“Woah,” was all he managed to say, his blue eyes opened wide, showcasing his amazement.
He hadn't seen my magic yet, so this was an entirely new experience for him. I couldn't relate, but I imagined it must be bizarre to have no control over your actions.
A gust of wind passed us, and he shivered as he picked up his cloak, shaking the sand off of it before wrapping it tightly around himself. “Alright, let's do a few more then we can go.”
“The cold air catching up to you?” I teased. The adrenaline from using my magic was enough to warm my body.
Sebastian smiled. “Yeah, actually it is.” He stuck his hands back for me to grab. “Ready when you are.”
I laid my palms on his, feeling the warmth of his skin on mine. My heart urged me to pull him closer, but my brain granted the thought to release as quickly as it came.
I removed all of the air from my lungs, and repeated the steps I'd been practicing ever since my magic manifested.
“Show me your tattoo.”
Sebastian released one of my hands, using it to bunch his cloak up, revealing his shirt to me. He slid his arm out of the sleeve and flaunted me the dagger tattoo that covered his bicep. The lines of ink soaked into his skin were intricate and detailed, perfectly representing his mother's dagger.
Reaching a hand out to touch him, I ran my fingers along the edge of the inky blade that marked his body. The contact caused electricity to blaze through me. I'd touched him before, but this felt different. Almost intimate.
He shivered, and I wondered if he felt the same thing that I did when our skin made contact. But maybe me caressing his arm made him uncomfortable, or maybe it was just the cold air.
I tore my fingers away from him. “This time can you try blocking my magic as I use it?” I asked in a desperate attempt to break the one-sided sexual tension.
He cleared his throat, adjusting his shirt and putting his arm back in his sleeve. “Sure.”
I prepared myself to wield once more, and when ready, spoke my command.
“Tell me a secret.”
Nothing happened.
I tried again. “Tell me one of your secrets.”
Sebastian didn't speak, proving his shield successful. I dropped my command.
“Good thing I was able to block that one.”
“Why? Got a bunch of dirty secrets up in there?” I tapped his forehead.
“Wouldn't you like to know.”
I would.
By the end of our session, my body felt so broken that I had trouble walking. I tried not to let Sebastian notice me stumble as we made our way to the dormitories. He walked me all the way up to my room and unlocked my door with his key, holding it open for me. I lost my balance a little as I entered, but caught the door frame, using it to keep myself upright.
“You okay?” His eyebrow raised.
“Yeah. I'm just exhausted, it's been a long night.” I disregarded his concern and glanced at the clock. “We really have to do this every single night?” I moaned.
He smiled apologetically, his eyes studying mine for the briefest of moments. “You should get some rest.”
We said our goodbyes, and as soon as the door sealed behind him, I collapsed onto my bed and didn't rise until late morning the following day.
Chapter
Sixteen
Weeks had come and gone since Sebastian started training me privately. Fall was in full force now, and the colors of nature darkened with each passing day, preparing for the gloominess of winter to arrive in a few short weeks.
