“What kind of training?” The enthusiasm in her voice was contagious, making us all grin.
“You’re going to be seeing some very powerful shifters. I don’t have enough time to teach you human self-defense, and honestly, when faced with the kinds of creatures we’re talking about, it really wouldn’t do you any good. I can teach you the bare minimum of how to use your fire power though. Enough to give you some sense of protection.”
She considered me for a moment and then grinned, hopping up to wrap her arms tightly around my waist. “Thank you, Bugs! I would have just been sitting around worrying all day. I've been wanting to let my power loose. This is going to be great!” She nearly squealed. I pulled her in tight, savoring just having her in my arms again. My Puca was content, settled for the first time all day.
I left her to my brothers, intent on getting what we needed. There wouldn’t be much. We all had call bags packed. I’d let Nix pack her own since I doubted she would appreciate me rifling through her belongings. I ducked into each room, grabbing the ready bags we all kept in our closets. I figured that while the Council was grilling Nix, their staff would want information on what we had been up to. I grabbed Theo’s progress report on his database and quickly printed off our current progress reports for our classes. I was so grateful to be in an era where everything I could need, even in the middle of nowhere, was at my fingertips. I shrugged out of my jeans and debated whether or not to leave on my sweatshirt for the training session I was going to run Nix through. With a wicked grin, I pulled a pair of black sweatpants and a black tank top out of my drawer. I would be cold, but both my Puca and I loved the way she stared at the muscles in our arms and chest when we flexed. It would be worth every minute of being cold to see the heat in her gaze.
I headed back downstairs to the sound of her and Ryder laughing together. I thought my Puca was trouble, but those two were going to need a babysitter. At this rate, Ryder was going to end up helping her fly off a mountaintop just because she batted her eyelashes and pouted her lips at him. “Ready for this?” I asked, making sure to lean back against the door frame. I knew that if I leaned just right, this tank clung and would show every muscle in my abdomen, chest, and arms. Nix glanced over, froze, and did a double take. Even from here I could her swallow as she struggled to pull her eyes up to my face.
You did that on purpose. Damien’s mental voice was full of laughter. I was glad we were over our tiff from earlier. You’re going to freeze your ass off out there.
The look on her face was completely worth it. I shot back.
With a wicked grin, Damien sent me an image I assumed was running through Nix’s head.
With a grin, I held out my hand, “Come on, Annie girl. We’ve got some work to do.”
Seventeen
Nix
“Try again.” Kill’s voice was somewhere between gentle and hard. I wasn’t sure how to describe it, but this was the one-millionth time he had corrected me and told me to start over, and I was getting frustrated. Not so much at him, but my lack of control over my power. How the hell was I supposed to protect myself when there was every likelihood that I’d kill myself or someone innocent in the process?
The fire warmed my fingertips as I closed my eyes and focused on the feeling of heat crawling through my veins. I could literally feel the energy coursing down my arms, ready to explode from my hands. I cracked my eyes open to look. My hands were glowing a molten red. It was fascinating and scary all at the same time. My hands were weapons, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
“You need to focus. If you don’t block out the mental saga you’ve got going on, you’re never going to be able to hit the target. You’ll throw wide and singe the damn forest.” There was no menace in his voice or frustration, but his statement was spoken with a confidence that made me believe every word he spoke was the truth.
Taking a deep breath, I exhaled, clearing my mind. I set my sights on the target ahead and tried to control the rapid pace of the fire that burned in my fingers. Fisting one hand, I hoped it would be enough to contain the blaze within as I raised the other, prepared to let the fire energy fly. I aimed, narrowed my eyes on the bullseye, and let the power burst forth.
A blaze of red and orange was all I could see before the target was engulfed in flames. And the grass around the target. And the small tree five feet to the side.
“Fuck.” I dropped my hands, rolling my shoulders in an attempt to loosen the knotted muscles within. Throwing my head to the sides, I swung my arms and tried to limber up, knowing that Killian was going to demand I try again. And again. And again.
Kill jogged to the other end of the clearing, extinguishing the target, grass, and tree in a cloud of white and exchanging the charred target out for a fresh one before he returned to my side.
This hadn’t been exactly what I’d had in mind when I came outside for training. Weren’t training sessions always sexy time for guys and girls to get close while she learned to kick some ass? Could I change my mind and convince him to help me with human self-defense instead? I grinned at myself as I pictured tackling Killian to the ground. Now that would be fun.
“It won’t help you to fight off a dangerous shifter, though.” Damien stepped onto their back porch, watching us practice on the safe side of the barrier. I could only catch sight of the spelled wall if I focused hard enough, and even then it looked like a slight waver in the air. I knew a regular human would never notice it. The Gargoyle was right. I needed to master this, and deep down I wanted to. It was just discouraging to fail time after time.
“What’s she thinking about?” Killian took a swig of water from the plastic bottle in his hand, and I watched his adam’s apple work. Wiping a hand across the back of his mouth when he was finished, he cocked his head at me as Damien filled him in.
His eyes squinted mischievously as a joyful look appeared on his face. He was so cute when he smiled. “Well, Annie girl, that can be arranged.” He sauntered in my direction, and I placed my hands on my hips, readying myself for his playful attack. He didn’t tackle me as I’d anticipated, but he did toss the bottle in his hands onto the grass. “If it’s my nearness you want, my hands on your body, all you have to do…” he trailed off as he stepped up close, sliding behind me as he placed his hands on my hips. Slowly, I felt him angling my body before he leaned forward, letting the scruff on his face lightly scratch my skin as he whispered in my ear, “… is hit that target.”
“I can hit it.” Hell, hitting it wasn’t the problem.
He chuckled, “Only the target, Annie girl.”
I sighed. Bloody hell—I tried the phrase on for size. It felt right. He might as well have asked for the damn moon.
“Focus.” His voice was still soft as he caressed his hands down my arms, bending to accommodate for the height difference. The bare skin of his arms made me wish I didn't have my black cotton jacket between us. The fresh, magical scent of him surrounded me, and I was comfortable, free of triggers or flashbacks. I leaned into his embrace as he lifted my arms and flipped my hands over so I was staring at my palms.