“You’re late for practice again.”
“I got hung up.” Shit. I wondered if she would teach them to read clocks soon.
Ryker was already standing inside a circle, arms crossed, when I got there. I walked toward him, realizing he was a little farther out than normal.
“I lost track of time.” It wasn’t an apology, but it might’ve been a hair closer than my last explanation.
His lips flattened and I saw a twitch in his jaw. This guy wasn’t too good about letting things roll off his back.
Whatever. That was his problem, not mine. I probably wasn’t even that late, not enough for him to get all bent out of shape, anyway. A little late or a lot late, it was obvious we were working on wards today, so I couldn’t be in a bad mood if I wanted to be. It meant a break from his magic poking at mine and doing the weird things it did.
As I stepped closer, the ground got soggier and soggier until I was standing in a couple inches of mud. How had he not noticed how bad this part of the field was? The ground was sucking at my feet as I moved forward.
I was six feet away from him and closing in when I saw him start to chant. There was already a circle around him, so what was that about? I turned, realizing there was another circle I’d already crossed. Was he erecting a ward behind me, essentially trapping me in? I spun and walked away from him, not believing he’d stoop to such pettiness until I hit the invisible wall. He’d donut-ed me in a mud field.
I spun around. “What the hell? I’m here.” Yes, a bit late, but I’d come. It wasn’t as if I’d tried to make a run for it to get out of practice.
“And you’ll stay here until I say we’re done, which is going to be an hour after when we would’ve been done originally.”
An hour? Shit. Was I really that late? It took the air out of the scream I’d been ready to let loose. Maybe that was a bit irritating, but I couldn’t apologize to someone who dangled my life by their pinky. I had my standards.
Now, which ward did I try for? The outer or the inner? The outer might be weaker.
“Do you plan on doing anything today, or just wasting more of my time?”
I glanced over at him and realized why he’d picked the muddiest spot in the damn field. There was a high point in the center with a boulder that looked like it had a built-in back rest. He grabbed some papers out of his pocket and then settled down comfortably.
“I’m wallowing in mud so that you can recline?”
He shrugged. “I was going to ask your opinion on the spot, but you weren’t here.” His eyes were on the papers in front of him, but I knew I had his full attention.
I decided to focus on the outer ward so I could get as far away from him as possible.
“You need to stop ramming. Lay your hands on it and concentrate on feeling it. Feel the magic, how it’s formed. You need to learn it, not beat it up.”
I placed my hands on the ward as he suggested, but it felt like a mass of magic all churning around.
“What am I feeling for?”
“It’s different for each ward. That’s what you need to figure out.”
I stood there feeling the magic churning for a good ten minutes, no further than I had been. Then I rammed myself into it again because it felt better than nothing.
Ryker looked up from his paper. “Do you know how old you are?” He was staring in that way he had, as if he was measuring my worth again.
“Not exactly.” What was with all the questions today? Can you tell time? How old are you? I liked it better when we didn’t speak. I laid my hand on the outer ward before I rammed a shoulder into it.
“What’s your estimate, then?” His tone implied that I had one.
He was right. By my estimate, I was eighteen or nineteen. My birthday was in the spring, but I didn’t know which day. All I remembered were the daffodils blooming on my birthday. It was the last one I had with my mother before everything had changed. The memories had faded so much that I wasn’t sure if I’d recognize her if I saw her today.
“Why? Do you have an age limit on indentured servants? Do you only make slaves out of people under sixteen or something? Because in that case, I’m fifteen.” I switched shoulders; my right already felt bruised.
His silence made me look back at him.
He lifted an eyebrow and tilted his head toward me. “You’re young, but you aren’t fifteen.”
There it was, that same look from the lake, the one that had me convinced he didn’t like men. When he stared at me in that way, there wasn’t any measuring or calculation. It was as if I was seeing the very soul of the man, and it was intoxicating. Then the sizzle of our magic started and I knew what would come next. Why did this keep happening? We didn’t even like each other.
I rammed the ward again, hoping it would stop whatever had been forming, trying to shift my magic away from him.
He dropped his gaze back to the paper, as if he were trying to do the same.
Luckily, it began to subside. It was a few more minutes before he explained himself, as if he didn’t want any interaction until it went away.
“Your magic hasn’t peaked yet,” he said.
If I’d grown up in a country with other Wyrd Blood, I would’ve known what he was talking about. But I hadn’t. I’d lived in the Ruined City, where you didn’t tell anyone what you were. I wrung my hands, realizing that I finally had someone who could give me all of the answers, but I was afraid to ask.
Ryker was strong, but he wasn’t someone I should rely on. He would use me as all the other lords, kings, and queens used Wyrd Blood.
“Do you have any idea what I’m talking about?” His words were coated in mockery as thick as a hive coated in honey.
“Doesn’t matter.” I might want to know, but it didn’t really matter, did it? It wouldn’t change when it peaked, would it? Or anything else, for that matter. I’d do his thing, break his ward, and get my people the hell away from this place before the retribution for our actions rained down chaos and war.
