I pushed myself back to a stand almost immediately. “I’m gonna go take a nap. I’ll need the energy for when I attempt some wielding tonight. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
With my foul mood in tow, I left without another word, repeating the numberfive hundredin my head as I escorted myself towards the staircase that would lead to my room.
Halfway down the corridor, Sebastian called after me. “Hey! Wait up.”
I almost didn't stop, but leisurely came to a halt, though I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing my face. “What?”
His scent surrounded me, exposing how close he already stood. “Can we talk?”
“About?” Like I really had no idea what he referred to.
“Maeve, turn around.”
“Please,” he added when I hadn’t moved.
With a sigh, I adjusted my stance to meet his tensed figure. “What do you want to talk about?”
He frowned. “Everything. The journal. This plan…Us?”
“Oh, speaking of the journal.” Holding a finger up, I ignored his request and rummaged around in my pocket. I pulled the leather-bound book out and thrusted it into his chest. “Here. Take it back. I’m done with it.”
His hand settled over where mine still lay against his sternum, the touch sending electricity straight to every nerve in my body. “You read itall?”
“Mhm.”
His eyebrows gathered. “And?”
Releasing my grip on the journal, I slid my hand out from under his before pivoting to continue down the hall. “I’m somehow even more pissed at you.”
“This training arena is incredible.”My head swiveled up and around, surveying the entirety of the space from the fifteen-foot high ceilings to the rows of stacked benches that lined one of the side walls.
My body felt well rested after my nap, though my mind was a different story—per usual. I was far from convinced that this session would go well, but I had to at least try. There was no time to waste.
“It’s pretty impressive, that’s for sure.” Delani stepped onto a light-gray mat, one of many in the rectangular gymnasium. “I’m excited to see your powers in action.”
“Pft. Let’s hope I can even harness them. I have no idea what to expect.” Tying the end of my braid off with a ribbon, I then reached my arms behind my neck, stretching one to the side. My generally elastic tissue screamed during the act, Venay’s healing job on them having been fulfilled almosttoowell. The muscles were tight as shit.
“Why wouldn’t you be able to? At our meeting, you made it sound like you were successful.”
“Iwassuccessful—I incinerated a ton of Draemornians into stardust. I just don’t know if I was successful on purpose or by coincidence.”
“That’ssuperreassuring, Maeve.”
I didn’t tell her that I hadn’t felt even a spark of my magic since I woke up in Lumosia. I was sure that it was still there, but I usually felt some sort of twinge in my jewels on the daily, and that ache had been absent since I had encountered Beaumont. In addition, I hadn’t felt an ounce of weakness after summoning the starlight that night. And for me, wielding typically resulted in vomiting or blacking out, so that was…strange.
“Let’s just give it a try, shall we?”
When she nodded, I moved to stand across from her. “So is Dad how you remember him?” Delani, unlike myself, actually had some memory of the man who helped create us.
She widened her stance, spreading her feet apart in preparation to be on the receiving end of my power. “I guess so. I was only three when hedied,so I can’t say for sure. But so far, he’s as fatherly as I’d always dreamed. Is he who you thought he’d be?”
“I don’t know what I expected, but he’s a stranger to me.” I shrugged off the disappointment. “I don’t expect that to change any time soon. It’s not like I’m going to have much time to bond with him.” I had akingto kill.
“Give him a chance, Maeve. I mean, he had your back during the meeting today. Even when your boyfriend tried to argue with him, he stood up for you.”
Boyfriend.
Frustration fueled a raging fire inside me, indicating that it was time to utilize my favorite coping mechanism.Avoidance.
