“Well make fucking time. I’m waiting for an explanation of how you figured it was best not to disclose you were going into potential danger, along with what transpired.” Reptilian slits morph her vision, and I can feel how hurt she is by my actions. “You could have died. And you know what happens if you die during battle, Ethan? Or should I remind you?” She stalks closer, disregarding my nude and drenched body standing before her.
“Calm down. Again, it wasn’t planned.” Annoyance builds from her subtle insult. She leers with a push of her aura colliding with me. Her heat removes what remains of the water.
“Calm down? The balls on you, Ethan.” She glances down and up. “The fucking balls.”
I huff. “You and I are fine. Angie was the only one in danger.”
“Bullshit, you were seconds away from death. Unless you’re telling me you’re oblivious to me feeling your pain,” she sneers, lifting her dreads and revealing our brand on the back of her neck. “This mark means we’re tied together in this world. Your life, in my hands, and mine, in yours. Does this mean nothing to you? If so, I’ll remove this shit with ease. Don’t fucking tempt me.”
“You think I’d let anything happen to you!” Now it’s me moving closer and into her personal space. Between her and Angie, the two of them know how to pull me out of character. It’s beyond annoying.
“It sure as shit looks like it. First, you enter a fight without me, and now I’m learning someone close to you almost died. Am I missing something?” Celine clenches her fist, ready for me to spew a lie.
“I told you…” I take another step, removing what little space resides between us. My body is close to pressing against hers. “I never intended on fighting a battle of that scalewithout you.”
“I don’t give a shit if it was a damn arm-wrestling competition or a war between worlds. You should have told me the minute you found out you were going. Unless you can look me in my eyes and voice I’m not needed, Ethan.” Her glowing emerald eyes dart between mine. “Hold on. It’s something else.”
“No. I made a mistake, and it won’t happen again. Now, can you correct your language?”
“Bullshit. It’s something more. It’sher, isn’t it?” she pushes, disregarding my request.
“Who?”
“Kyra, the one you attempted to have slain by one of my kind.” Parting my lips to respond, I watch her dreads shift into miniature vipers, hissing and snapping about. “Go ahead and lie.” Her eyes brighten, and my legs become heavy. Echoes of stone crackles as pressure builds within them. I peer down, finding she has turned the lower half of me into stone, and I snap.
“Celine!”
“Shut the fuck up, Ethan. You’ll spend some time here, safe and out of danger. When you’re ready to be honest, I know where to find you,” she says, turning to walk away.
Shifter bonds come with all sorts of magic, and one of ours is the ability to share feelings. She can sense if I’m lying or not.
“Fine.” I seethe, disapproving of her tactics. She faces me, still expressing her anger.
“I’m listening.”
“I’ve vowed to kill her. The pain she’ll inflict can’t go unchecked. But after Kyra failed our Awakening, showing she’s without magic, we’ve been on the hunt for knowledge on how it’s possible that every single flame was extinguished. Hence why we ended up on the outskirts of the Blanded Region. A wolf shifter received word her kind had been attacked near a location Alex was planning on investigating.”
“This doesn’t make sense. What do you mean she doesn’t have magic?” Celine frowns.
She watches me in search of any lies. Most fays don’t receive an explanation of my actions, but Celine is different. She hurts easily and kills even faster. If making it right between us means spilling my intentions, so be it.
Another breath passes, and her eyes glow, reinitiating the feeling within my legs, relinquishing her natural ability.
“You’re aware I never break a promise, despite multiple attempts of those protecting her staying my hands. Any information brings me closer to exacting my revenge. This mission was an unfortunate path. I’m sorry.”
She sighs. “I’ll forgive you this time. I understand it wasn’t intentional, but never let something like this happen again. Understood? And I apologize for swearing,” she murmurs the last bit, and I smirk, walkingpast her to finally put some clothes on.
“As for Kyra, when I said it didn’t make sense, I meant she has ethereal magic running through her veins. Her aura is beyond strong. It pushed back against mine, burning my very essence, like a flame of intense creation.”
“What? I didn’t say she ended up having creation magic. How’d you know?” I turn to face her once more.
“My shifter bond-magic manifested not long ago from our shifter bond. Have you not received yours?”
“No,” I scoff.
“You will. It awakens at random. Anyway, mine is magical sensory, the ability to sense anyone’s magical order and their whereabouts. At least for now. I’m sure it’ll become stronger,” Celine shrugs.
“Then why did the flames go out?”
