Page 57 of A Blaze of Fire
He nodded.
Oh, so he’s not going to clarify how we discovered it? What an asshole.
“Good, that’ll make my work easier,” she replied smoothly.
“Uh …” I interrupted. “Maybe not so much, since it happened when he pushed me off a cliff,” I corrected with a glare directed at Kazimir.
His jaw tightened and I saw him battle for restraint. He was trying hard not to throw me off that cliff again.
Calypso chuckled, her laugh tinkling like a long-forgotten melody. “Oh, okay, I understand now. Well, I can take it from here, Kazimir.”
He ripped his scowl from me and turned to Calypso. “Very well. Good luck,” he said sarcastically before leaving.
Apparently he wasn’t nice to anyone. Dick.
I stood there quietly, feeling odd and out of place with the leader of the air elementals. I shifted nervously on my feet, wanting to break the silence but not knowing what to say.
“Why don’t we go for a walk?” she suggested and motioned toward the beach.
With a relieved sigh, I nodded and followed her toward the boardwalk. We walked in companionable silence as she led the way, her transparent dress billowing in the sea breeze along with her long white hair. You would’ve thought the steely strands would make her look old, but she looked vibrant. I wouldn’t peg her to be older than thirty-five.
“Was learning fire hard?” she asked once we hit the sand.
“Uh … a bit. After a little practice, it came easier than I expected,” I answered quietly.
“Hmm … that means your fae parent is most likely a fire elemental,” she said. “Have you attempted to use other elements?”
I shook my head. “No, I haven’t.”
“Fire might come easier to you, but you’ll have to learn to depend onallthe elements, not just the one you’re most comfortable with. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I said, suddenly feeling like I was being reprimanded by my schoolteacher.
“Air should come to you like second nature because you breathe it in every day. That’s why we’re going to start with some breathing exercises. Okay?”
I furrowed my brows and peered over at her, wondering if she was the fae version of a hippie. Whatever. I wasn’t one to judge. “Sure.”
“Great!” With a hearty smile, we began to train.
* * *
After training with Calypso,I’d never felt more relaxed or sleepier. I hadn’t done anything physical besides walking along the beach, but by the time we returned to the castle’s entrance, I was ready to escape to my room, skip dinner, and go straight to sleep.
“You did well today, Lady Violet,” Calypso complimented.
I shrugged. “I guess, but I don’t really know what the point was.”
She chuckled. “Well, maybe you didn’t get anything from it, but now I’ve learned your breathing pattern. It’ll be very useful to me in training you.”
My eyes widened. “You made me do all those breathing exercises just to learn my breathing pattern?”
She nodded. “It’s good to know your breathing pattern, not just for your air element, but for your other elemental magic as well.”
“Damn. I should’ve been paying attention,” I muttered.
She laughed. “Tomorrow. For now, just rest. I’m sure you’re tired.”
I tilted my head and looked at her. “You’re really nice … but I gotta admit, I’m super skeptical because I haven’t met an Unseelie who’s genuinely nice.”