He shook out a piece of paper that appeared to be one of those maps. “Magic doesn’t typically peak until twenty-five. It might grow after that, but at a slower rate.”
“So you’ve peaked.” I knew he was one of the Wyrd Blood that had so much magic it distorted their aging.
He let out a small laugh. “Yes. I’ve peaked.”
I was banging my hand on the outer ward for a good fifteen minutes before he decided to speak again.
“You know after you break Bedlam’s ward—”
“If I break Bedlam’s ward.” I loudly slammed a hand against the ward I couldn’t break.
“Fine, if you break it, more than just Bedlam is going to come for you.” He spoke as if we were discussing the cool spring day as he shuffled some papers.
As if I hadn’t thought of that myself. Once the other countries discovered an emerging threat, they always tried to wipe it out in the early stages, if they couldn’t acquire it for themselves.
“I’ve been living in the Ruined City for years. I’ll manage.” I knew where this was going. Ryker might be a bastard, but I didn’t think he would break his word. Now he was resorting to convincing me why I needed to stay.
“There’s only so much one person can handle.”
“I’m not one person.”
“So you’d force them to leave with you when you know they would have a better life here?”
“For how long? Until the next battle breaks out?” Now I knew why he’d put up two wards. So he could verbally torture me. “I’m trying to work, so if you don’t mind, shut up.” I laid my hands on the ward, feeling its tension and magic. I really needed to get out of here.
“Working would be an excellent idea, since your late start is going to bring us past dinner.”
See? Evil bastard would fucking starve me. I knew this relationship was going to end badly. Good thing I didn’t trust him and kept biscuits in my pockets.
It was only another ten minutes before he said, “Let’s switch
gears.”
The ward dropped. Shit. I knew what that meant. Maybe our magic wouldn’t do that funny thing again? What if it only acted like that once a day and then was normal?
Nope. It was starting again.
He stood, and the magic stopped. “Forget it. We’re done for the day.”
At least he hated the feeling too.
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I shot out of the field.
Chapter 18
I held my plate out, and the girl behind the table dropped a massive steak onto it with a smile, just as bright as it had been yesterday and the day before.
“Why are you smiling at me?” I made sure I pulled my plate back before I asked.
Her smile froze into place, as if I’d spoken in a foreign language.
“I’m an outsider that you’re willingly sharing your food with. You should not be smiling at me. You should be trying to run me out of here.” Someone had to teach these people.
Her eyes shot to the side, as if she were looking to one of her coworkers for help. That guy was too busy smiling at someone else to notice. Her eyes came back to mine, the smile faltering slightly before she said, “But…there’s plenty of food. Why would I run you out?”
I shook my head, my disappointment flowing out as strong as a geyser. Her smile turned into more of a gape. These people were going to need some serious work. I moved along the line, giving her some space to think about what I’d told her—and also because the biscuits were so fresh you could see the steam from the other side of the line.
I piled a few biscuits up, having to drop them on my plate before they burned my fingers with their freshness. Some were to eat with dinner and some were for tomorrow, in case that bastard tried to donut me in again.
I made my way over to where my crew was sitting, and nearly tripped. Why was Burn at our table? Why was Marra smiling at him? Yeah, I might’ve thought he was the least bad person here, but that didn’t make him good.
I plunked down my plate in front of Ruck. Fetch gave me a wave, a chicken leg attached to his hand as he did. I barely got nods out of Marra and Sinsy as they devoted themselves to hanging on every word Burn said.
I leaned toward Ruck. “These people are too nice. It’s a miracle they’re alive.”
Ruck took a spoonful of food so large that his mouth had to strain to open up wide enough to shovel it in. The message was silent but loud.
“I get it: you like it. But they’re going to end up dead, and us with them.” I looked down the opposite end of the table, but no one was paying me any mind as Burn continued his story. I was sure it was something or other about how he and his magic saved the day.
Ruck finally swallowed enough that he could speak. “Yeah, I know, we’re all going to die. I’m kind of enjoying it right now, though, so if you could zip it until after dinner…?”
You’d think he’d be happy someone was warning him of his impending doom. No, they all wanted to join the happy, smiling rainbow crew.
We sat in silence for a couple of bites before he seemed to remember something. “Almost forgot—I offered to go on a recon mission tomorrow.”
“Why did you do that?” Who was I going to sit and talk to after Ryker did his next horrible thing?
He threw up his hand. “Seemed like fun?”
Fun? He was starting to smile, just like them. It was like a disease or something. Although maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. The more time he stayed away from here, the better. He was settling in way too well. They all were.
A wave of magic pushed into the room and I straightened up and pushed my hair from my face, but I wouldn’t look.
“What?” Ruck asked, making me wonder what signal I’d given off to alert him.
“Nothing.”
He looked around the room, not believing me for a second.
“Wow, how far away can you feel him?”
Ryker must’ve walked in. “Too far.” It seemed to vary somewhat, and I wasn’t sure if that was due to me or him, but “too far” was an accurate measurement either way.
