Razcorr, to his credit, doesn’t seem worried that he was seconds away from tussling with my group of monsters. If anything, he doesn’t show much emotion at all. The only time I see a flicker of feeling is when he looks at me, and then something in his dark eyes shift, and I find temptation crashing into me, but Razcorr hasn’t made any indication that he’s interested in joining me in such a way. He’s agreed to help us, sure, but that doesn’t mean he’s interested, and shadows, I have my hands full as it is. What business do I have wanting to ride the gargoyle in front of me to find out if his cock is as hard as stone?
Razcorr offers his hand to me, and for a moment, I forget he’s just being nice and not asking me to try out his cock after all. “Come with me, Cora the Fearless, and I shall show you all you need to know.”
“Now, hold on,” Nero begins, moving in front of me.
“This is something Cora must do alone,” Razcorr states so matter-of-factly, it leaves no room for argument.
“Cora doesn’t go without protection,” Zetros snarls.
Razcorr raises his brow. “She will have the greatest protection available in the Dead Lands.” By the way his wings shift, it’s clear he means himself, and there’s something inherently sexy about that confidence.
Fuck. How am I supposed to focus on learning when I keep thinking about how much I’d like to stroke his wings?
Grim steps forward. “Promise you’ll keep her safe,” he demands.
Razcorr stares into his eyes, two monsters facing off with each other. “I will protect her with my life.”
A few seconds pass before Grim offers his arm, and Razcorr reaches forward and clasps his like warriors. There’s an understanding that passes between them, a bond that seems to form, and I wonder again at the way we just glossed over the fact that Grimus is the next king. No one is talking about it, despite the crown and the declaration. Grim doesn’t seem to want to focus on it, but it sits in my mind, along with the vision I had of an unknown minotaur wearing a crown and me wearing a crown next to him. Now, I realize that minotaur had to be Grimus, but not a single one of my monsters has asked any more about it. Why?
Razcorr offers his hand to me again. “Cora.”
That one word goes straight through my body and into my core. Shadows, that voice.
“Have fun training,” Bracken purrs, adding in a wiggle of his eyebrows for good measure.
I roll my eyes at him but slide my fingers into Razcorr’s claws, allowing his warmth to once again engulf me as he leads me through the corridors and passages inside the castle. The sounds of my monsters fade behind me, leaving a silence unlike any other echoing around us. My footsteps are light, but I can still hear them. Razcorr, despite his size, moves so silently, I can’t even pick up the tick of his claws on the marble floors.
“Where are we going?” I ask as we continue deeper. This section of the castle was clearly used less. The floor is still rough, as if less foot traffic comes this way.
“When Emelyn came to the castle and Kulmak declared his love, he had space set up for Emelyn to practice her magic. He believed that Emelyn was capable of great things, and she was, but before she could harness her full power, her father killed her.”
The sadness in his voice has me squeezing his hand in comfort. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“They were my friends,” he admits, glancing at me. “The queen was what a queen should be—strong and spirited. I sense that same spirit in you.” He stops us at a door. “It is in this room that we will train, though I suspect it will not take long for you to learn what is left.”
He pushes the door open, revealing a dark room that bursts to life at our entrance, the flaming lanterns igniting on the walls. As light spills forth, I take in the sparse room with only a table in the center. On the table, stones are spread out, as well as some parchments. When I step farther into the room, a phantom breeze seems to sweep around the space, bringing a sense of comfort, like a friend welcoming me home.
Razcorr lifts his face into the wind, feeling it too, and for the first time, I see the barest hint of a smile on his face. “Her spirit still lingers in this room.”
When the wind passes, I step up to the table, studying it. “What are all the stones for?” There is every stone imaginable—pale stones, bright stones, and some I recognize as precious gems. A single large ruby grabs my attention and reminds me of the temple we passed on the way to the castle.
“Your magic comes from inside you,” Razcorr begins as he picks up a large citrine. “But that magic can be stored inside stones. You can place a spell on them, leave behind a remnant of your memory, or simply use them as backup in case you begin to tire. Each stone has its own strengths and weaknesses, but it has been described as a feeling. You should be able to feel the stone and utilize it. Your magic will tell you what you need to know.”
He passes the citrine to me, and I take it gently in my hand. The moment my skin touches it, it comes alive, and the glow immediately makes me brighten, as if my own confidence has grown.
“Positivity and abundance,” I murmur, staring down at the stone.
Razcorr nods. “Your own personal power is tied to your positivity. Encouraging that makes you stronger.”
In awe, I set the citrine down and reach for a black stone. “Protection,” I rasp out. At his encouraging nod, I reach for another, and another, until I’ve gone through them all and named their uses. My magic recognizes each stone I lift, but it isn’t until I reach the rose quartz that something else happens.
The moment my fingers touch the stone, I’m thrown into a memory that isn’t mine. Gasping at the vividness of it, I stare in open-mouthed awe as the same room I’m in appears, but brighter. Emelyn is standing at the same table I am, touching her hands to stones, searching for something.
“If you keep focusing so hard, you are going to harm your brain.” The voice comes from the right, and when I turn, I’m not surprised to see King Kulmak standing there with a tender expression on his face as he watches Emelyn.
“I have to learn,” she says, clearly frustrated. “There’s too much to absorb and too little time before I have to return to my father and declare our realms united.”
“Why the hurry?” Kulmak asks, strolling forward to wrap his arms around her from behind. She sinks into the touch, absorbing his warmth.
