The base of one of Tasia’s threads had looked like that, too.
“Edira.”
I startled and immediately recalled my power. And with Ywena once again nestled in her favorite spot, I received a fresh jolt of electricity to go along with my erratic breath. Jerking my head toward the entrance of the library, I spied Vora standing in the open doorframe with her brows arched toward her hairline. My pulse slowed, and I blew out a breath.
“Vora. Did you need me?”
“Shouldn’t you be training with Rorik?” she asked with a pointed nod toward Ywena.
“I know it will help.” I sighed as I stood, ignoring Vora’s disapproving glare. “But can’t someone else teach me?” I cast one lastglance through the window. Orin looked up then, as if somehow my gaze had summoned his, and a warm smile claimed his lips. A flicker of heat twisted through my stomach. He tipped his chin ever so slightly before shifting his focus back to Flix, and the heat in my belly threatened to move to my cheeks.
“No,” Vora said, her words sharp. “Now go before you make Rorik mad.”
“Fine.” I turned on my heel and made for the front doors without bothering to see if she’d escort me. My emotions steadied as I trekked toward the sacred tree where my training was held. Nothing like a little light torment to make the afternoon pass quickly. I glowered at nothing, thinking of Rorik’s snark and hoping I really would get the chance to stand over him one of these days. At the very least, I hoped his methodology worked to improve the length of my lifespan. Maybe I’d eventually be strong enough to hand him his ass.
Rorik turned as I approached, and his gaze immediately dropped to my pants and boots. He smirked. “Prepared to step on me?”
“Always,” I said as I folded my arms across my chest. “Believe it or not, I actually want to get better at mending. Even if it means spending time with you.” I came to a halt, and Ywena crawled over my shoulder to nestle more closely against my neck.
“Good, because spending your days researching or in Orin’s study is useless if your body isn’t ready.”
“At least he’s helping me.” I scowled.
“I see, so you findmytime pointless.” His smile deepened to something sinister. “That hardly seems fair, considering we’ve only had one lesson.”
“Ywena has only shocked me once since you brought her back.” I placed my hands on my hips and settled into my stance. “I think we can move on to something a little more productive.”
Heat flashed in his eyes. “How interesting thatyouthink youhave the appropriate knowledge and skill set to tellmewhen we need to shift our training.” He stepped toward me, halting just inches from my body. My breathing didn’t falter. Not once. He dragged his gaze from the steady rise and fall of my chest to Ywena and, finally, to my face.
“Well?” I prompted when he said nothing. He looked down at me as he brought his face closer, as if testing the effectiveness of his proximity on the steadfast cadence of my breath. I focused on inhaling, on drawing in every possible ounce of air, and forcing it out with measured calmness.
“If you think you’re ready for something physical...” His voice was gravelly, rough, and it damn near ruined my perfect control. He seemed to notice, too, and something unreadable raced across his expression. Then he chuckled darkly. “Run.”
“What?”
Rorik was a feral creature in that moment, and I swore his glamour slipped, if only for a breath. There was a flash of something iridescent, something otherworldly and possibly beautiful, but his predatory smile—complete with sharpened canines—stole my focus entirely. Ywena shocked me as soon as my breath caught, and that tiny jolt spurred me into motion. Without thinking, I ran. I sprinted toward the trees marking the edge of the back lawns as Rorik’s laugh filled the air like a storm. He was everywhere and nowhere—I glanced over my shoulder to find he’d disappeared—and I failed miserably to maintain control over my breathing. Every inhale and exhale was accompanied by a shock from Ywena, and before I knew it a deep pang spurred in my sides.
For fuck’s sake.I tried to breathe through it as I found the small path winding into the depths of the forest. I flew over the moss-studded stones and bolted down the dirt trail, but roots had puckered the soft soil to create a path laden with obstacles. The toe of my boot caught on one and I went tumbling forward. Myhands smacked into the ground, the rough scrape of bark and jagged stones cutting away at my flesh, and I rolled to my side.
Real graceful, Edira. Just great.With a sharp wince, I flexed my battered hands and forced myself to slow down, to settle. Gingerly, I eased to my feet and tried to get a grip on my wild breath so Ywena’s incessant jolts would subside.
“How did you get through that unscathed?” I muttered to her as I glanced at my shoulder. She fluttered her wings only once in response.
A twig snapped in the distance of the wood, and I jerked my head toward the sound. The dense thicket of trees was impossible to pierce. They clambered around like giants, their long limbs covered in leaves that blocked out almost all the daylight. The ground was nothing more than pools of darkness, and a low ache simmered behind my eyes as I strained to see. The trail was desolate—just a strip of soil and stone stretching into the shrouded abyss. A thin mist had bloomed from somewhere deep within the bowels of the forest, and it rolled over the earth like a wet exhale. A chill swept through on a rattling breeze, and the hairs on my neck rose. The sun had all but disappeared, as if it were afraid of the darkened, fingerlike shadows inching across the ground to snare my ankles.
The woods were a living, breathing monster, and I’d stepped into the belly of the beast. All I could hear was my ragged breath, my pulse thundering in my ears, and the soft chittering from Ywena as she activated her power again and again. I winced with every prick, yet it wasn’t enough to chase away the looming paranoia.
A wet breath teased the skin behind my ear. “You’re slow.”
I jumped so high I smacked the top of my head into Rorik’s jaw. I hadn’t even heard him approach. He cursed and took a step back as I tumbled to the ground. Ywena shocked me—of course—andI let myself fall flat on my back as I stared at a patchwork blanket of limbs and leaves. The creeping shadows skittered away with my panic, and the suffocating darkness was suddenly gone. The sunlight was still weak, but not nearly as powerless as before, and I blew out an angry sigh. I’d let my mind get the best of me.
And Rorik.
“You can fuck right off,” I said to Rorik between breaths. I wanted to revel in the satisfaction of hitting his stupid jaw, but my head was throbbing from the impact, whereas he was already crouched before me, smirking as if it’d never happened.
“Unfortunately, I can’t.” Then his gaze dipped to my hands. He snared one before I could blink and then swiped away a stray bead of blood with his finger. “You’re incredibly clumsy.” Then my mind completely stalled as I watched him dip it into his mouth. He snorted. “Weak, too.”
“As if you can taste that,” I spat.
