Magnificent, I marveled, honestly impressed.
Layla’s choice seemed more appropriate now, this male clearly one capable of keeping her safe. Alas, he needed to work on his manners—a fact evidenced by him coming right at my neck with his deadly wings.
I splayed my fingers, using my control over the energy around us to shove him back without touching him. It was similar to telekinesis, but not quite. I inherited this gift from my maternal side, the line renown for energy and force manipulation.
Which I used now to put the Noir on his ass again.
And created a shield on my opposite side that sent Auric bouncing off the air and onto the ground beside the other male.
“Are you done yet?” I asked, bored.
Both of them snarled in response.
I sighed. “Look. I don’t want to fight yo—”
Novak leapt up again, slicing right through my barrier and nearly nicking my face with his razor-like feathers before I shoved him several steps backward with a blast of energy that would have sent most men to their graves.
But not this one.
No, he pushed against my energy shield, his gaze determined.
My respect for him grew with each passing second.
Until he came a little too close for comfort, thus forcing me to apply a lot more effort into pushing him off. “You started this,” I told him. “Not me.”
Then I let him feel the full force of my ability, needing him to understand the true threat behind my nature. I was a Noir Prince for a reason. A compatible mate to a goddessfor a reason.
I would not bow to him.
Layla, yes.
Novak, no.
He might bear the famous Kiss of the Gods mark.
But my godly bloodline far superseded his.
Something I displayed now as I hit him with a second blast of power, followed by a third that lowered him to the ground and held him there.
Auric started to move in my peripheral, so I hit him with a blow, just to keep him down.
They both tried to fight it, their courage admirable. But I was beginning to question their intelligence.
“You’ve not met a Noir like me before,” I told them quietly. “Even with your weapons, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Of course, I wasn’t invincible. But they would need to see beyond their own arrogance to determine my weakness. And that clearly wasn’t going to happen today.
To drive that point home, I pressed on them a little more, ensuring they felt every ounce of my ability.
Then I released them from most of my power and took a step back to evaluate their kneeling forms.
“Now. Shall we discuss this like adults? Or would you care for another demonstration?” I asked, folding my arms in a display of boredom.
I’d barely broken a sweat, while the two of them were panting in angry exertion. They were powerful and strong and entirely too stubborn. With a bit of strategic foresight, they would prove more formidable. However, they’d underestimated me.
Something I truly hoped they wouldn’t do again.
But if they continued to think with their possessive instincts and not their minds, they’d just end up on their asses again.
