Page 36 of Mistake of Magic
He gets up and leaves himself.
23
Lera
Ipull on a pair of comfortable pants and a soft blue tunic, finding both by feel more than sight in the bedchamber’s darkness. My mind spins through the sleepless fatigue, the sight of Coal storming out of the room burning in my memory. Have I made things worse, tearing open a half-healed wound? Should I stanch the damage by shutting the hell up now and giving the male the space he demands?
I discard that option even as it comes. Coal might have sold the whole damn quint on his not-caring act, but the stars will freeze and fall to the earth before I let him think I’m bowing quietly to the fiction. He’s tried his way of coping for three hundred years. That’s more than a fair stretch by anyone’s measure. Especially mine.
My fingers make quick work of a braid, and I race into the common room—cursing as I trip over a gray lump of wolf that chooses this very moment to weave around my legs.
“Let me pass, Shade,” I say, pushing him away—with little success. I growl softly. “I know you saw Coal pass through here five minutes ago. So are you protecting me from him or him from me? Because I can assure you that neither of those options will end well for you.”
The wolf yips and gives me a guilt-inspiring look that he’s no doubt spent centuries perfecting.
I cross my arms, glancing at the door. The five-minute lead Coal has on me is already stretching into ten, and the male knows the Citadel grounds far better than I do. “You know,” I say, my voice light, “I wonder if your shifting magic might work on me as well. Want to stick around and try? What could possibly go wrong?”
With a small, highly displeased growl, Shade nips my hand and stalks away to curl himself in the corner, those mournful eyes watching me from atop fuzzy paws.
“I’m glad we agree,” I tell the wolf sweetly, and I step out into the night, the cold air pricking my skin. Wrapping my arms around myself, I walk down the few steps from our door and blow out a slow breath. If it were me, I’d likely be making my way to a stable right now, wedging myself into a corner of an empty stall and letting the familiar scents of horse and hay calm my brittle nerves. What would be Coal’s equivalent of my stable?
Almost immediately, my mind conjures an image in answer—wooden practice swords, a rope-wrapped post.
“He likely went to the training yard,” a bright female voice says from the shadows, sending my heart into a gallop. Heels grind against the gravel walkway as Klarissa’s silhouette flows toward me. The material of her emerald gown is light enough to ripple in the breeze and clings to her body to show off perfect lines. A priceless diadem woven into her long, dark hair manages to catch what little light the night offers. “At least, I assume it’s Coal you came out here to find? I’d check the training yard. You’ll find it on the same side of the Citadel grounds as the practice arena, but farther north.”
I swallow, my mouth dry. “Thank you, Elder.” I bow, buying myself seconds to think, to hope that Shade might decide to follow me after all. Seconds pass but no help arrives. “You must forgive my startled reaction. I hardly expected a chance meeting outside my door at such an hour.”
Klarissa tips her head back and laughs musically. “It’s hardly a chance meeting, Leralynn. Well, meeting you is unexpected, but my personal curiosity has had me here for several hours now. I realize everything at the Citadel is new to you, but for me, having watched River’s quint go through the trials once before, the differences this time around are too fascinating to overlook. You can’t blame me for wondering whether today’s regretful mishap in the dining hall might have had... more repercussions than were immediately obvious.”
My fingers dig into my arms. “Of course, Elder. I’m certain keeping a watchful eye on all the trainees is one of your primary concerns.”
“This is nothing like your males’ first tour, you know,” Klarissa says, gazing toward the arena. “Time was, River’s quint was second in power only to the Elders Council itself. The raw power was there even in training. To surrender during a trial? Why, that would have been as unthinkable three centuries ago as finding Coal at the whipping post. Truth be told, I’ve never seen that male terrified before. Fear has a smell, you know. It’s quite difficult to conceal, even with all the stoic bravado.”
I nod and try to think of white dandelions—just in case thoughts have a smell too.
“I don’t wish to detain you,” Klarissa says, smiling so convincingly that a stranger might call it kind. “I simply saw you and thought it appropriate to admit firsthand to you that I was wrong. I confess that I believed the council should have pressed harder to sever you from the quint, but in retrospect, your presence here is one of the most valuable lessons for all of the Citadel. I imagine that after witnessing the destruction of such a powerful quint, none of the others in history will consider repeating the same mistakes. And we have you to thank for it.”
I manage a bow before walking off, the night howling in my ears as I beg the stars not to find Coal in the training yard after all. That Klarissa doesn’t know my quint as well as I do. Except of course she does.
I hear the clank of wood against targets and training posts before I get close enough to see a lone shirtless figure going through a deadly dance. Coal’s blade is an extension of his muscled body, striking with preternatural speed as he battles phantoms, splintering wood and breaking bales of hay. Droplets of sweat and blood fly from him as he turns, the air whistling with the speed of his blade.
Settling on the sideline of the training yard, I pull my legs beneath me and watch, knowing better than to interrupt until Coal himself acknowledges my presence.
He doesn’t. Not for an hour. Or two. Or four. He doesn’t stop moving either, even as waves of sleep wash over me and I find myself dozing off. Each time I open my eyes, I find that nothing has changed but the time of night.
A hand touches my shoulder with the breaking dawn, and I find myself looking into Kora’s concerned blue eyes.
“He’s been here all night,” I whisper.
Kora’s brows rise as Coal chooses that moment to twist about and destroy one of the few remaining training posts with a single hard blow. “Good stars. Did he even feel the lashes?”
I want to laugh bitterly, which shows how tired I am. Is there anyone Coal doesn’t have fooled except for Klarissa and me?
“Let’s see if he’s willing to share,” Kora says, squeezing my shoulder as she rises. She makes a motion to her warriors, and the females all choose practice blades before walking onto the training yard at Kora’s back. The female calls a friendly challenge to Coal, who nods without ever stopping and knocks two of the five females on their backsides before I can draw a breath.
“Human.”
I jump at the sound of the familiar grating voice at my back. I turn slowly, finding Malikai behind a nearby tree. The male motions me over, his orange tunic billowing in the wind, outlining his tightly muscled chest and arms.
