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“You be dragon?” His voice confirmed it; this was one of the men she’d eavesdropped on.
She shook her head, eyes darting around. The forest was at her back; a towering cliff face ahead. She craned her head up, trying to see the top of the bluff. On Earth, a place like this would come with a sign reading “Beware of Falling Rocks.” Here it might read “Beware of Everything.”
“You wear the uniform of their king, yet I sensepowerin you.”
She glanced back at the man. Power? What did he mean? “I stole it,” she blurted, feeling the need to qualify, “The uniform, I mean.”
He cocked his head in a veryinhuman way, super intense, like a praying mantis, or as though he were drilling into her soul with nothing but his piercing gaze. “Why?”
“A disguise. S-so I could escape the castle.”
He gazed off into the distance behind her. “They’ve kept you imprisoned?”
She rubbed the back of her neck. “Kind of, but—”
His startling gaze snapped to her once more. “Which coven claims you?”
“Pardon?”
“What coven do you belong to?”
“I, uh. I don’t have a coven.” June and Orik had mentioned the existence of witches. She strongly suspected this stranger was one. Were witches evil? She didn’t know. One had saved June, so maybe not, but Orik clearly hated them. He’d nearly snarled when he’d accused her of having witchy tendencies.
At her admission, the man’s eyes widened. “A rogue?” He tsked, eyeing her with renewed interest. “Dangerous out here, little fledgling, for one such as you. Your power could be stripped from you, like that.” He snapped his fingers. “And you would be helpless to prevent it.”
She shuddered. Perhaps leaving the castle without Orikwasn’tthe best of ideas.
The man moved toward her. Her heart began to drum painfully against her ribcage. She reached for her blade—
A scratching noise drew both their attention. From a tiny cave in the cliff, a small, furry little creature with large, foxlike ears and big curious eyes surveyed them from above. Its cream-colored fur stood up on its neck and it hissed.
The man actually took a wary step back. Was this adorable looking creature dangerous? More dangerous than the man before her? The creature reminded her of one of those pocket dogs with the attitude of a Rottweiler, and Jessie was reminded that sometimes unyielding bravado could work in one’s favor just as well as being the toughest SOB in the room. When executed correctly, intimidation could weaken an opponent’s confidence.
In nature, wounded or timid animals were often seen as prey. Right now, she needed to behave like a predator, or at least on equal par with one. This man seemed to think she had power, so she would behave as if she did.
She faced him. “I pity the fool who threatens me, for that would be the last thing they ever do.”
His lips spread in a slow, patronizing grin, and he reached out to finger a lock of her hair. She stifled a flinch. He wasn’t buying it. “Actually, you are capable of more than you realize. I sense it in you. It’s buried deep. Untapped. Your power is like none I have encountered. If you have no coven, you may pledge yourself to me. I could teach you to tame your wild magic. I could protect you from those who covet it.”
Funny, he didn’tsoundprotective. He sounded like a snake readying to strike. Besides, she wasn’t about to pledge herself to anyone, let alone this creepy stranger who didn’t seem to grasp the concept of personal space.
The agitated creature paced on the ledge, sending pebbles bouncing down the cliff, its bushy tail flicking angrily. It seemed annoyed they hadn’t heeded its warning to vacate its territory.
The man glared at the creature, then retreated toward a towering tree and suddenly…
She blinked. He was gone.
No wait. He’d…teleported? He now stood perched on a low branch, gazing down at her.
“How did you…?” She clamped her mouth shut. Probably shouldn’t have let her surprise show.
“You don’t even know what sifting is?”
She crossed her arms. “You say you want to teach me? How do I know I can trust you?”
His eyes flashed with amusement. “You are wise to be cautious. But you need not fear. I lead a powerful coven, and we would welcome you. You would be quite an acquisition, given the right training.”
“Training for what?”
