But frustrating didn’t even begin to cover it. After doing so well with all the physical tests, I felt like a total failure out there.
I lost my sense of time, waiting for what felt like hours for something to happen, only to feel everything speed up again at the first sound of footsteps breaking through the icy snowpack. I had no way of knowing whether it was one of the guys or something else, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I spun around, arms out, bracing for an attack that never came.
Seconds later, something brushed along my arm, and I yelped like a scared puppy. So much for instincts.
“Try harder, Gray,” Darius called, his voice still far away. Clearly he wasn’t the one touching me, but no matter how hard I tried to get a sense forsomething—the fiery scent of one of the demons, the feel of Emilio’s thick wolf coat, the sound of Sparkle or Sunshine panting—I just kept coming up empty.
I took a deep, unnecessary breath, the familiar gesture calming me, helping me to refocus. I’d just gotten my bearings when something shoved me from behind, knocking me face-first into the snow.
“Fucker!” I shot to my feet, spun around, and lunged, but again, there was only air. Only snow. Spinning back around, I tried my best to scan my surroundings with my available senses, but all was silent and still.
It reminded me of the night we’d invaded Norah’s house to rescue Asher—the cloaking spell inside that had rendered all scents and sounds invisible.
“Guys, this isn’t working. Let’s try something—”
Impact.
I was flat on my back, snow falling wet and heavy on my face as I tried my best to keep the tears locked down. Emilio could see right through it, though, even in his wolf form, which was currently pinning me down in the snow.
He let out a soft whine, then licked my face, refusing to stop until he finally got a laugh out of me.
“If that turns into frostbite, you’re in big trouble.” I reached up and sunk my fingers into the coarse fur at his neck, taking comfort in his warmth, in the familiar touch, in his presence.
I gave myself about two minutes to enjoy it.
And then I gave him a good shove, launching him clear off my body.
“Vampire strength for the win,” I said, but when I got to my feet and turned around, he was already gone.
Footsteps approached in the snow behind me, and again I whirled around, only to feel a tug on my hair from behind.
They were totally screwing with me.
I wanted to scream. I was literally fighting blind.
“Alright. I’m done!” I called out, reaching for the blindfold. There was no point in continuing this particular test. Clearly, I’d already failed.
“You’renotdone,” Darius said firmly. No longer an echo in the distance, he was standing right in front of me. His hands came to rest on my shoulders, and I relaxed as his familiar scent finally broke through the cold. “You’ve simply forgotten, little vampire, and you’re letting it upset you.”
“Forgotten what? How to fight invisible monsters in three feet of snow?”
“Your newly acquired senses are not your only assets, Gray. That’s what you’ve forgotten.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re a witch, are you not? A Silversbane at that. If your vampire senses are incapacitated for any reason, draw on your magic to guide you.”
I wanted to argue back, to lash out from the place of wounded pride I’d found myself in. But Darius was absolutely right. The answer was so obvious, so ridiculous, I could only laugh. “Wow. I’m kind of an idiot.”
“Don’t even think it,” he said, tilting my chin up, then stealing a quick kiss. “This is all brand new for you, love. You can’t expect to master everything there is to know on your first night of training.”
“But we don’t have much time, D. We don’t have the luxury of weeks or months to explore the finer points of being a vampire-witch. People are dying.”
“No, we don’t have weeks or months. But a few nights? We have to take that, at least. We can’t risk going in unprepared. Doing so could make everything worse—not just for you, but for the very people we’re trying to save.”
“Alright,” I said, deciding to leave the blindfold in place for now. “One more try. Let’s see if I can connect with my realm out here. I need—”
“I would advise against it,” Liam said. I had no idea whether he’d been by my side through all of this, or had just crept up, but he clearly didn’t like my plan. “Your realm isn’t safe, Gray. Not with Jonathan’s whereabouts still unknown.”
