Selly felt Jadren’s shrug as he eased her against him, splaying his fingers over the base of her throat to draw her back against him, pinning her there. “I saw her first.”
“Are you a child to claim possession over a treat simply to keep it from the others?”
“You promised me.” His tone still low, but now with a dangerous burr. “We had an agreement.”
“Pah.” She flicked her fingers. “You did as you were told. If you have an ounce of sense, you’ll still do as you’re told.”
Jadren’s fingers caressed Selly’s throat, feather-light but arranged so they could become a chokehold in an instant. She felt like a tender piece of meat caught between two marsh cats and knew one thing: whoever won, nothing ever turned out well for the meal. “Or what?” he taunted.
“Are you challenging me?” Her brows rose in patent astonishment, as if such a thing were impossible, especially from Jadren. She also looked more interested than she had at any point during the brief window Selly had known the wizard.
“What answer will get me what I want?” Jadren inquired in turn.
“You know what I want.” Playacting dispensed with, she’d gone lethally serious.
“Done,” Jadren said promptly, and she cracked a disbelieving smile.
“Not so fast. We’d have to agree to terms,” she cautioned. “And forgive me if I don’t quite swallow your easy capitulation after all these years.”
“You and I both know there’s nothing easy about this capitulation,” he shot back. “I simply waited for a reward worth the cost.”
“This?” His mother’s gaze raked Selly, disdain evident. “You’d do far better with an educated and well-trained familiar. You’re not wizard enough to handle a recalcitrant rogue.”
Jadren shrugged against her. “I like this one. I will enjoy Phel’s fury, which is what he deserves after the way he treated me.”
“Your appetite and ambition exceed your ability, yet again.”
“Which is it—am I too ambitious or not enough?”
“You’re a humbug who overestimates his abilities and allows his ego to delude him. You know perfectly well the greatest part of your magic is not within your conscious control, regardless of all my attempts to teach you better. You’ll lose control of this familiar, mark my words.”
“That will be my problem.”
Lady El-Adrel snorted disdainfully. “And when the Convocation takes me to task because you ruined a valuable familiar, or because the reins slipped your grip, causing trouble?”
“That’s the beauty of Lady Seliah here,” he pointed out cheerfully, fingertips resting on the pulse point in her throat. “She barely exists. No MP scorecard. It’s not like House Phel is going to lodge a complaint about losing a familiar they negligently failed to register with Convocation Center in the first place. She’s perfect for me, when you think about it. Both of us shadow citizens.”
“Hmm. There’s a certain logic there, if twisted. First things first, let’s assess exactly what we’re working with here. I have your promise that you’ll cooperate, and ensure the familiar’s cooperation, yes?”
“Yes,” Jadren agreed, his magic tamping down so Selly barely sensed it anymore. She didn’t know what was coming, but it wasn’t going to be good.
“I look forward to this demonstration.” Lady El-Adrel stood, everyone in the vast hall immediately following suit, the scraping of chairs creating a thunder of noise.
Jadren hopped to his feet, dragged Selly’s chair back, too, and pulled her up. She glared at him and yanked at the grip he fastened on her arm. He smiled, a baring of teeth that gave her chills, and only tightened his hold. “Behave,” he warned in a low voice.
“I’m not going to try to run away,” she hissed under cover of the noise.
“You’re not going to succeed, anyway,” he muttered back cryptically. “Now hush.”
She opened her mouth to tell him what she thought of his orders and he laid a finger over her lips. “You’ve been doing so well, poppet. Don’t ruin it now.”
Lady El-Adrel waved a hand at the assembly and they resumed movement, either sitting again to finish eating or wandering out, conversations once again filling the previous silence. Her meticulously painted lips curved as she observed the exchange between Jadren and Selly. “It will take more than that to make her truly obedient,” she noted.
“Yes, well.” Jadren tapped Selly’s lips, wizard-black eyes glittering. “In due time, eh, sweetling? I know how to tame a wild girl.” He smirked at her incensed expression. “After all, Maman, you’ve always said that a spirited nature goes hand in hand with powerful magic.”
“Yes—and I also say that spirit must be broken to harness,” she observed coolly, “as I have no doubt you recall very well.”
Jadren didn’t physically flinch, but his magic quailed, a tremor running through it and, for some odd reason, Selly thought of the aftermath of the snake attack and how ill he’d been. I am not afraid of blood or snakes. Keep your pity and your conversation, crazy girl. Once again, she wondered what it was that had scared and scarred him so deeply that a minor wound years later had been enough to cause that kind of physical reaction. She also knew with panicked certainty that she was about to find out.
