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"Go over there.” He gestured to where the ball had landed. “Levitate it, and send it to me."
"No. I'mnotyour pet dog." I felt myself moving involuntarily, gliding across the grass toward him, stopping when we were inches apart.
That arrogant ass moved me.His peridot eyes glowed, the gold flecks floating to the surface of his irises. They were hypnotic, and since I arrived here, I’d tried my hardest not to stare at them. He cupped my jaw, running a thumb across my cheek.
"Don't act all high and mighty, dollface. I have superhuman senses, remember? I can smell how much you like being called a good girl." He took a deep breath, as if to prove a point. "Your lust smells like an entire field of roses, it’s so strong. Go get the ball, and maybe I’ll call you agood girlagain."
My irritation lessened, and for a minute, I actually felt silly about getting annoyed in the first place. It didn't matter if I had to get the ball and send it to him, as long as the job got done, right? I walked around him to where it landed. While concentrating on lifting it off the ground, I realized this hadn't been the first time I suddenly felt more agreeable around Desmond. Back at The Fool, he had made me feel so much calmer about the freak accident I had. And at the bar, he made me feel so open when we talked, like I could tell him anything about myself…
I bent over and picked the ball up, spinning on my heels to glare at him. He frowned at me, probably because I didn’t follow his exact instructions.
“I didn’t say you could use your hands,” he chastised.
“Yeah, and I didn’t say you could use magic to control me,” I snapped back. He smiled, like he had no shame about being caught.
I walked over to him, crowding him as best I could with our size difference, until our chests were touching. The fury I felt inside was at a boiling point. I wasn’t sure how, but I was going to make him pay for his bullshit. He already took me from my family and ruined my life, and now he was controlling me?Fuck no. Not today, Desmond.
"You're manipulating my emotions somehow. There's no way I would go from annoyed to docile so quickly. I’m the second most stubborn person I know. How are you doing it?"
He bent down until his face was closer to mine. Our eyes locked in an intense stare off. He ignored my question, just like he had in his office, and laughed at me like I was a moron for just realizing it. Ares and Bash faded back to us, their timing impeccable.
"Desmond, what's going on here?" Bash asked with an edge to his voice.
"Oooo, are we interrupting something? A possible heated, passionate kiss, perhaps? Can I watch? Iloveto watch." Ares rubbed his hands together, anticipating the wrong kind of entertainment.
"Sebastian, how is Desmond manipulating my emotions? Tell me the truth." I needed to know what was going on.
"Just like witches, demons can have specific powers. Desmond is an empath. He can read and manipulate emotions." He turned his attention to Desmond. "I thought you'd have told her that by now."
Desmond didn't even look sorry. That smug smile and arched brow told me exactly how he felt. "Hey, don't look put out,dollface. You needed a little attitude adjustment to keep the lesson going."
How fucking dare he? The fury I felt before morphed into a seismic anger. I wanted to rip him to shreds and leave him for the wolves.How dare he have the audacity to treat me like a pet, claim I was aroused, and then emotionally manipulate me again, after I told him in his office how much I hated it?Before I knew what I was doing, the ball in my hands went up in flames, but the flames didn't stop there. I whipped them out like a lasso, and singed the edge of the sleeve on his hoodie. He put up some kind of magical shield, and even though I found it impressive, I was still furious. I increased my fire power, but couldn’t penetrate it.
The earth quaked below us, just like it had at my house. Vibrations pulsed through my body and out to the ground below me. The green house's glass walls rattled, and Desmond struggled to stay upright. Ares looked impressed, and made a joke about how Desmond had really done it now. Cracks splintered in the greenhouse’s glass window panes. Each one served as a reminder of how broken and frustrated I felt right now.
I felt a warm hand grasp my forearm, and looked up at Sebastian's face. "How about I teach you something? We can go to your suite and grab a snack on the way?"
I noticed he had blood specks on his shirt, and pointed to a huge one near the collar. "You can get changed first if you'd like."
“Alright, Birdie. Let’s go.”
Before I could say goodbye, I felt as if I was tipping backward. The world went black for a second and when it came back into focus again we were in his bedroom. Fading felt so weird. I would never get used to traveling that way.
He removed his clothing in a practical way, tossing it in a laundry hamper by his closet door. There were splatters of blood on his neck and forearms too, but that’s not what caught my eye. Sebastian’s body was a work of art. His muscles danced with every movement, their planes and dips catching in the light. They reminded me of the night we shared together in the bed behind me, and how safe I felt in his arms. A deep, warm feeling thrumbed inside me, like an invisible force pulled me toward him. I had never felt this way about anyone before.
“We did some dirty work, so I need to shower before I change. If you want, join me and we can talk. I can start by telling you how to block Desmond’s empath abilities.”
I had been outside all day, working up a sweat repeating drills. Magic proved to be just as exhausting as physical work. A shower seemed like the perfect chance to unwind and catch up with Sebastian. And to be honest, I didn’t need much convincing to go with him.
I took my clothes off, too, rolling them into a ball and putting them on the floor. I used my magic to lift them and shakily put them in the hamper. It took longer than expected, but I could tell Sebastian was proud of me by the smile on his face.
“Atta girl, you’re getting better by the hour.” My heart almost exploded. He gestured toward the shower. “Come on, my magical superstar.” I loved to hear his deep, British voice shower me in praise. It felt genuine, not like he was making fun of me or treating me like a pet.
I followed him into the bathroom. I remembered it from before, when I stayed the night. The stall was huge, with a bench built into the wall. I looked out of the clear glass toward the clawfoot tub. Eventually, I’d have to ask him if we could use it together. He turned the knobs, adjusting the water temperature. When he pulled the lever, hot water poured from all of the shower heads, pelting at my sore muscles and instantly relaxing me. He pulled me under the rainfall spout overhead, holding me close to his body.
“Diana, can you explain the earthquake thing?” he asked cautiously, as if he was worried I was going to do it here. “That one wasn’t quite as strong as the one at your house, but it's still concerning.”
“I have no clue how I did it. I was angry both times, though. Why am I not surprised you were stalking me at my house that day?”
