As if his mother, a woman who lived in this cushy, beautiful place, could understand even a portion of what the coercive magic could do. Her life had never been threatened for it. Her skin had never been torn open. Her bones never broken.
David had the coercion down to a precise science. He knew exactly how to control it. Knew the shape and feel of it. Knew with horrifying accuracy what he could do with it.
Elenya Manae had no claim on Anna. She was his.
Nothis.
That wasn’t what he meant.
Or…
Was it?
Why are you arguing with yourself?
Fuck it. If Anna wanted a teacher, he was the best one she’d ever get, and meandering up to Galadaine’s study, David was…well, not determined to prove it to her because that would imply he cared in some fashion.
And he didn’t care.
He merely wanted to hear her admit she was wrong.
But now, thanks to Autumn the meddler, his sensible thoughts had been confiscated by a thief of irrational possibilities. Blue eyes. Soft skin.I can hear how much she thinks about you.
David stopped dead in the middle of the hallway, causing strangers to glance his way.
Fuck. When did Anna Ainslan crawl so deep under his skin? She was a fucking pixie. Off-limits.
First of all, he didn’t save smiles for her. The notion was ridiculous. Second of all, how often was Autumn near enough to Anna to determine the amount of time she spent thinking about him? And why did she bring his looks into all this?
Good looks equated to nothing. Take Isobel, for instance.
David forced himself to keep moving, to cross through the Sunshine Room without looking at any of the folks inside. By now, he was used to the surreptitious glances and outright glares, butprickles of awareness rose the hairs on his neck anyway. The old habit of glancing over his shoulder, of anticipating an attack was a hard one to kick.
The door to Galadaine’s study was closed, and David fingered the handle, debating. What would he even say when he entered? What reason could he give them for showing up unannounced after a month of silence?
His thumb pressed the lever before he’d truly decided to enter, and the door swung open easily. The sounds of paradise drifted to him from the adjacent room. He couldn’t make out the words, but he caught the velvety tone, and though the magic wasn’t aimed at him, it slinked into his blood, heating him from the inside out.
It was carnal. Erotic.
No one had ever mentioned to David that his voice sounded like sex. They’d said words likesweetandhoneyanddrizzle, but neversexorlustorhot. Did each of their magical voices sound different, then?
Or maybe this was how Anna Ainslan sounded tohim.
Like sex.
Phenomenal sex.
The unexpected jolt had him straightening, and something jerked out of place in his chest. Or maybe it fell into place. Damned uncomfortable, whatever it was.
David slipped into the study. He shut the door and propped himself in the archway that lead to the sitting room. His mother sat beside Anna in a patch of electric-purple light cast by the stained glass behind her.
Anna’s magical voice abruptly cut off at his entrance, and sky-blue eyes met his, tugging on the misplaced piece inside his heart.
“David,” his mother said, finally cluing in to his presence. Her winged eyebrows arched, and a smile formed.
He didn’t return it.
Elenya rose from her chair. “Have you decided to join us?”
