Refuge (Relentless Book 2)

HUNGER FINALLY FORCED me to come out of hiding. After I cleaned up, I headed for the dining hall, hoping I wouldn’t run into Nikolas there. It was his first day back after a mission, so he and Tristan were probably locked away in Tristan’s office.

My anxiety lessened when I entered the dining hall and saw that Tristan was not at his usual table. I let out the breath I hadn’t known I was holding and went to get a tray.

I’d always had a healthy appetite – to the envy of the other girls at my high school – and now I knew I could thank my Mohiri genes for my high metabolism. Those girls would positively hate me now if they could see the stack of pizza on my plate.

I was on my second slice of pizza when Jordan pulled out a chair across from me and laid down her tray of burgers and fries.

“What do you want?”

She tucked loose strands of blond hair behind her ears and fixed me with an appraising stare. “I think I may have misjudged you, kitten. You could have left the theater last night, but you stayed even though you had no weapons and a good chance of becoming demon chow. That took guts.”

“I don’t run away.” Liar. You’ve been running from Nikolas all day. “And my name is Sara, not kitten.”

“Noted.” She picked up one of her burgers and took a huge bite that would have scandalized every teenage girl I knew back home. She took a few minutes to polish off the burger before she spoke again. “You don’t scare easily, do you? Too bad you can’t fight, because you’ve definitely got a pair.”

“Gee thanks, I guess.”

“No, seriously. Olivia’s a decent fighter but she still jumps at her own shadow, and the guys wouldn’t know what to do if they saw a real monster. But I saw you last night. You jumped right in even after you were hurt, and you taunted those lampreys to draw them off us. That was kinda badass.”

“Or stupid.” I picked up my third slice of pizza. “Anyway you were pretty cool yourself. That was some impressive sword work. I probably would have chopped off my own head.”

Jordan grinned widely, and her whole face lit up. I’d been right in my assessment of her a few days ago. She was beautiful when she wasn’t glaring at everyone. “That was the most fun I’ve had . . . like ever!”

“Too bad you weren’t in Maine with me two months ago. You would have had the time of your life.”

Her hand paused in lifting a fry to her mouth. “You really did all those things you told the others about, didn’t you?” I nodded. “Damn. You really got to see Nikolas in action?”

I waved my slice of pizza. “What is the fascination everyone has with him anyway? So he’s good with a sword. Big deal.”

Jordan looked at me like I was slow-witted. “Nikolas is better than good, Sara. He’s the best. He does whatever he wants, and they let him because he’s so damn good. Plus, no one could stop him anyway. No one says no to Nikolas.”

“So everyone keeps telling me. I hate to burst your bubble, but he’s just a man who walks on the ground like everyone else.” I dropped my uneaten pizza back on my plate and pushed it away. “It’s no wonder he’s so arrogant with the way everyone here worships him.”

“Ha! I dare you to say that to him.”

I gave her a small smile. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

She plucked a slice of pepperoni from my pizza and ate it. “Yeah, well I’ll believe that when I see it. I think – ”

I sensed him a second before I saw Jordan blush and look down at her plate in a rare show of timidity. There was barely time to notice that the dining hall had grown oddly quiet before the chair next to me moved and Nikolas laid his tray on the table. “You don’t mind if I join you, do you?” he asked then sat before either of us replied.

I turned to glare at him, and I was startled to find his gray eyes inches from mine. “You. . . ” I stammered and leaned away from him, causing his mouth to curve into a familiar smirk. “Let me guess, no one else will eat with you.”

He gave me a lazy smile that made my stomach do things it definitely should not be doing. “I seem to remember you being a lot nicer the last time we had dinner together.”

“Like I had a choice,” I retorted, thinking of my last night in New Hastings. “You guys wouldn’t let me out of your sight that night.”

“Actually, I was thinking about the night of the storm when the power went out.”

Images of that night – eating sandwiches by candlelight, sitting by the fire talking – flooded my mind, and the room suddenly felt too warm. I looked away from him. “People change,” was all I could think of to say. I could feel Jordan’s eyes on us as she listened to our exchange, and the last thing I wanted to do was spar with Nikolas in front of an audience. I reached for my tray.

“I hear you’re having some difficulty in training.” His statement stilled my hand. “I thought perhaps you might want to talk about it.”

He knew more about me than anyone here, but he was the last person I wanted to have a heart-to-heart with. “No thank you.”

