Of all the reactions he expected, laughter from the pretty-eyed Anna was not one of them, but it burst from her before she slapped a hand over her mouth.
Autumn breezed past it. “And this is Anna Ainslan, Apprentice.”
He dipped his head in greeting. “Hi, there, pixie girl.”
With an arched brow, the girl grasped his wrist and stretched up to kiss his temple, same as Cathaire had done. When her lips were a mere inch from his skin, time slowed, and the shimmery sparkle of a vision floated through his mind. Sky-blue eyes shimmered with tears. His own voice echoed from far away.I didn’t want that for you.
Soft lips brushed like silk against his temple, and she retreated, staring everywhere but at him.
“—the heir of Manae will also need training,” Autumn was saying. “I thought, maybe?—”
Cathaire raised a hand. “Say no more. I would be honored to train them both.” He turned to David. “But you will learn in the pixie way, sylph. Books will not help you here.”
David considered insisting that books helped everywhere, but the argument seemed a pointless one with this audience.
“Right, Apprentice?” Cathaire said. “If you’re not bleeding, then you aren’t training hard enough.”
Anna’s grin could hardly be called a smile. More a threat. “That’s right. Pain leads to power. You up for that? No coercing your way out of pain.”
David cocked his head. “What makes you think I can coerce anyone?”
With deft motions, she unbuckled the leather straps around her wrist, tugging off the gloves so she didn’t have to look at him. “I’ve studied Morgan’s magic. I know exactly what you can do.”
She said it like it was an insult, like he’d had a choice in the matter and chosen wrong, but that wasn’t what snagged his attention.
I’ve studied Morgan’s magic.
Why would she have studied Morgan’s magic? Curiosity? Fear? Something else?
More importantly, how much did she know? Did she understand more about his magic than he did?
David tamped down his intrigue and returned his attention to Cathaire. “Tomorrow, then?”
“No. Now.” The pixie grinned and motioned toward Anna. “My Apprentice will help me gauge your skill.”
From across the clearing, Sean laughed. “Okay, I have to see this.”
Anna froze. “But Blademaster?—”
Cathaire turned to her, brows high.
“Never mind,” she said and replaced her wrist braces before addressing David. “Come on, then.”
Sudden consternation tangled her emotions into knots, and David repressed his smile as he followed her to the middle of the clearing.
“Take him down,” Cathaire shouted from the sidelines.
Sky-blue eyes settled on his face, then shifted downward,cataloguing every inch of his body. Her inner core spun with shades of anxiety and curiosity, but he detected no trace of hatred or fear.
He wished he didn’t like that so much.
“You’re stiff,” she said.
His head cocked. “Why did you study Morgan’s magic?”
Shock lanced through her rainbow emotions like lightning, but she didn’t answer. Instead, she shook her head and attacked him.
David did nothing to stop her fist from pummeling his jaw, though she pulled the punch at the last moment, sparing him the brunt of the pain. His head whipped to the side. She grabbed his wrist, jerking his arm behind his back. Her foot kicked behind his knee, and she followed him to the ground.
