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But she didn’t need to know that, so I cleared my throat and rested my hands on my chair’s armrests, putting on a neutral expression.
“Fine,” I said. “Let’s focus on figuring out how the artifact works. That’s the most important thing right now.”
Chapter21
Lex
“You ready to learn how to use your abilities?” I asked Arden.
“I think so, yeah. I got a nice warm-up already,” she said with a smirk.
Both Jagger and I had spent the night in her bed and woken up early to do it all over again before we had to start the day. I’d set up a training session for her with soldiers who had earth magic. I glanced back at her rumpled bed, then back at her. As good as the sex was, we had to focus on training her and keeping her safe from those who wanted to use her.
“Using your element doesn’t feel physical like that.” I created a small tornado in my palm. “It’s more like working out your brain, but your brain is in every part of your body. So you’ll feel it, but it won’t be soreness. Does that make any sense?”
“Not a lick.” She stepped into some leggings, tugging them up her hips. “I’m excited to learn, though. Finally.”
“Was it hard growing up and not having an element? Or not knowing you had a shifter form?” I asked, tossing her a t-shirt.
“Yeah.” She snorted, though the laugh didn’t reach her eyes. “Being a teenager sucked in general. Most foster parents like younger kids, so I got bounced around more when I was old enough to be rebellious and troublesome. I didn’t really have a refuge from the other teenagers at school who made fun of me because of the orphan thingandbecause I didn’t have a shifter form or element. I didn’t make friends until I left the system to be on my own when I was sixteen.”
“Sounds lonely.” My heart ached for her. Being a teenager had sucked for me in so many ways, but I’d always had at least one or two friends. “I’d go back in time and kick their asses if I could.”
“Would you?” She finally smiled, pulling on her sneakers. “That would have saved me from getting detention for punching other students. It felt like I spent more time in there than I did in class.”
“Why am I not surprised?” I slid an arm around her, grinning. “C’mon, let’s go. They’re probably waiting for you.”
The palace grounds were on the outskirts of Rouhaven, so we had plenty of outdoor space to work with. We walked to the farthest reaches of the grounds. Part of the field was framed by trees and brush, while the other was flanked by the ocean. The weather was perfect for being outside, warm and sunny without being too hot. The soldiers I’d called in were waiting for us at the far end of the field.
“I’ve never been out here before,” Arden said, looking out toward the ocean. “It’s beautiful.”
“It is, isn’t it? I should take you down to the beach sometime. It’s been a while since I’ve spent time near the water.” I rested a hand on her lower back.
“That would be great.” She pointed toward the horizon. “What’s that way out there?”
“The human world—one of their big cities, almost like Rouhaven. None of their technology can penetrate the enchantment over our cities.” Humans and fae almost never crossed paths, though some fae chose to cross the ocean to be in the human world for whatever reason. What did humans even have to offer?
“Ah.” She slowed to a stop. “Speaking of being seen…I’m a little exposed, no? Am I not supposed to be a secret?”
“You are, but not for long.” I waved my hand in a big arc, creating a cloaking spell over the entire field. “Now we’re hidden.”
She looked up, her mouth dropping open. “You didn’t even break a sweat.”
“It’s a simple cloaking spell. Just a barrier to keep us from view.” I suppressed a smug grin. “You’re still in awe of how powerful we are compared to a civilian fae, aren’t you?”
“Maybe a little.” She turned to the soldiers, who now stood at attention in front of us.
In addition to our enforcers, we had an active military, who protected our kingdom in battle if problems within the kingdom escalated or if we were being attacked by an outside threat, which rarely happened. Their magic was typically much stronger than our enforcers’, and they took a magical oath of secrecy when they reached the higher ranks. They were the perfect teachers for Arden. All of them were compelled to keep her identity and powers safe.
I signaled for them to be at ease, and they relaxed. “Arden, these three males are the best earth magic wielders we have in our military. Sam has power over sand and dirt, Powell can manipulate plants, and Wes can shift the ground and rocks.”
All three of them bowed their heads at her, then looked at me.
“Where would you like us to start, Your Highness?” Sam asked.
“Arden, what do you want to start with?”
Arden looked at her hands again, her cheeks coloring. “I want to know how to turn the volume up and down, you know? I tried to use it on a plant and killed it from making it grow too fast.”
