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Cohen chuckles. “I wouldn’t be so quick to discount group sex, wildcard. I’d be down with it, but something tells me your boyfriends wouldn’t like me joining.”
I point a finger in his direction. “Stop it. You’re making things worse and you know it. Now then, I am going to grab shoes, and head outside to train. If anyone would care to join me, feel free.”
Twenty minutes later, we’re all standing in the midmorning sun. It’s actually closer to noon, and I didn’t eat breakfast, so my stomach is growling at me, but I refuse to acknowledge it. Not until we’ve done at least some training.
Cohen has the boys working on summoning the elements, while he tries to help me form my shadow into something that isn’t a swirling mass of black. “Have you thought about what you want your shadow to look like? What form you want it to take?”
I shake my head. “Not really. I… I never really wanted a tattoo, let alone one that looks like an animal. I’d much rather have some blackberry brambles or flowers or something.”
Cohen laughs and shakes his head. “That won’t be very helpful, especially since I’m going to show you how to summon any type of plant you need. You’ll be able to grow blackberry brambles with a flick of your wrist.” He moves until he’s standing in front of me, arms crossed over his chest. “It should be something you won’t have easy access to.”
I look at the head of his snake, now resting on the back of his hand. “You told me your affinity is with Snake and Hive. Why would you pick any animal if you can talk to all animals?”
Cohen runs a tired hand down his face. “First off, I can’t control and talk to all animals. Second, Betty is a basilisk. Not just a snake. That means she can kill someone with a single look, and her venom can kill within seconds of it being administered.”
“Betty. You named your snakeBetty?”
Cohen shrugs. “Betty the basilisk. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
I hum in my throat and glance over at the guys. Ezra is talking the three others through something, his hands gesturing as his lips move. The other three are watching closely, and then Fielder nods, and mimics the motion Ezra had just showed them. The ground in front of them ripples.
My brows arch. “Why am I not learning how to make earthquakes?”
“Because this is more important, wildcard. You currently have a formless demon on your body. You need to give it a form and show it who’s boss. I’m not sure what will happen if you don’t, but it’s likely not anything good.”
I shift my gaze back to him. “What does that mean?”
“It means I was prepared for when I summoned my shadows the first time. I knew what I wanted, and I formed them immediately. I have no idea what it means to have a formless umbra on you.”
My heart rate picks up as my eyes widen. He’s making it sound like it might try to take over my body or something. Like I don’t have full control over it and it will take advantage.Who are you kidding, Rosalind Juliet? You absolutely have no control over it.
And then something he said clicks into my head. “You have more than one shadow.” It’s not a question, but a statement.
Cohen’s lips quirk. “Smart girl. If I could kiss you right now, I would.”
I glare at him, but it doesn’t hold in any genuine anger. No, any heat in my eyes is from lust and he knows it.
He smirks as he lifts his shirt, showing off his tight six pack and I hear Hardin make a noise of protest. Don’t get me wrong, all that bronze skin over rippling muscle would be fucking distracting as hell, but my focus is instead on the shadow wrapped around his waist.
“A dragon? You have a dragon?”
Cohen smirks at the awe in my voice. My fingers itch with the urge to pet the snout of the mythical beast, nuzzled up just under his heart. I think it must be so large it wraps around his body twice, though most of that is its long tail.
“It’s beautiful,” I murmur, hand raised between us.Wait. When did I lift my hand?I snatch it back and tuck it into the back pocket of my jeans, to keep it from having a mind of its own.
“I have another on my thigh, but I’d have to take off my pants for you to see it, and I don’t think your boys would like that.”
My cheeks heat and I glance their way to find all four of them watching us now. “No, they definitely wouldn’t.” I feel like I should apologize to Cohen or something, like it’s my fault that they aren’t being more welcoming to him. But it’s not. They have their own prejudices that they’ve grown up with about witches not attached to a coven. They need to work through their shit in order to figure it out.
“What’s the one on your thigh?”
His lips twist. “A kraken.”
I blink. “That’s not just your pet name for your dick, is it?”
Cohen tosses his head back and laughs, a loud booming thing that silences the bird chatter in the trees around us. His head drops back down and he lets out a few more chuckles, getting himself under control.
But then I just have to say, “I mean, if it is what you call your dick, you can say things like, ‘release the kraken’ to get a girl to take off your pants.” And he laughs all over again.
