me use the boathouse apartment.”
“My pleasure.” He straightened, a smile lighting his pretty orange-green eyes. “It’s been empty for too long. I’m glad it’s getting some use now.”
She’d always liked Hedori, having known him since she was a little girl. As a bodyguard, he used to accompany Aethan, who’d been the sovereign heir of Empyrea back then, during his visits to her home in Ademéras to meet her brother.
The mouth-watering aroma of the cookies finally getting to her, Ely filched an un-iced one from the cooling rack and scrunched her face at her paint-smeared fingertips. Oh, well, she shrugged and bit into the spicy cookie. “Man, I love these.”
“Thank you,” Jenna said, walking into the kitchen from Hedori’s quarters, a book in her hand.
His gaze snapped to her, then away, but Ely caught the fleeting flash of pain and frustration on his striking face. She could understand his tension since Jenna was his destined mate, butshehad no idea what she was to Hedori because he remained unfailingly polite and refused to cross that line.
Ely wondered if Jenna probably saw him as a protector, too, and why she continued to live in his quarters since he’d been the one who’d carried her out of that lone house in the Dark Realm where the mad angel, Samael, had held her prisoner for many months.
But more, Ely understood why Hedori kept his distance from his mate—an air of fragileness and melancholy still lingered around Jenna even a year after he’d rescued her.
“Try this.” Shadow handed Ely one of the frosted gingerbread men.
“I have to learn how to bake these.” She bit off a crumbly leg and moaned around a mouthful of sweet, spicy yumminess. “This tastea-ma-zing.”
