Page 92 of The Bones of the Cursed

Kailu bumps my shoulder. “I’ll meet you in the training ring as soon as I get my men in order. I’ll see you soon.”

He places a kiss on my lips, and my body hums at having both of my males so close.

Training isn’t awful, but it isn’t great, either. We’ve been at it for a little over two hours and all I’ve been able to do is make it flurry, unable to dig deep enough into my emotions to form ice. When the emotions come naturally, I can’t control it.

I can feel the wisps of a breeze at my fingertips, but it sputters out before I can bring it to life. I curse under my breath.

“Why don’t we work on wind next?” Kailu suggests. “It correlated to anger. Try to put yourself back into that memory.”

I focus, sitting on my knees. We are just outside the main training ring, located about a mile into the woods behind the castle. The stone walls barricade it on all sides, creating an octagonal shape. The center of the training ring is little but dirt and dust from all the soldiers coming and going, and a wall of training weapons sits against the back wall, the guard tower protruding upward out of the south end of the ring, watching over not only the training ring but the woods around it.

Hannah sits next to me, offering support and doing her best to help heighten the emotions I need to feel. But nothing is working, and I feel so frustrated that I could scream. I understand why my parents kept my powers hidden, but damn, do I wish I would have known about them sooner.

Heat warms my hands, surprising me. Kailu looks at me with wonder and Hannah flinches away as fire dances at myfingertips. I roll it across my fingers like I would dice, fascinated by the flickering light and colors. I casually roll it to my palm, joining it with the flame from my other hand. The two meld together, forming a giant flaming ball.

Hannah’s face has gone pale, leaving me even more intrigued by what pains and secrets haunt her from the past.

I take the ball of fire, slowly pulling my hands apart. The further apart my hands spread, the larger the flaming ball grows.

“I knew you were a little firecracker.”

Malakai’s deep voice breaks my concentration, dousing the flames and leaving nothing but ash.

I shoot him a slow grin. “Maybe we can play with my fire later.” His whole body shudders and I can see the large outline of his cock through his trousers. The sight makes me weak in the knees, not to mention extremely wet.

“I’m right here,” Hannah mutters. “And unlike Kailu, I don’t enjoy the show.”

I shoot her a grin.

“Damn it. I want you now and we don’t have time,” Malakai grits through his teeth. “We need to leave in twenty minutes.”

I glance at Kailu, who shrugs, even though the heat in his eyes gives away his thoughts. Then I tip forward to kiss his cheek and stride for the castle, kissing Malakai’s cheek as I go, too.

- MALAKAI -

I have been rock-hard since Alanis left me in the courtyard, unable to get the sight of her flames and that plump ass out of my mind. I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts so I can focus on what we are about to walk into. There are no promises that the person we’re meeting is someone who means well.

Elion stands by the front door of the castle, tapping his foot.“She always likes to push us on time.”

As if summoned, she descends the stairs. Even though she is only in a pair of black breeches and a deep red tunic, she is absolutely stunning. She left her hair down, the natural waves falling to the middle of her back. Gods, how I want to pull that hair as I thrust into her.

She gives me a knowing smirk like she knows exactly what I’m thinking. Hell, she probably does. By the pink tint to her cheeks, I think she might be thinking the same thing.

We step into the cool early evening air and mount the horses the stable-hand saddled for us. Alanis gives Aeros a quick kiss and pats my horse Atlas on the head, and he clearly loves every second of her affection. Just another creature enthralled by the lovely Alanis Bowman.

“I feel the same way buddy.” I pat his side, earning a snort.

We take off at a trot.

The person suggested meeting at the local inn just outside the city limits, so it takes about a half hour to get there from the castle. The flickering light from the shops on the main road quickly fade, the cobblestone road turning to one of dirt. We pass by the butcher shop, who still has a candle burning, and turn right at the blacksmith right across the road. We travel down the dusty side road for a while, the murmurs of voices and clomping of horses in the city fading until only the sound of crickets remains. It would almost be peaceful, if we weren’t riding into uncertainty.

At last, the dim lantern from the local inn becomes visible through a light drizzle of rain. I dismount, my foot splashing into a puddle.

“I’ll go in first, Alanis in the middle. Elion last.” Then I step through the door cautiously, scanning the room for a hooded figure. I spot him almost immediately, sitting in the corner booth at the back. The patrons of the inn mill about, the soundof utensils clanking against bowls, the smell of tonight’s dinner permeating the air. Roasted chicken, potatoes, and corn by the looks of it.

We move as one, only stopping once we are before the mystery person. I slide into the booth across from him, keeping Alanis close to me as Elion settles on her far side. It’s a tight fit, but being squished together makes it nearly impossible to miss Alanis’s shaking. Her body isn’t the only thing quivering. The table shakes slightly, causing the hooded figure’s beer to clank around.

“I see her powers are freed.” His gravelly voice breaks the tension.

---