Lexi continued to glare at her palm as itconsistently failed to throw fire or weave magic. Even if it madeno sense, she was starting to hate the thing.
“I’m not done,” Lexi protested.
“We’ve done all we can for today. It’s timeto rest.”
Lexi shifted her glare to Kaylia as the cronerose, stretched her arms over her head, and leaned back. She yawnedas she turned to study the land stretching out around them.
“I can do this,” Lexi insisted.
“I know you can, but it’s time for abreak.”
“The ball is tomorrow.”
“I know.”
“I’m not prepared.”
Kaylia’s silvery blonde hair swayed aroundher knees as she looked over her shoulder at Lexi. “You could spendall your time between now and the ball trying to awaken your fireand magic and still not succeed. You need a break.”
“But—”
“I’m far older than you; I know when it’stime to rest. If you keep going like this, you’re going to burnyourself out, and that won’t do anyone any good, especially ifthings go wrong tomorrow and you have to flee Dragonia. Trust me,the best preparation you can do for tomorrow is to take it easy andsleep as much as possible.”
“There’s no way I’m going to sleeptonight.”
“You probably won’t get a lot, but a littleis better than none.”
“What if I refuse to go back?”
“Then I’ll have Brokk come and drag you outof here.”
“The one time you want to work with himwouldbe to team up against me,” Lexi muttered.
Kaylia chuckled. “Are you ready to go?”
Lexi sighed and pushed herself up from theground. Kaylia may be calling it an early day, but that didn’t meanshe couldn’t work on more self-defense training with Brokk and herdad.
She recalled a question she’d been meaning toask Kaylia as she wiped the dirt from her ass. “I was wonderingsomething about the arach.”
“What about them?”
“Do they have a fated loved one like thelycans have mates and vampires have consorts?”
“No,” Kaylia said. “They loved deeply, asimmortals do, but they don’t have fated mates.”
“I see,” Lexi murmured.
“That makes your love for Cole morefrightening, doesn’t it?”
It made no sense, but for some reason, itdid. “Why do you say that?”
“Because if it was some biological reactionyou were having to him, and that’s what initially attracted you tohim, you could always blame that for losing your heart and mind ifit all goes wrong. But if it’s just you, thenyoudecided tolove someone you could lose. Love is terrifying in that way. Allthose who love know they could one day end up with a broken heart,yet they still choose to love and to one day bear thatsuffering.”
“Nothing is going to go wrong.”
Kaylia’s smile was sad as she gave a smallnod. “No, it won’t.”
But Lexi heard the doubt in her voice. Howcould Kaylia not doubt it? How couldshenot doubt it? Theywere going to the Lord’s ball tomorrow, and even if they survivedunscathed, the Lord would remain breathing down their necks andwaiting for a chance to pounce.