Nikolas was completely unfazed by my rejection of his offer. He smiled at Jordan. “Jordan, right?” She nodded mutely. “I hear you’re pretty lethal with a blade.”

I watched her blush and turn from a bold, outspoken warrior-to-be into a flustered teenage girl who had finally met her idol. “She is,” I said, not sure why I felt the need to come to her rescue. “You should have seen her last night, taking on those lamprey demons. If it wasn’t for her, we probably would have been demon chow. She – ”

I stopped when I sensed the tension flowing off Nikolas and I remembered how he used to get whenever I was in danger. Well, I was no longer his responsibility, so he was going to have to get over it.

Apprehension filled Jordan’s eyes at his stiffness; she had obviously never witnessed one of Nikolas’s dark moods before. I wanted to tell her “I told you so,” but instead I elbowed Nikolas in the ribs a little harder than was necessary. “Quit scowling before you scare off my new friend.”

His eyes remained narrowed on me for a moment. Then his face relaxed and the tension seeped out of him as he picked up his burger. “I certainly wouldn’t want to do that. At least this one doesn’t shed.”

I started to make a retort when I saw one corner of his mouth lift and I knew he was playing with me. It was a side of him he didn’t show much – to me anyway – and I wasn’t sure how to respond. He bit into his burger, looking pleased with himself.

“Just ignore him,” I said to Jordan, even though I knew how ridiculous it was to expect that of someone who looked at Nikolas with a mix of fear and reverence. “He has to ruin at least one meal for me before he disappears on another one of his missions.”

“You didn’t hear?” he asked and his smug look gave me a sinking feeling in my stomach. “Maybe you would have if you hadn’t disappeared this afternoon.”

“Hear what?”

“I’m not going anywhere for the next month at least.”

“What? Sick of hunting already?”

“No, I just have another job at the moment. I’m your new trainer.”

My first thought was that he was joking to get another rise out of me. But then I saw that he was serious, and I shook my head in denial. “I am not training with you.” Callum suddenly didn’t look so awful anymore. I looked around the room for Tristan, to have him set things straight, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“It was Tristan’s idea,” Nikolas informed me as if he knew who I was looking for. “He thinks it might help you to work with someone you know.”

“Since when do you work with trainees, or follow orders for that matter?” I hoped this was his idea of a joke. “Don’t you have more orphans to rescue?”

“After you, I have a much greater respect for the people who usually handle those jobs,” he drawled. “I agree with Tristan on this. We need to try a different approach with your training.”

“A few days ago, Tristan mentioned a guy in India who he thought might be able to help me.”

“Janak?” Nikolas chuckled, and I wanted to elbow him again. “Janak’s a nice guy, but way too soft for this. One session with you and he’d be on the first plane back to India.”

I folded my arms and glowered at him as he dug into his burger again. If he thought he could just show up out of nowhere, push his way back into my life, and throw insults at me, he obviously did not know me as well as he thought he did. “So, what is your brilliant plan, to harass me until I get so pissed off that I sic my demon on you?”

He took time to finish off his burger before replying, and I knew he did it just to provoke me. What really bugged me was that it was working. I wanted to yell at him and run away from him at the same time, but I refused to let him see how much he was able to get to me.

“If that’s what it takes, but I think something else will work better for you.”

“What?” As much as I wanted to pretend not to care, I couldn’t hide my curiosity.

He stood and picked up his tray. “Get some sleep tonight because training starts tomorrow.” Before I could argue or ask him again what he meant, he walked away. I stared after him until Jordan exhaled sharply, reminding me I was not alone at the table. I turned back to find her watching me with something akin to awe in her expression.

“You are the luckiest female on the planet right now. You know that, don’t you?”

“Really? How do you figure?” I felt decidedly more cursed than lucky and wondered how I was going to get out of this training. Why would Tristan suggest such a thing, knowing how I felt about Nikolas?

“You’re shitting me right? Nikolas Danshov is going to give you private lessons. Look at him. Do you really expect me to believe that you aren’t the least bit attracted to him?”

I shifted uncomfortably. “I never said he wasn’t good looking. It’s just that he can be very intense and bossy and he’s a lot to take sometimes.”

Jordan rested her chin in her palms and let out a gusty sigh. “Yes, please.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew him. Nikolas is like an iceberg.” She raised an eyebrow, and I shook my head. “I don’t mean he’s cold. I mean you only see what’s above the surface. Underneath there is a lot more to him than you realize, and it’s not always pretty.”

