“Oh? Are you also having difficulty sleeping?” I asked him with false innocence.
His green eyes narrowed. “Stop flirting with me and get to work.”
“I’m not flirting with you.”
“You are,” he insisted, taking a step closer to crowd my personal space. His lips went to my ear as he whispered, “And if you continue down this path, I will punish you later.”
I shivered, my damn body thrilled by the notion.
Why was it so damn hard to control my reactions to these males? I hated them. Well, not really. Maybe. I wasn’t sure. I wanted to hate them, but they’d been wearing down my defenses over the last week with their soft touches and—
Zeph grabbed my ponytail and tugged it sharply to expose my neck. “Are you purposely being disobedient?”
&nb
sp; I considered that. “Well, no. But sparring is still new to me. Elemental Fae don’t really fight unless it’s in the Powerless Champion arena.”
“Maybe ask her to go pick some flowers instead, Zeph,” Emelyn suggested. “She’s not really cut out for athletics.”
I frowned. “Fighting is only one form of physical activity.”
“Yeah, and it’s a crucial one that you’re terrible at,” she spat back. “Just like everything else in this realm. When are you going home?”
“Enough,” Zeph cut in, shooting her a bored expression. “Go back to your assignment. I’ll deal with this.”
Emelyn heaved a dramatic sigh. “She’s like a full-time job, constantly requiring a babysitter to hold her hand through even the simplest of tasks.”
I bristled at her condescending tone. “I’d like to see you try to perform with a collar around your neck.” I pointed to the thin leather choker sitting against my throat. It probably had Shade’s lip prints all over it from his date with my pulse a few minutes ago, but I didn’t care. “Maybe I should take it off and let you wear it for a day,” I suggested.
She laughed, the sound lacking proper humor. “I don’t need a leash, because I already know how to control my powers. But the same can’t be said about abominations.”
“Emelyn!” Zeph barked, his tone harsh.
“Oh, did I accidentally admit out loud what we’re all really thinking about her?” She pressed a hand to her heart and gave me a mock-apologetic look. “My bad.”
My teeth ground together, mostly because I didn’t know how to reply. Since everything she said was true.
I was an abomination.
A powerful one.
And I didn’t know how to control my abilities. Not completely, anyway.
My heart squeezed at the knowledge, a part of me feeling helpless all over again. But I couldn’t let her beat me.
I’m stronger than this.
I can learn.
I don’t want to hurt people.
I have anchors to ground me.
I—
A ripple of energy danced over my skin, causing the hairs along my neck to rise. I frowned down at my arms, noting the static electricity humming across my being. It wasn’t visible, but I felt it. The warmth familiar in a strange way, reminding me of my own magic.
Yet it wasn’t coming from me.