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“I want to shake them all. I want to scream in their faces and tell them to wake the hell up.” I dropped my voice a little, glancing around at the men. “If you really think about it, with the gods deciding that they don’t like wild magic, how long do you think it’ll be before they decide to go after other magic users as well? Before they decide any magic is a threat to them?”
“Probably not that long.” Merrick’s voice was grim.
With my fists clenched, I narrowed my eyes and looked up at the giant statue of the god named Omari. Flowers, letters, and other offerings were strewn at the statue’s feet, and it took all my self-control not to kick it all away.
“Well, the gods won’t get away with this shit. Not if I have anything to say about it.”
Chapter Two
A deep grunt fell from my lips as I kicked sideways, slamming my foot into the punching bag. I darted around the heavy bag and began to punch with both my fists and magic, sending energy down through my arms to wrap around my knuckles.
My arms sped up, the magic moving them so fast that I couldn’t make out their common form. Relaxing my muscles, I let them assist the magic rather than resisting it, making my own body almost like a puppet on strings, manipulated by the magic that gave me added speed and strength.
Finally, I punched one last time, landing a blow that nearly jerked the chain from the ceiling. The bag swung high in the air, and I caught it as it came back toward me.
Stepping back, I wiped my forehead, then bent to pick up my water bottle.
“You’re really kicking ass today,” Merrick commented, gazing at me carefully as he stepped inside the spare bedroom we’d turned into a training room. The guys and I were all sharing a room, and I was going to miss the hell out of that when we returned to Magic Blessed Academy and our little pre-assigned dorm rooms. “You have been all week.”
I swallowed and squirted a little water down my back, letting it cool my heated skin. “I gotta get ready. I gotta keep getting ready, until I’m so powerful that there’s no more room to improve. I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”
Merrick’s eyes narrowed, but I turned away from the worry written on his face. I hated when people were concerned for me, even though I knew it meant they cared about me, which was technically a good thing.
Even if I wasn’t used to it.
Even if my instincts sometimes were to put walls up so that none of the guys would know how truly freaked out I was about all of this.
He sat down on the weight bench Lachlan had set up near one wall, watching as I picked up the jump rope and began to swing it over my head.
“Ari.” His voice was quiet. “Ever since the festival, ever since you saw that shrine, you’ve been in double-crazy mode.”
As my feet tapped out a staccato rhythm on the floor, the rope passing beneath them with a steady thwap, I glanced over at him.
“It just reaffirmed the fact that something needs to be done. Maybe I really am a god, but I was raised as a human, and a part of me will always feel human. I don’t know if there’s anybody worth sticking up for on the gods’ side, but I do know there are a lot of people worth it on the human side. They’re trying to kill our classmates, Merrick!” The rope picked up speed, thwacking harder against the floor with every rotation. “I know how hard it is just to survive the challenge, and it’s only getting harder. I need to be in peak shape, and I need to be able to use my magic. All of it. However much I may have. The only way I’m going to get better is by practicing, and we both know that I can’t do much of that at the school without being noticed.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment, his eyes drifting over to the window, where the setting sun had given the world a hazy glow. “And what are you going to use all this practice for? I really hope you’re not thinking of trying to do this on your own.”
My feet stopped moving, and the rope slapped against the floor for the final time. My breath was coming fast as I looked over at Merrick, meeting his gaze.
“I wish I could do it on my own,” I admitted. “I wish I could protect everybody I care about—and that includes you, Lach, and Trace.”
He opened his mouth, probably about to argue that they should be allowed to protect me too, but before he could, I stepped toward him. His arms came around my waist as I stepped between his legs, sliding my fingers through his hair and looking down at him.
“But I’m not stupid,” I continued. “Even if you guys are right and there isn’t some other explanation for why I can travel to the godly realm, I’m not dumb enough to think I’m all-powerful. I’m getting stronger, sure, and I could probably take most magic users out there. And after seeing some of those gods lounging around the palace, I’m pretty sure I could take some of them too.” I huffed a humorless laugh. “But I know I’m stronger with backup. I know we have strength in numbers. I want to be able to bring you guys, or others if they want to come with me, when I go to the godly realm.”
“And you’re planning on challenging the gods there?” Merrick asked. His head was tilted up, his chin resting on my stomach. The words could’ve been a question, but they sounded more like a statement.
He knows me well enough to know the answer already.
I nodded. “Yeah. I am. And I’ll need backup if I hope to have a chance in hell of winning that challenge.” My fingers stilled in his hair. “You know, you guys have been a bad influence on me. I used to be the kind of person who prided herself in never needing anyone else, but ever since that first challenge, since you guys, I realized that even if I could do it on my own, I probably shouldn’t.”
Merrick tugged me down onto his lap, not seeming to mind that I was covered in a sheen of sweat. I went willingly, straddling his lean waist and draping my arms over his shoulders.
He lifted his head to kiss me, his hands palming my ass with a proprietary touch that I secretly loved. I’d never been the type of chick who relished the idea of being owned, but since these three men let me own them right back, I actually kind of loved it.
As our lips broke apart, I let out a sigh. “It kind of feels like the summer was a bust, since I haven’t been able to master transporting between realms. But looking back on it, we spent the whole entire summer training and working. There’s no way we’re not stronger and more powerful than we were when we left. All of us.”
Merrick shook his head, pulling me a little closer. “I just can’t believe school is almost back in session. I know we have to go; we have no choice. But damn, I don’t want to. I want to keep you out of that fucking place, out of harm’s way. But I know we’re too deep in this shit to quit now. Given what we all know, I would never be able to rest. I would feel like I betrayed every one of our classmates by leaving them to the wolves.”