Jordan gave me a sly smile. “Well, it sounds like you are going to be spending some serious one-on-one time with him. What I wouldn’t give to be shut up alone in a room with that man.” Her smile widened to a grin. “I can’t wait to see Celine’s face when she hears about this.”

I scowled to hide the heat threatening to fill my face. “I hate to ruin your fantasies, Jordan, but I am not training with Nikolas, privately or otherwise.”

“Not what it looks like to me.” Her eyes gleamed as she reached for my cold pizza. “I told you no one says no to Nikolas.”

“Shut up,” I snapped, but it only made her grin more.

* * *

“I can’t believe you finished the first draft already. I hope you’re not staying up all night working.”

Nate laughed into the phone. He was usually stressed toward the end of a first draft, and hearing him sound so relaxed meant the book was going well. “I’ve discovered I work way too much when I don’t have you around to make me stop.”

I tapped my pencil against the drawing of Hugo and Woolf I’d been working on when he called. “So, it’s been quiet there?” I didn’t need to elaborate because Nate knew what I was asking.

“Very quiet. Brendan dropped by two days ago to visit and told me they think it’s safe here now. But they are still keeping an eye on things.”

“I still hate you being there alone. I wish I knew if the troll ward still worked.” The ward I’d put on our building to protect it was supposed to last as long as it was my home. I still considered the apartment home even though I was here, but I didn’t know if the spell took the meaning literally or figuratively. It wasn’t like we could get someone evil to try to enter the apartment to test it. “You started using the Ptellon nectar though, right?”

There was a short pause. “Not yet. If Brendan thinks it’s safe – ”

“Nate, you promised!”

“I know. I’m just having trouble with the idea of taking something I know nothing about.”

I repressed a sigh of frustration. Nate had accepted the existence of the supernatural world, but he still couldn’t handle it all. Every time we spoke, I asked him about the Ptellon blood I gave him to help keep him safe from demons and other nasty things, and every time he said he would start using it. Even knowing the dangers out there, he would rather not ingest something with magical properties.

“I know what it is. You have to trust me, please. If you only knew what I went through to get that stuff.” I’d never told him about my little adventure at the marina. With everything else going on at the time, I didn’t think he needed to hear about a pack of possessed wharf rats. “It will make me feel a lot better if you take it.”

I heard his chair squeak as he shifted position. “I’ll do it. I just need to talk myself into it.”

“Promise me.”

“I will, I promise. So, what’s been going on with you?”

I opened my mouth to tell him about the demon attack and shut it just as quickly. I couldn’t tell him something like that; it would freak him out. The only reason he was okay with me moving here was he thought it would be safer for me. And it was, just not as much as he believed.

“Hugo and Woolf are doing a lot better, and they don’t growl as much at people. Did you get the picture I sent of them?”

“Yes, and I thought someone was spamming me until I realized you were using a different email address. That picture’s not Photoshopped, is it?”

I chuckled. “Nope.”

He let out a low whistle. “When you told me about them, they didn’t sound real. Who would believe hellhounds really exist? But then, a few months ago, I didn’t think a lot of things were real. Do their eyes always glow like that?”

“Yes, but I think the camera flash makes them look redder than usual.”

“They look terrifying. Are you sure it’s safe to be around them?”

“Absolutely. Trust me; Tristan wouldn’t let me near them if he thought I’d get hurt. He’s almost as bad as Nikolas.” Nate knew all about Tristan being my grandfather, and he’d said he was glad I had family here. If he found the idea of me having a grandfather who looked almost young enough to be his son strange, he didn’t let on.

“Ah, I knew you sounded out of sorts, and I can guess why. No word from Nikolas yet?”

I threw down my pencil and it skidded across the desk. “He’s back.”

“And?” Nate asked slowly.

“And he showed up out of the blue today to tell me he’s going to train me now. Just like that!” I still couldn’t believe Tristan was making me do this. I’d tried to track him down after dinner, but he was suspiciously unavailable. I was contemplating not showing up for training tomorrow, but something told me Nikolas would not let me out of it that easily.

“I know you were upset when he left and you missed him, but he probably had a very good reason for leaving.”

“I did not miss him.” I got up and started pacing. “I just think he could have had the courtesy to say he was leaving. I don’t see him for weeks, and now he’s back and he thinks he can tell me what to do again. I don’t think so. You should see how the others act around him. They talk about him like he’s a god or something. As if he needed to be more full of himself.”