Wasn’t going to look. Why would I? We were done for the day. As far as I was concerned, he didn’t exist until tomorrow. I didn’t look at him when he was in line getting food, and I didn’t look at him when he stopped to talk to some blonde, or when another brunette made her way over.
He was in charge of this place. Did he have nothing better to do than laugh with the girls during dinner? And did he need to laugh so loudly? We got it. The blond bimbo he was talking to was funny. The whole room got it.
Not that I cared, or was even paying attention. He ran this looney place. He could waste his time laughing as he led everyone to their death, if that was his choice.
Ruck didn’t have the same qualms about staring. “He gets more ass than a donkey. Understandable. I’d certainly give him mine if he was into it.”
“I don’t know why you would. He’s a complete ass and he looks like a Neanderthal.”
“I know. I can smell the testosterone all the way over here.” Ruck lifted his nose and then did a fake shudder, as if he couldn’t resist.
My back was to Ryker, but I felt his magic heading my way. There was a chair open beside Burn. No, this was too much. I was not eating with him.
“I’ve got to go.” I stood, nearly knocking my chair over as I scrambled out of there.
I didn’t look at Ryker when I got up, or not directly, but for some reason, I thought I felt his eyes on me.
I took my napkin and dumped my entire dinner into it, glad I’d gone light on the gravy, so I could put the dish in the bin. If people noticed my strange behavior—who could even tell with all the damned smiles aimed in my direction?
The roads were clear outside, as most everyone was eating, and I made it to my room in peace. Or I’d hoped for peace, but there was a stack of books and a pile of candles beside where my pelt was. Had they given my room away? I thought no one liked my room but me?
I ducked my head out the door, looking for evidence of the person who might’ve been trying to interlope, but didn’t see anyone. Leaving the door cracked, I walked over to the piles and sat down on my pelt, putting my dinner to the side for a minute. Whoever had left the candles had left some matches along with them.
I lit one up, figuring if they were going to try and steal my room, their candles were fair game.
The top book had a picture of an apple on the cover. I flipped it open and saw the apple again, but with a word underneath it. That must’ve been the word for apple. Learning books? Were they left for me? Who would’ve sent me learning books?
My skin felt like it was about to fry off my face as I thought about Burn catching me outside the class. And he did have some sort of relationship with the teacher.
I flipped through a couple more pages, wondering how rich this place was that they could afford so many books that they could give them away. Smiling idiots. They were doomed. I’d figure out which one left these here and I’d give them back.
I lay down on my pelt and flipped through some more pages. It wasn’t as if I was going to interrupt everyone’s dinner to find the owners. It could wait a little bit, and I might as well flip through them in the meantime.
Chapter 19
I slammed off the ward for the fiftieth time that week. The mud oozed up around my fingers and a glob landed on my nose. That was my life. Wake up, eat, and bounce off Ryker’s wards.
I should’ve been grateful that we were back to doing this and he hadn’t done that weird magic thing in a few days. I had been grateful initially, but that feeling had slowly leaked out of me as the mud had seeped in.
“Is there any reason we have to practice in a mud field?” Practice. That was what Ryker liked to call what he did to me every day.
His eyebrow rose as he stared at me. “Added inspiration?”
It hadn’t gone unnoticed that he didn’t seem to mind looking at me when I was covered in mud but seemed to avoid looking at me any other time. I guessed I wasn’t
as entertaining when I wasn’t a mess. “And maybe a couple of chuckles for you?”
“Can’t fault me for reaping unexpected bonuses.”
“Unexpected” might’ve been pushing it when he picked the muddiest place in the field each time. I bounced off the ward and onto the ground and then decided it didn’t feel so bad down here.
I went to stand and slipped back onto my ass, proving I shouldn’t have gotten back up. “You love to reap those bonuses, too,” I said.
“What bonuses would you be referring to?” he asked from his comfortable perch on the rock lounge.
I narrowed my eyes as I glanced back over my shoulder and walked toward the outer ward. “Manly bonuses.”
He tilted his head back and let out a genuine laugh. I didn’t like when he laughed. He didn’t look like the bastard he was when he laughed. He looked like a man with a healthy sense of humor. Not that humor was the be-all and end-all. The devil probably laughed too, sometimes, while he was frying up his victims.
“The way you mess with all those women is not nice and not funny.” Somebody needed to defend them if they were too stupid to know better than to get mixed up with him.
“Are you keeping tabs on me, Bugs? Are you watching who comes and goes out of my rooms?” He stopped looking at his map and stared straight at me, a smile flirting with his lips.
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. You’d have to be blind to miss the parade in and out of your room.”
I turned my back to him as the warmth built in my cheeks. I might’ve been paying attention to who came and went, but it had nothing to do with liking him. I was gathering intelligence on my enemy, as any sane person would do. Why was I the only one who understood that?
I circled around, the burn on my face replaced by a burn in my chest. Stupid women. After I fixed the smiling problem, I might move on to Ryker’s harem. These girls were blind. “I can’t imagine why they all sleep with you.”
“Really? You can’t?”
“No, I can’t.”
“Sometimes the way you look at me, I think you can.”
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