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I didn’t mean to actually cut him. I’d gone too far. I stared at the blood, listening to Maddox clap from the sidelines.
“Woo. Go, Elle.”
Edmund watched, his eyes fixated on us. “Good girl.”
A panicked breath left me as I moved my eyes to meet Viktor’s. “I didn’t mean to cut you.”
He shrugged it off, wiping his blood against the back of his hand. “It’s just a scratch.”
I lowered the blade, passing it to him, then took a step back. Letting out a shaky exhale, I stared up at the sky as rain pattered into the clearing. The world around us turned glossy as wind-swept rain gushed through the woods. “Maddox is next.” I offered him my dagger.
He wasn’t as good with it, but he was brilliant with throwing knives and, surprisingly, an axe. Edmund favored pistols. Viktor, to everyone’s surprise, excelled with them all.
Dora made us tea after we hurried inside.
“You didn’t come with us today,” I complained as she set the flower-patterned teapot next to the tea caddy. I eyed her sunflower apron.
“Someone has to cook for you all.”
Maddox gave her a look. “I still don’t know why you don’t let the servers do it. It’s why they’re here.”
She rolled her expressive brown eyes. “I won’t have anyone coming into my house and messing things up. Also…” She slapped the side of his arm, tut-tutting as she did. “The servers are not here to do whatever we can’t be bothered to do. They are a part of our community. We serve them by keeping them safe, using our magic to heal them, and they work the jobs we can’t so we can focus on practicing magic.”
Maddox rubbed his arm, scowling. “Then why are they called servers?”
Ignoring yet another of their squabbles, I searched for a pack of cookies, rummaging between cluttered boxes on the shelves in the kitchen until I found a box hidden behind a blue tin. Maddox didn’t eat sugar. He was healthier than any of us. Dora had an allergy to chocolate of all things so wouldn’t touch them, which left Edmund. Like me, he had a sweet tooth. I shook the box at him, and he grinned.
“Ah, you found them,” Edmund remarked.
“I always do.” I grinned back, then put them on a plate. Dora berated me as crumbs danced out the box and landed all around me. “I’ll clean them.”
She laughed in disbelief. “That’ll be the day.”
Maddox looked at Viktor, a knowing glint in his eye. “Welcome to the madhouse.”
Viktor leaned back in his chair. Dora swept the crumbs before I had a chance to, then hurried me to sit.
“Nai will be coming up in a bit,” I said, spotting a gap in the conversation. I eyed Viktor for his reaction. His dark gaze moved to mine, and my heart hammered. Swallowing thickly, I pulled myself away and looked down at the tea and collection of jams and creams.
“Good. Maybe she can ask her father why they haven’t sent a caster yet.” Edmund pushed his fingers through his blond strands.
I gave him a look. “You know how she feels about him.”
Dora clicked her tongue. “He’s too hard on the poor girl. She needs love and encouragement. Acting as if one coven is better than another… He’ll learn his lesson one day.” She reached up to her neck and feathered a touch along the silver medallion hanging there.
Viktor leaned forward. “Nice necklace.”
She smiled, touching it again. “It’s a symbol of Estia. Oh, naturally, you wouldn’t know about the true gods.”
Edmund gave her a look. “Come now, Dora. We can’t dismiss the humans’ god or their saints.”
She inhaled deeply. “Estia,” she said, conviction guiding her tone, “is the goddess of love. She rules the otherworld. It’s where you want to end up.”
“What’s the alternative?” Viktor questioned.
I cleared my throat. “The underworld. It’s the dark realm, filled with monsters, killers, and everything dark they want to vanquish from the world.”
Dora’s smile fell into a hard line. “The underworld’s ruled by Lucius, the god of justice. You don’t want to end up there, but as long as you follow your moral compass north, then you’ll need not worry about your fate in the afterlife.”
