I didn’t know what a Mixer was, but I didn’t know a lot of things, so I let the word roll off me.
“We value education and have constant lectures running,” Valentino continued. “You are always welcome to sit in on. Life here will be as difficult as it is rewarding.” The sound of something rapping against wood filled the room. “However, you are all still in a probationary situation. If you step out of line, if you break the rules, if you make life for the family harder, we will not hesitate to toss you out of our walls. The Architect is a mentalist.”
Brody’s offhanded description of someone capable of controlling my thoughts and pulling my secrets out of my mind, mixed with too many science fiction and fantasy movies to count.
Valentino paused. Apparently, all of us needed a moment to let that sink in.
“Remember that and respect it,” he stated. “If you have to ask, then most likely, whatever you’re pondering is not good, and more than in any other family, you will be held accountable.”
A shiver of fear licked up my spine. Valentino’s threat was clear. If I didn’t want to go back to wandering the countryside, I needed to keep my head down and not piss off the Architect.
Sun streamed across the dry dirt of the all-too familiar coliseum the following morning.
I now wore the uniform of a trainee, although I had a pair of thick leggings and several thermal shirts underneath it. A TB hung at my hip. I hadn’t figured out how to use it last night. My face flushed. I hadn’t really managed to do anything last night. Ezra was incredibly strong and absolutely certain that if I worked hard enough, I could be too.
Weight lifting wasn’t really something I was passionate about, but Ezra’s sculpted abs definitely were. Yeah. That growly stoic personality I’d assumed Rowan had, based on his appearance, belonged to Ezra. He could bark orders at me all night in that low, gruff voice. I would be okay with that.
I rubbed the outside of my legs. Muscles I didn’t know I had ached. Ezra recommended I keep moving today to stay loose; the ‘sore’ was always worse on day two, apparently.
“Do you do anything to keep from getting sore?” I had asked last night.
“I enjoy the pain,” Ezra said while racking our weights.
I rolled my eyes. Of course he did. He thoughtlessly adjusted the position of a small bench so that it was parallel to the walls.
He wanted everything to be in its place, something I understood really well. If an object in my room ended up in a weird location, I’d have to ask if it was me or Miss Q, which was never my favorite game.
Our workout had come to an end. Both of us stood near the exit, not quite ready to say goodbye.
“Our family has few luxuries, but we do have a sauna.” Ezra stepped toward the door. “I often use it after a lift. Join me.”
‘Join me’ felt like a question, but the way he said it was definitely not.
I soon found myself inside a small wooden box that could fit three at most. Ezra had a ratty towel wrapped around his hips, while I wore a black bikini that was at least two sizes too big. If he noticed, he was too polite to comment. He splashed water onto a cone, glowing with his plum purple magic in the center of the box. Steam rose off it and heated the air.
The damp cold of Scotland had sunk into my very bones and become a part of me without me realizing it. As the steam built, months of chill vanished. I spread out my towel onto the bench and lay on my back, basking in the sensation.
I missed my view of Ezra, but this was also really nice, and absolutely nothing like my journey here. For the first time since I went under the knife, I was not only relaxed, but safe.
Because I was with Ezra.
I didn’t want to ruin this with words or overthinking. Ezra, real or not, and I simply existed together. The companionable silence felt honest.
At some point, the sound of water hitting the heat cone and sizzling into steam woke me. I hadn’t realized I’d fallen asleep. I sat up, only to find Ezra’s intense gaze glued to me.
“I’ve lost some weight,” I flushed, though my face was probably already red from the heat.
“You’re beautiful, Quinn. What you cover yourself with is irrelevant.” Ezra pulled his gaze from me, and I squirmed from the compliment I wasn’t used to hearing.
Ezra met my gaze once more. “Only one other was ever comfortable in my presence to sleep.”
I gave him a soft smile and scooted closer, but didn’t touch. Beads of sweat made paths down his dark, sculpted chest. A few drops slid between his abs. The sauna wasn’t as hot as I remembered from my time. Almost as if he purposely kept it warm, but not boiling, so we wouldn’t have to leave.
“Tell me about your placement,” Ezra demanded.
I grinned and leaned back. “I saw a man with dog canines and magic!”
Not that I’d been holding this in all day or anything. Yeah, right, who was I kidding? I definitely had been. Magic was real here!! I wanted to share my joy before I woke up with it gone.
