“This is strange, don’t you think?”I answer instead.
His laugh is a caress against my mind and sends a thrill through me.“Yes, and no. While I’ve never had a conversation like this, it doesn’t feel strange; it feels right,”
I can’t imagine what our faces must look like, and I don’t dare glance up at him.
“Your face is as lovely as ever. And no, I don’t believe anyone knows we are talking right now.”
It takes all my willpower not to look up.“This will take some getting used to. Can you see everything in my head?”
Not that I have anything to hide, but everyone needs a bit of privacy.
“No, just things you are directly thinking. Can you see anything else from me?”
I focus, but I’m only getting that he’s thinking about my ass.“Well, you are crude.”
“It’s a marvelous ass. How could I not be thinking of it constantly?”
My cheeks heat at the image he sends, and I hide my smile as I finally look up. Niethal is ignoring me, thinking me cowed by his threats. Let him believe that.
“How can I stop this?”I ask as I peer at my hands resting in my lap, trying to keep my face expressionless.
“We’ll figure this out, I promise. I’ll keep your parents safe as well.”
He sounds so confident that my magic cools and recedes.
“Thank you for helping me.”Even though thanks are improper, I would not mind being indebted to him.“I suppose we should pay attention, or I may miss some other plan Niethal has for my blood.”
I say it flippantly, but Isiah’s words take on a challenging tone.“Yes, I’ll deal with him before this is over.”
With that, the coolness retreats, and I’m alone inside my mind again.
I glance up at Isiah and, this time, find him looking at me.
While Isiah and I talked, the kings kept chattering about their family relics and Anaeris, about what else may lie inside the vault. But it appears Niethal intends to keep everyone in suspense because he rises from his seat and says, “That’s enough discussion for now. I have other business to attend to this afternoon, but I invite you to rejoin us in the dining hall at six. Until then, feel free to wander the castle and grounds at your leisure. Grace?”He holds out his hand for me, and I pause.
My mind is a mess of emotions that bounce between the newfound ability Isiah and I have to speak silently and the male before me, holding out his hand.
I should hate Niethal for threatening my parents. I should cringe at his touch. But some idiotic part of me holds on to the feeling of when I first arrived in Selen. To the male I walked the streets of Grager with, who defended me against the harsh remarks of the crowd. The male whose words made me feel like there was a chance for us. As hard as I try to reconcile my memories of then with the actions of now, it blurs together.
With a sigh, I take his hand.
I’ll sort through my feelings. Though my brain knows how I should feel, my heart won’t let go of the idea of who he was.
I say my farewells to the kings and brush Isiah’s mind, saying goodbye. The coolness of his caress in return causes a shiver to snake along my spine. Niethal glances at me and furrows his brow but says nothing.
We leave Isiah and the others behind and walk through a part of the castle I’ve never been to. After descending a short staircase, we turn right into a large open space where the walls and floor are gray stone. A row of floor-to-ceiling windows let in the bright afternoon sun, glinting off the weapons along the back wall—knives, swords, spears, bows, and arrows. Shields and helmets. Niethal gestures to the open mats in the middle of the room. “This is where you will practice your magic. I wouldn’t want you burning down your room.”
As Niethal grins, pleased with himself, Reagan enters with a male I’ve never met. “Ah, yes, there you both are. Reagan and Ellis here will oversee your training. You need to be able to call your magic and wield it expertly. It will be good for you to know how to use it, even beyond helping me.” He looks at me, mouth opened as if to say more, but then closes it tightly and turns to face the two males. “Make sure she is unharmed during training. I need her in one piece for what is coming.”
I sneer at him, but he doesn’t turn back around. Reagan and Ellis bow deeply, and Niethal leaves.
Reagan scans me from head to toe. “I would have said to wear something more conducive to training, but we’ll work with it today.”
When I gaze at my dress, I cringe.
Reagan brushes past me and says, “Let’s begin.”
CHAPTER 16