“But I don’t know how to go about learning how to wield it,” I admit with a grumble. “So if you have any ideas, now would be a good time to hear them.”
Silence. At first, I think they aren’t going to offer any plans or thoughts on the matter, but in the end, it’s Krug who speaks up.
“I say we camp here for a few days, focus on Cora learning how to control her magic, then continue on our journey,” he suggests, his eyes meeting mine.
Relief fills me. “I like that plan.”
Realistically, I would have been okay with any plan at all. I certainly don’t know what to do.
“Then it’s settled,” Grim says. “We make the area safe, and we spend time working with Cora.”
I stand with a smile. “I’m excited to—”
“Don’t get too excited,” Krug interrupts, his eyes glittering. “You’re going to be cursing our names after only a few hours of training, little human.” He gets to his feet and comes around the fire to stand right in front of me. When he leans down, I nearly shiver at the feeling of his breath against my ear. “I, for one, can’t wait to see you sweating, your hair wild as you curse my name, both as a threat and in arousal.”
With a smug look on his face, he heads off into the trees to prepare the perimeter while I just gawk after him.
“We rest for the night,” Zetros orders. “Then we begin training in the morning.”
Something tells me I’m going to hate the training, but I nod and find a good place on Nero’s coils to fall into sleep, dreams of singing following me under.
ChapterTwenty-Four
“Come on,parum anguis. You did it only seconds ago,” Nero coos, his coils moving around me like a tease, sliding across my skin until I gasp at the sensation like he knew I would.
Gritting my teeth, I hold my hand out in front of me, trying to make the sparks appear again. “That’s because I was pissed at Grim,” I grumble, sweat beading on my forehead.
The minotaur’s lips quirk up into a smile. “You’re only mad because you couldn’t catch me.”
“No,” I snarl. “I’m mad because you nicked my ass with your horn.”
A soft chuckle is my response. “Learn to be faster then.”
“Bastard,” I growl, and a spark appears on my fingers and fades away. “Ugh!”
“Anger makes your magic come out,” Zetros says. “Fear is less stable. When someone you care about is in danger, it comes easily. We need to find a way for you to use that at any time.”
“So what?” I ask, sweat beginning to roll down my temples the longer I stand here concentrating. “I should just be angry all the time?”
“No,” Nero answers. “You should remember the feeling of anger, of what makes that pulse come alive. Remember it, feel it in your bones, in your fingers, and then use it until it becomes second nature.”
Frowning, I furrow my brows and close my eyes in concentration. I think of the anger I feel when it comes to the King of the Gilded Lands, of the way he dismissed me, sitting on his horse dripping in gold and jewels, as those of us in the Shadow Lands starve and kill ourselves with exhaustion. I think of the way my father beat us and commanded submission no matter how little I would submit. I barely feel the magic swirling beneath my skin and immediately decide that anger isn’t strong enough for what I need.
The feeling of seeing my monsters or my sister in danger, however… I think about how I felt when Krug had been in that cage and when Zetros told me his story. I remember how I felt watching them fight the harpies and the other monsters we’ve come across.
“That’s it,” Nero coos. “Keep going,parum anguis.”
I think about the way Bracken looks at me and his teasing, lewd comments. I think about how Grim grunts and remains coarse, but still always makes sure I get the best part of the meat each time he cooks it. I think of the way Nero always surrounds me, his coils offering a safe space, a bed, a ride, anything I may need. I think about the way Zetros runs his hand along my hip and how he trusts me, despite the way my kind has treated him. I think about the way Krug has started to warm up to me, and the way his eyes linger on my skin for too long.
The magic comes alive beneath my skin like a beacon of change. It goes from a tingle to a raging fire, and when I open my eyes, I’m practically glowing with it. As Nero dances in front of me, his eyes lit with excitement, I flick my finger toward him, and his coils lift into the air, dragging him up. His laughter is like a drug, and I smile as I twirl my finger and he begins to lift higher.
Krug shoots to his feet, staring up at Nero, his mouth slack.
Bracken whistles. “It took you a couple of days, Goldie, but once you find your stride, it’s something else.” His eyes linger on my skin. “Now your flesh matches your hair. I wonder if it tastes the same when you’re glowing with magic.”
Arousal slams through me, but instead of acting on it, I gently bring Nero back down and grin at him. “That wasn’t so bad.”
“Now that you’ve figured out the feeling,” Grim says, coming forward, “I guess it’s time to try again.”
