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“Well that’s unfortunate. But you can’t blame a demon for trying,” he teased as he tugged once more on a piece of my hair. “Still afraid?”
“Terrified,” I breathed. “But I’ll get around it.”
“That’s my female.”
My cheeks warmed. Nik had said those words to me once and I’d hated them. He’d made me feel like he was taking credit for what I’d done. With Casimir it felt different, like he was proud of me. Maybe it was because he didn’t come across as overly macho.
Sometimes Nik made me feel like he didn’t believe I was capable of taking care of myself, like I needed someone stronger to take care of me. Shifters had an inborn sense of duty to others, especially those they believed needed protection. It was part of their pack mentality.
This overly protective side came out a thousand times stronger towards any female a shifter male wanted to claim. It had been worse with me because I wasn’t as physically strong as the females Nik had grown up around.
The day he’d confessed this thought was the beginning of the end for us. I didn’t want to be claimed.
I looked at my Shadow demon. Casimir was protective, but I didn’t feel smothered by his actions.
“Just start simple,” Casimir suggested, likely mistaking my silence for nerves.
Shaking my hands out, I searched for something appropriate to manipulate or destroy. Some fifty yards down the way was a collection of light grey boulders, a few taller than myself. They weren’t supporting anything; they looked like they had rolled down the shallow canyon and came to rest where they were.
Perfect.
I pulled on my fae powers and slowly lifted one of the smaller stones. It hovered for a moment then shot up into the sky.
“Holy shit,” Casimir breathed, searching the clouds. “It’s so high I’ve lost track of it.”
“Turn around.”
He spun and shouted another curse, jumping back and crouching low. The rock, which was roughly four feet in diameter, was floating inches behind where he had been standing.
“I didn’t hear a fucking sound, Raven. Nor can I sense any of your magic around it. This issimplefor you?”
“More or less. I’ve done this hundreds of times. It got easier with practice. Many fae can move objects like this using the elements.”
“Perhaps, but I’ve never seen something like this,” he claimed, ogling the object with both awe and confusion. “An object moving that fast would displace the air, creating sound.”
“Not if I manipulated the air to prevent it.”
“Ah-ha. Well, it may not be challenging for someone who is fae, but I find it impressive as hell. Is it wrong that I'm totally turned on?”
I snickered. “Hot and bothered over a large cluster of minerals fused together? Totally wrong.”
“Smartass,” he grinned. “Is it similar to what Brokk does when his ship is incognito?”
“In preventing the sound, yes. It also helps with speed of travel.”
“Handy talent. What would make this more complicated?”
I came around to stand beside him again. “Do you trust me?” I asked.
“Implicitly,” he replied without hesitation, making my insides feel all tingly and warm.
I hoped I wasn’t turning into one of those pathetic females who could be reduced to a pile of mush with a single word from a seductive male. Nik’s face popped into my head and I suddenly felt the need to push back, even if only to see Casimir’s reaction.
“Well,” I said offhandedly, “here’s to you not regretting those words.”
I reached for my inner witch, swiftly weaving a spell around us. He held still.
“I can sense magic this time,” he commented.