Nate waited until I finished my rant before he spoke. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’m glad you’ll be working with him. You told me yourself that your training is not going well. Maybe Nikolas can help you. If I learned anything about him during the weeks you were gone, it was how dedicated he is and how much he cares for your wellbeing.”

“More likely he wanted to make sure he did his job right,” I said bitterly.

“That’s your anger talking. You don’t really mean that.”

“I don’t know what to think anymore. He left, Nate.”

“And now he’s back.”

I didn’t say anything, and for a long moment there was silence on the line.

“Listen, I have to get back to work. I told my editor I’d let her have the first five chapters this week.” I heard the soft whir of his chair and knew he was headed back to his office. “Don’t be too mad at Nikolas. I’m sure he had a good reason for being away this long.”

“That’s easier said than done.” Dejected, I sank down in my chair again. “I’ll call you in a few days, okay?”

My stomach growled when I hung up, reminding me I hadn’t finished my dinner. I went to my small kitchenette to grab the blueberry muffin I’d stashed there earlier. Pulling off the plastic, I nibbled at the muffin as I walked back to my desk. The cooks here were amazing, but their blueberry muffins had nothing on Nate’s.

Thinking about Nate’s baking made me homesick again. I laid the muffin on my desk and went to my closet to start going through the boxes I hadn’t had the heart to open yet. The box containing my grandmother’s quilts was ripped on one corner, and I pulled them out to make sure they hadn’t been damaged. Nate had collected them from my home in Portland after my dad died, and I treasured them as much as my dad’s books. My favorite was a blue one with a different bird beautifully hand-stitched into each square. I shook out the quilt, thinking it would look great on my bed. In fact, it was time I started to add my own touches to the room and make it feel more like mine.

“What the – ?” Something squished between my bare toes. I looked down at the blueberry muffin I had left on the desk. “How the hell did that get there?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flutter of the bed skirt, and I whipped my head around to see a tiny pale face peering out at me. Imps in a Mohiri home? I almost laughed at the notion of the great demon hunters’ stronghold infested with the thieving little demons that were considered vermin in the supernatural world. This one was a bold little fiend too, showing himself to me like that. It had taken years to form an unlikely truce with the imps in our home back in New Hastings. Was I going to have to lock up my things now to keep them safe from these new imps?

I tossed the quilt on the bed and bent to scrape the squashed muffin off the floor. Rising, I moved to throw it in the wastebasket, but a small chattering from under the bed made me look at the imp that had come farther into the open and was watching my hand intently.

“Are you hungry? Do you want this?” I extended my hand toward him, and I was so shocked when he nodded that I almost dropped the muffin. Imps are not the friendliest of creatures and they usually go out of their way to pretend not to understand people. Suspicion filled me. There was no way an imp would reveal itself to someone, let alone communicate with them.

“I know you, don’t I? You hitched a ride in my boxes from home.” The ripped box made sense now. Sneaky little buggers.

The imp shifted from one foot to the other before he nodded again.

“I know you didn’t decide to go off and explore the world on your own. Where are your buddies?” When he did not move, I said, “If you guys want this muffin, you better come clean with me.” I had no intention of withholding the food from him, but he didn’t know that.

A long moment passed before two more faces appeared around the edge of the bed skirt. I held back a groan. What was I going to do with three stowaway imps? And what would Tristan say if he discovered I’d infested his home with the little demons?

“I hope you guys didn’t come here to get away from Oscar, because if so, I have bad news for you. Nate’s bringing him when he comes for Thanksgiving.” Which reminds me I need to buy a litter box and some cat food. My room was going to get very crowded all too soon.

I broke the flattened muffin into three pieces and laid them on the floor near the bed. Then I backed away so the imps could run out and grab their treats. As they disappeared under the bed again, I wondered if they had made a home under there or somewhere in the walls like they had back home. “Hey, you guys better not go to the bathroom under my bed or I’m going to find some new roommates,” I called after them.

Shaking my head, I pulled my grandmother’s quilt over the bed, and it immediately made the room feel homier and more like a place I would live in. I replaced the expensive rug with my faded blue-and-yellow one and installed my dad’s old stereo on a table in the sitting area along with my stack of CDs. A soft red throw blanket lay across the couch, and a framed drawing I’d done of my dad a long time ago took the place of honor on the mantel. Against one wall I stacked a few drawings and framed photos of Nate, Roland, and Peter to hang when I found some tools. When I finally stood back and looked around my transformed room, I felt at home in it for the first time.

