Page 76 of Mistaken Magic

Sohe decided to make me sweat a little.Threehits came at my chest, each one forcing me to focus to get away from them.Igot the first two, but the third he managed to just poke my belly.Inodded to show he connected, soKeirstepped back and flicked a pair of fingers around a hilt, taunting me to come at him harder.

"MustbeWilderReedthen."Thrustingout his lower lip,Keirnodded. "Nota bad choice from the court."

"NotWildereither,"Isaid.

"Huh."Hesmacked one of my sticks, forcing me into motion. "AspenFox."

Iswung, trying to catch him off guard, but that was pointless.I'dhad exactly one week of weapon training.Keirhad been raised on this stuff.Iknew he'd been takingBracken'sclasses since he got toSilverOaks, which meant at least three years, maybe four.Ikinda got the impression he'd been sparring with his family even longer.

Mysticks swung for his arms, his legs, his chest, and even his head.Theclack of our weapons connecting turned into a nice rhythm, andKeirmoved me around the room, forcing my feet to work as much as my hands.Forjust a moment, he had my complete attention, and my week of practice began to fall into place.

Allthe hits at the training dummy had taught my body how to move.Hispressure engaged the rest of me.Whathad started as some wild flailing was quickly becoming a little more.Mysticks got closer to whereIwanted, my brain began to see the openings and opportunities he left.ThenIfinally managed to get a tap on his thigh.Heblocked most of it, butIstill saw him wince when my stick thumped him.

"It'sAspen," he said, waving me off. "Soyou're into girls?"

"No!"Iinsisted.

Hestopped hard.Thosenearly violet eyes of his weighed me, then he said softly, "That'sthe truth."

"Yeah, it is,"Igrumbled.

"Oryouthinkit is," he corrected. "Rain, we only hear the deception.Ifyou believe something is real, even if you were deceived, it feels like the truth to me.Butlet me ask you this.Ifyou're not into girls, then why has your mind been so scattered today that evenBrackennoticed?"

"Becausehe's a good teacher?"Iguessed.

"So, you don't want to talk about this?"Keirasked, stepping back and towing me into the center again.

Ijust sighed. "Andsay what?"

"Well, you could start with what happened," he offered.

"Butthat's the thing.Ican't,"Itold him. "AnythingIsay to you will get to someone else, and then someone else, right up until it's back toHarperorKatrina, and they'll be trying to brand her with keychains again!"

Intwo steps, he closed the distance between us, peeling both sticks from my hands without trying.Aftertossing the weapons out of my reach,Keirstood there, making me look at him.Gently, he reached up and pushed a stray strand of hair away from my cheek.

"Iam not a jester.I'malso not in the court."Thenhe tilted my face up a little more. "Igive you my word, with no conditions, thatIwill not share your secrets without your direct permission."

Therewas a tingling in the contact between us.Somesensation that was more than my imagination.Ittrembled in the air around us, yet it ended where his skin touched mine.Whathe'd said was important.Itwas big, andI'dfelt it.

"Whatwas that?"Ibreathed.

"Avow," he explained. "Faeare careful about promises for that reason,Rain.Thisone,IthinkIcan make."

"Why?"Iasked. "Whatdo you even care?I'mjust the boring human girl who does nothing fancy."

"Mm..."Hewobbled his head from side to side likeIdidn't have that quite right. "Youdo a lot of things fancy.You'rehuman, but that gives you a different set of skills.Italso gives you an allure of 'other' to us fae.Plus, you're..."

"Interesting,"Ifinished for him.

"Agood word, but not the oneIwas going for," he assured me. "Iwas going to say appealing.See, the jesters are all trying to prove themselves.Theproblem is, they're judging by the wrong yardstick.Theywant to be fae.Theycan't be, because they're part human.It'slike a fish wishing it were a bird.You,however, are a human trying to be a human among fae.It'soddly refreshing."

"So,I'mlike an animal in a zoo or something?"BecauseIwasn't sureIliked that.

Keirjust laughed. "No.You'relike a friend,Rain.There'sthis rawness about you.Iwon't deny the curiosity, though.It'sdefinitely there.Thosepretty brown eyes are nice, too.So, sinceI'vegiven you that much honesty, don't you think you owe me at least a little back?"

"That'smanipulation,"Ipointed out.

Heleaned in. "I'mfae.Ofcourse it is.Talk,Rain.Whathappened withAspen?"

---