I’d purposefully left the sound barrier aspect out this time, wanting to hear their banter.
Feeling my skin humming with that adrenaline high, I walked over to Krew, who wrapped an arm around me and waited with me.
Through the few gaps in the dome, I saw some flashes of magic. I didn’t know what Keir was trying, but it obviously wasn’t working.
“I won’t be much help, I’m afraid. Had my hands full with Jorah. She’s becoming a real pain in the ass, though I won’t ever admit that to her.”
Krew and I both laughed.
“This one isn’t a sound barrier, is it?” he called loudly.
“No. It isn’t,” I confirmed.
“Dammit.”
I laughed. It was late. Far later than we ever should have been up. But we were finally getting somewhere with training together. Though I still found Krew using his magic entirely attractive, I was able to set it aside and make it through these sessions while containing myself. Owen still, of course, teased me as if I couldn’t.
Owen had been the one who wanted to experiment with my domes of magic, and we found that mine, maybe just because of the way I envisioned them or willed them, were stronger than even Krew’s. But if I sent the magic out first and Krew added to it, they were even more so.
It had taken multiple nights to figure all of that out, and I was still frustrated my nights were spent working on domes of magic and not healing the lake, but I kept reminding myself that once the king was gone, I could heal the lake all I wanted. All in due time.
Keir kept sending out his magic into the dome, but still the dome stood.
“Ready to call it?” Krew asked them.
“No. Give me a few more minutes,” Keir offered. “I was late to the party.”
Yet five minutes later, the dome still stood, and Krew was scolding Keir on not pushing himself too hard to the brink of exhaustion.
Without prompting, I brought my fingertips into my palm, as if hiding something in my hand, and the dome fell.
Keir was grabbing his knees while Owen slowly brought himself back up to standing.
“Let’s go, Your Highnesses,” I offered. “We have birthday celebrations tomorrow to attend.”
“Who—” Keir breathed heavily, “the hell cares?”
I smirked. “I am fairly certain only all of Wylan.”
He shook his head and held out a hand in gesture. “No.That.Krew said you’d been working on it, but I had no idea. No idea your magic is that strong together.” He paused, shaking his head. “I mean our magic strengthens slightly when we combine it, but that... that wasdifferent.”
“It’s gotten better in the last week since they’ve started toying with it,” Owen explained. “I’ve only been able to break out of it once.”
“Then why in the hell haven’t we used this on our father?” Keir snapped.
Krew let out a sigh. “Because we don’t know which obj—”
“To hell with the object!” Keir gestured with both hands now to where the dome had just been. “Together your magic is more powerful than the two of ours together. Together your magic has to be stronger than his. Even if he does have Mum’s magic, they were heart bound. Not soul bound.”
Krew added, “You don’t think I realize that? You don’t think I want to storm into that castle and end this once and for all? Jorah has been Enchanted all of a month and a half. We will continue to practice and bide our time.”
“But—”
“But,” Krew snapped, “we will not make our move until we know we will succeed.” He paused. “He will kill one or both of us if we do not succeed, so there is absolutely no room for error this time.”
CHAPTER24
Iwas re-wearing a gown. It was the navy one for the very first ball I attended as part of Krew’s Assemblage. Krew mentioned that dress the other day in passing, so Silvia and I decided I could re-wear it for their birthday celebration. That was usually frowned upon for the consorts, so Silvia had to get it approved. And then the Assemblage advisor had asked Krew. And Krew had told her if I didn’t wear that dress, he’d be upset.
