Kost
The courtyard outside the keep was quiet. For the most part, the Charmers had cleared the area after Leena’s coronation, and only a few milled about with their beasts. I watched closely as a young woman found a stick on the ground and tossed it for her wolf beast. The creature reacted without hesitation, bounding toward its mark and returning it with a joyful yip. A smile lit the woman’s eyes, and she gave her beast an approving pat on the head. The love these Charmers held for their creatures was palpable, and that made it all the more inspiring to know they were willing to align themselves with our cause.
A few feet away, Leena barked out a curse and stumbled to the side as Raven laughed. She’d only just returned from the beast realm with the Telesávra, and the beast had the energy of a toddler. He’d darted around in erratic patterns before ramming his head into Leena’s leg, only to take off again in a dead sprint. Leena chased after him, leaving behind Raven, Noc, Calem, and Ozias, all bemused.
Sinking to a nearby stone bench, I extracted a bronze key from my breast pocket and summoned Felicks. He appeared with ease, ears alert and eyes bright. I’d summoned him frequently to strengthen our bond, which meant he was able to spend even more time with me outside of the beast realm. I worked my fingers down his spine, and he let out a satisfied huff. As soon as Leena wrangled her ill-behaved beast, we’d be on our way.
“At least you’re much more civilized,” I muttered, stroking Felicks’s fur. The amethyst orb atop his head clouded, and a series of pictures formed in my mind as my beast shared his vision. A thorough rubdown for Felicks, Leena finally controlling her Telesávra, Gaige approaching from the keep… A fluttery sensation overcame my stomach, and I tensed. It wasn’t a surprise to find that Gaige was heading my way. It was the way he’d paused in Felicks’s vision when his gaze landed on my back. A slow, genuine smile—devoid of its usual mischief but full of anticipation—had claimed his face. He’d run a hand through his hair and adjusted the cuffs of his mulberry-colored tunic. And instead of joining Raven, who’d waved for him the moment he’d appeared, he’d elected to sit beside me.
Felicks’s orb cleared, and he gave me a knowing look.
“Hush.” I adjusted my glasses, ignoring the thrum of excitement brewing in my chest. The crunch of boots against frozen grass sounded at my back, and I schooled my expression into nonchalance. Clamping my hands together, I focused instead on Leena as she corralled her Telesávra.
“I’ve seen a lot of Felicks lately,” Gaige mused. Dropping to the bench, he reached over and scratched my beast beneath his chin. My legs tensed at his nearness, but I didn’t jolt. Drawing attention to my body’s involuntary reaction—something I certainly couldn’t control—would only result in awkward embarrassment. “You’ve been training a lot?”
“Of course.” I continued to watch the rogue Telesávra. “The last thing I want is, well, that.”
Gaige tracked the rambunctious beast. He snorted. “Yes, well, Felicks is a bit more dignified.”
“I should hope so,” I said.
Gaige continued to run his hand down the length of Felicks’s spine. “And his visions?”
I flinched, jerking my head slightly to the side and meeting Gaige’s unnerving stare. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and his lips quirked up on one side. He couldn’t possibly have known what Felicks had shown me not two minutes ago. But he looked at me just the same, as if he were in on some private joke and could barely contain his mirth.
“They’re…informative.”
“Good. They’ll only get more detailed as time goes on.” He folded his hands in his lap, and Felicks let out a disgruntled sigh before nudging his snout beneath my fingers. “I imagine learning to harness Felicks’s power is a lot like learning to control your shadows.”
The tension coiled tight between my shoulders loosened. Talking about the shadows was easy and far safer than examining the nature of Felicks’s visions. Especially when they involved Gaige.
“To a degree, yes.” I held out my palm and called on the dark tendrils lurking in my peripheral vision. They flew to me with ease and swirled about my wrist before wreathing my gloved fingers. Even through the fabric, I could feel their cool touch. “It’s similar to the bond I have with Felicks, in that it’s always there. I can sense it and call on it. But Felicks is a living being, unlike these.” One tendril dripped from my hand and gently grazed the back of Gaige’s arm, though I hadn’t realized I’d meant to touch him. He stilled, eyes transfixed on the shadow, and a wave of gooseflesh rippled across the exposed part of his neck.
He cleared his throat. “Do you enjoy being an assassin? Commanding the shadows?”
“Those are two very different questions.” I tilted my head and called off the smoky tendrils. Gaige’s eyes fell, as if disappointed, but he recovered quickly and offered a familiar grin. My stomach clenched in response. “Work as an assassin is tolerable. It doesn’t bring me fulfillment or sadness, it just is. But the shadows…” I let my voice trail off, thinking about what Talmage had given me by raising me from the dead all those years ago. At first, I’d resented him for something that wasn’t remotely his fault. My former lover, Jude, had abandoned me the moment I’d shown him those onyx wisps.
I hated the dark for a long time after that. But now… I glanced at my brothers a short distance away. To the untrained eye, the shadow realm was a dark and terrifying world. To me, it was a haven.
Gaige studied my expression as he waited for me to respond.
“I suppose I quite like controlling the shadows. They’re familiar. Reliable. Not to mention, they’re useful in times of war.” In an instant I recalled the tendrils and fashioned them into a glittering rapier. Gently, I gripped it by the handle before turning it over to Gaige. He marveled at the creation, holding it up to the sun to examine the ink-black weapon.
After a moment, he handed it back to me. “You sure it won’t dissipate upon contact?”
I scoffed. “I’m not a fresh recruit.”
Gaige smirked. “Good. Wouldn’t want you dying in this coming war.” He hesitated, then added, “I’d really like to get to know you better, once we have the time.”
Heat once again simmered beneath my skin, and I flicked my wrist, sending the shadows racing away. “I have no plans of dying.”
“Good.” Unexpectedly—or had I known this was coming all along?—Gaige’s eyes fell to my lips, and an uneven breath escaped his chest. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t ignore the gentle tingle in my fingers begging me to reach out and touch him for real. He was close enough that I could do it if I dared. Time slowed, stretching that moment as I waited, wondering—
Calem clapped his hands loudly, the sound breaking Gaige’s hold over me, and I jerked my head to him. Without my knowledge, he’d sauntered over and crouched before us. A dangerous teasing spark filled his eyes. “I thought you’d be interested in knowing we’re all ready to go. That is, if it’s okay by you two.”
I launched to my feet. At some point, Leena must’ve calmed her Telesávra, because she was now idly standing beside Noc and pretending incredibly hard not to look our way. Ozias shuffled his feet and tipped his head to the sky, while Noc simply gave Calem a tired, disapproving look.
So wrapped up in my conversation with Gaige, I couldn’t even pinpoint when Raven had left. I took a few harsh steps away, putting distance between me and the man who could derail my thoughts so easily. Certainly his Charmer’s lure was to blame, but I should’ve been more alert.
“Let’s go,” I said, taking long strides toward our group.
The mirth in Gaige’s voice was unmistakable. “To be continued.”
Calem laughed at his comment, but as we made our way toward the Kitska Forest, I let my mind wander, just for a moment. Just long enough to picture a possible future where perhaps Gaige and I could continue down a path I hadn’t truly entertained in years.