“You told me how to do it.”
He shook his head slowly. “No one learns it right away. Maybe F.U. learned it, but...there aren’t many lumen crystals on Earth.”
“I want to keep practicing.”
He drew a deep breath. “Fine. But not here. Come with me to the atrium.”
“Why not here?”
“Because one misstep, and you will plunge into the abyss.”
“Good point.”
She plucked her cloak off the floor, but with the night magic rushing through her veins, she hardly needed it. Now she understood why a demon like Bael felt invulnerable to the cold.
She followed behind him over the narrow bridge—so like her visions of the void. But she no longer felt a strong desire to throw herself in.
As the got to the other side of the bridge, she walked by Bael’s side, her arm brushing against his. Every time she thought of his magic skimming up her thigh, a dangerous heat burned through her body. But what did that even mean?
She’d become dangerously aroused, and then he’d jerked away, like he was on fire. Had he realized—was he disgusted by it? The very thought of his revulsion made her want to curl up in the void and never come out again.
You mean nothing to me, he’d said. Ursula had always been of the opinion that you should take someone at their word. Occam’s razor and all that. Plus, it was impossible to guess what another person was thinking, so all you had to rely on was their words.
She stole a quick look at Bael, who faced straight ahead. He probably wasn’t thinking about the feel of his hand on her thigh. And neither should she, considering they were both facing death in a few days. Get it together, Ursula.
The Black Death was parading through the city streets, and there she was, dreaming about shagging.
The tunnel opened up in the atrium, and Bael stopped, eyeing her. “I don’t know how, but you’ve already worked out how to move. You concentrate on where you want to go and your body moves there. But you must use this power sparingly. If you shadow run, you use up your magical reserves. During the duel, you won’t have a way to recharge. You must be judicious.”
“I understand.”
He pointed to a spot on the mosaic floor. “Can you shadow run from where you are now to the lion’s mane?
Ursula concentrated, feeling the shadow magic ripple through her body, rushing over her skin like a night wind. In a blur of black, she reappeared on the mane. The shattered tile bit into her bare feet.
She folded her arms. “Easy peasy.”
“Don’t get cocky.” He pointed to a place behind him, close to the wall. “Now try here.”
Ursula stared at the spot, in the half of the room where the mosaic tile lay intact. She breathed in, letting the shadow magic wash through her body. As she flitted through the air, Bael reached out, letting his fingers brush over her arm.
She leaned against the wall, catching her breath. “I felt you touch me.” She could still feel the warmth of his fingers on her forearm.
“Yes. I wanted you to know that just because you’re shadow walking doesn’t mean you’re invulnerable. Someone with a blade could still do damage if you’re in the wrong place.”
“Noted.”
“One more task.” He pointed at the door of her apartment. “Shadow run to your door.”
“That’s it?”
Bael nodded.
Fatigue began to burn through her body, but Ursula channeled the shadow magic once more. It rippled through her chest, energizing her body. She concentrated on the sleek black door to her quarters. But when she tried to flicker to the spot, she found herself ten feet short of her destination.
Confused, she turned to Bael. “What happened?”
He stepped over the shattered tile. “Another important part of our lesson. You can only shadow run for a limited distance. About ten yards.” He studied her. “How do you feel?”
Her entire body ached as though she’d run a marathon. Her hips and thighs screamed with exhaustion. “Completely knackered.”
“Good. That’s the final caveat—shadow magic is fatiguing. If you use it too much, you’ll be too tired to fight.”
She wiped a hand across her brow. “I need a nap.”
“I will have some lumen crystals brought into the atrium. If you hold them close, you should be able to absorb their shadow magic, just like you did on the onyx throne. You can practice shadow running.”
“I take it you don’t want me to use the throne.”
“Perhaps we should keep our distance until the duel.” Shadows seemed to gather around him, and he wouldn’t meet her eyes. She had an overwhelming sense that he was hiding something from her.
“Of course,” she said.
He turned, disappearing into his hall.
Ursula swallowed. A wisp of the hollow void flickered in her chest.
Chapter 38