Page 411 of Bitten By the Fae
“Defensive magic,” he drawled, glancing at me. “Just the upgraded variety.”
I narrowed my gaze. “Are you trying to piss me off?”
“I don’t think I have to try, Zephyrus,” he replied. “You’re in a constant state ofpissed offaround me.”
“Hmm, I wonder why that is?” I pretended to think about it. “Maybe because you don’t know how to be a team member and fucking communicate.”
“No, I’m rather certain it’s because I won’t get on my knees and suck your cock like all the others,” he returned. “I’m not one of your students or your lover. I’m yourbetter. Yet you attempt to dictate to me like I’m one of your pupils, when in reality, I’ve been playing with your spells since I was five years old. So if anyone is going to kneel for anyone, it’ll be you on your knees for me.”
“Okay, maybe?—”
“That’s never going to fucking happen,” I snapped, cutting off whatever Shade was about to say. Because fuck this. “Those spells I’m teaching Aflora are ones I learned as a boy, too. But she’s a new Midnight Fae. I can’t just throw advanced enchantments at her and expect her to learn.”
“And yet that’s exactly what Constantine is going to do,” he countered. “We can’t baby her. We can’t go easy on her. We have to go hard. Because the dark source sure as fuck isn’tgoing to treat her like a child with training wheels.” He stepped up into my space, his silver-blue irises swirling with power. “I’m ensuring she survives. What the fuck are you achieving by coddling her?” He lifted an eyebrow, daring me to argue.
But I didn’t know what to say.
Because the bastard was fucking right.
I focused so much on protecting her—because my natural instinct was toguard—that I’d forgotten how to truly prepare her. How toteachher.
I took a step back, needing my space from him… from them all… tothink, to process what to do next.
“Zeph,” Aflora murmured, moving toward me.
“No, Aflora.” I looked at her, a shield of magic immediately encasing me, my desire not to be touched clear, and perhaps not fair to her, but necessary nonetheless. “He’s right. The bastard is fucking right.” And I hated admitting that. Hated him for pointing it out. Hated him forexisting.
I shook my head. “I just… I need a minute.” I backed away, heading toward the room’s exit.
I needed to rethink everything.
To create a new plan.
Three weeks wasted.
Three weeks of elementary training.
Preparing for a war that would destroy my mate ifIdidn’t properly prepare her. No, we. Ifwedidn’t properly prepare her.
This was why Zakkai had created the original training plan; he’d known we would have to be harsh on her. But I’d pushed back.
We couldn’t hold back anymore.
We had to drive her harder. Test her limits. All but destroy her.
Because Constantine would certainly try.
Now I just needed to decide if I was strong enough to do this—strong enough… to hurt my mate.
I foldedmy arms and fought the urge to wince as Aflora fell to the floor on a gasp.
“Again,” Zeph demanded.
He’d escalated Aflora’s training to a whole new level after Zakkai’s pep talk the other day. No more coaching. No more words of praise. Just harsh spells and commands to keep going.
Aflora didn’t complain.
She merely stood back up and started over.
