Page 54 of Stolen Magic of the Deep

twenty-two

Sarah

His question throws me off, distracting me enough that I miss the flicker of his dark tail curling around me, sweeping beneath, and knocking me off balance. I try to recover, but the chamber tilts sideways before I can regain control.

Orion’s forearm wraps around my waist, and suddenly I’m spinning, momentum pulled by him in wide, intentional circles.

Is this a joke to him?

Heat coils in my chest, and my magic hums in response. My tail lashes back, the force ripping me free from his grasp, and I rise, darting above his head. With barely a breath to spare, I anchor a dagger in my hand and slash across the upper fin along his spine.

“Fuck,” he hisses, reaching over his shoulder to feel the damage.

“This isn’t a game to me, Orion,” I say, breath still catching in my throat. “I’m trying to prove a point.”

“So am I,” he replies, voice low and clipped. He launches forward, tail driving him straight toward me. But I’m ready. I shift to the side at the last second—just as Nyxalene had taught me, during a lesson Orion missed—his tail propels him forward, carrying him toward the far wall near the entryway.

“What the hell was that?” he calls over his shoulder.

“Just a trick I learned from your general, your majesty,” I say, bowing with an exaggerated grin. Laughter spills out of me, sharp and sudden, and I don’t bother to stop it.

When I turn to Nyxalene, I catch the curve of a smile forming on her face. That’s all that matters right now. Showing her I can do this.

I turn back to face Orion, but he’s gone.

Dammit, Sarah, you should know better than to remove your eyes from the target by now.

In his place, a sudden surge of water barrels toward me, fast and pulsing with force. There’s no time to react. The current slams into me, lifting me off my path and throwing me straight into the dais. My shoulders hit the upper steps with a loud crack. Everything feels off-center. My mind and body scramble to align, but they don’t in time before Orion appears in front of me, his face mere inches from mine.

“She might have taught you a few tricks,” he whispers, “but nothing could have prepared you for the level of magic I just sent your way, Sarah.”

I grit my teeth. “Fine. If you have to rely on your magic to show your strength, Orion, just say so.”

His eyes widen, dropping to my lips, then flick up to my eyes. He carefully shakes his head, but a corner of his mouth lifts. “Is that a challenge, Snapdragon?”

I stumble for a response, as my pulse quickens at the way he says it. The nickname, his smile, but my brain scrambles to stay locked on the reason we’re even here.

“Yes,” I say, the word slipping out before I can think of anything sharper.

I break from his gaze, sliding out from beneath him, and move back toward the center of the sparring ring, gripping my daggers tighter than before. My eyes don’t leave him. Every shift of his tail, every flick of movement—I track it. He’s smart. More experienced, but I’m determined to win. Not only to prove myself to Nyxalene, but so I can rub it in Orion’s smug face for the rest of the time I’m down here.

He swiftly follows me, not breaking eye contact either. We circle each other and I wait for him to make the first move.

“I don't know what game you think you're playing, but this isn't it,” Nyxalene snaps, eyes locked on me. “You're not here to have fun. You're here to learn and prove you can survive a real fight. Because next time, it won't be Orion standing across from you. Next time, it will be someone who will not hesitate to draw blood.” She turns her glance toward Orion, speaking more dryly, “And you. Maybe try not to encourage her while she is still supposed to be learning.”

Orion straightens, his demeanor shifting at her words. “You are correct, Nyx. My apologies.”

The teasing disappears, his shoulders square, his expression hardens, and the water around him tightens like a pulled string.

Even with my serpent form making me a foot taller than when I’m human, it’s nothing compared to Orion. Right now, he feels massive—as if I’ve stepped into the path of a rising tsunami. He’s not holding back anymore. And if I want to prove I belong in the next stage of training, I can’t either. I stand my ground and take a deep breath, regaining my composure. I hold each coral dagger loosely at my sides, never letting my eyes wander away from him.

Orion circles me again in slow, wide loops, his movements dripping with lethal restraint. I maintain my position, refusing to turn. My body remains facing the dais, my gaze lowered.

I close my eyes, letting the noise fall away. A shift stirs the water to my northwest, subtle at first, like a tug from beneath the surface. A buoyant force brushes against me, drawing a path I instinctively follow. The current deepens, folding in on itself, pulsing harder. A whirlpool builds around me, pressing in with strength and speed, then vanishes.

I frown, keeping my eyes shut, listening. Searching. Above me, a deep thrumming sound vibrates through the water.

I recognize it instantly: Orion. I should have known he’d come from above. But that’s not what throws me. Instead, something else swells in my mind. My magic hums the way it always does, calm and centered, like a voice just under my thoughts. But this . . . this is different. It’s louder. Sharper.