There was one more thing I wanted to do tonight. I reached under my desk and pulled out the bag containing the antique chessboard I’d bought at the jewelry store to replace the one that had been burned.

I hadn’t seen Desmund since the night we played checkers, and I felt a mix of eagerness and trepidation as I approached the library. Had he noticed my reaction when I touched his skin? Was my sudden hurry to leave what made him angry enough to rip apart the book I’d been reading and burn the chessboard? It was impossible to know how much pain he endured or how that affected his mind. It had hurt to see the destroyed book, and I had to remind myself that Desmund was not well and not responsible for his behavior.

When I entered the library, I was happy to see it had been restored to its previous state. The fire burning low in the hearth and the empty brandy glass on the table by Desmund’s chair told me he had been there recently, and it surprised me how disappointed I was that I’d missed him. I told myself that I just wanted to check on him and make sure he was okay, but the truth was that despite his volatile moods, Desmund was interesting and unlike anyone I’d ever met. When he turned on the charm he was almost endearing – in a Mad-Hatter-meets-Mr.-Darcy kind of way.

Even if I did not see him tonight, I could at least leave the chessboard. And hope he doesn’t torch this one, too. I laid it on the table by the window where we’d played and looked around for some paper to leave a note with the board. I found some stationary supplies in a small desk and scrawled a quick message: Looking forward to our rematch. Sara.

I left the room and started back toward the stairs but stopped when I heard music coming from somewhere at the far end of the hallway. The haunting melody called to me, and I found myself walking toward it until I stopped in front of a half-open door with soft light spilling into the hallway. I stood there for several minutes listening to the music before I quietly entered the room to find a man sitting at a grand piano, his long fingers moving deftly over the keys. His back was to the door, but I recognized Desmund immediately. I stood in the doorway as still as a mouse for fear of disturbing him and causing him to stop playing. As moody and reclusive as he was, he might not like an audience, but I couldn’t tear myself away from the achingly beautiful music.

The piece came to an end and Desmund sat bent over the keys, unmoving. I watched him for a moment then moved to quietly slip away.

“Did you like it?”

I turned back to find him watching me with an unreadable expression. “It was beautiful. I’ve never heard anything like it.”

His expression did not change, and I wondered if he was angry at me for intruding on him again. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to bother you.”

“I have not seen you in days.” Something like anger or hurt edged his voice, but I could not be sure which one.

“It’s been kind of crazy lately.” I winced inwardly at my thoughtless choice of words. “I went to the library to see you and I heard the music.”

“You came to see me?” I nodded, and his eyes softened. He patted the piano bench. “Come, sit with me.”

I hesitated for a moment before I walked over to the piano. The thought of sitting in such close proximity to him after my last experience unnerved me, but I had a feeling it would upset him if I refused. He shifted over to make room for me, and when his sleeve brushed harmlessly against my bare arm, I let out the breath I’d been holding.

“What were you playing when I came in?”

Desmund played a few notes, and I noticed that his long hands were perfect for playing piano. “That was Beethoven. I like to play him when the mood strikes me. Would you like to hear another one?”

“Play one of your favorites for me.”

He started to play again, and I was immediately mesmerized by his fingers dancing across the keys and the captivating music that filled the air around us. Before I’d come here, I’d never given a second thought to classical music, but listening to Desmund play made me feel like I had been granted a rare privilege. It amazed me that he could play with such precision and beauty while struggling with the sickness and instability inside him.

My research on Hale witches had turned up nothing to help me understand Desmund’s affliction, and I knew the only way to learn more was first hand. I really did not want to experience that horrible sickness again, but I also couldn’t bear the thought of him suffering it alone. I would have gone mad a long time ago if our roles were reversed, and it spoke volumes about his strength that he was able to function at the level he did.

I wasn’t sure I could handle direct contact so soon after the last time I touched him, so I tried for something passive first. I let my power infuse the air around us, like I did when calming an animal, and pushed it toward Desmund. He never faltered in his playing and looked completely unaffected so I turned it up. Nothing. Well, it was worth a try. I looked down at where our arms touched, separated by his sleeve. Time for a more direct approach.

I let my power flow to the arm touching Desmund’s, but I hesitated before I attempted to push it into him. I had to prepare myself mentally to face what might come. Even if I could not help him, there was still the chance that this would open me up to his illness even more than touching his skin. I remembered the cold, vileness of the Hale witch in my mind and suppressed a shudder. Steeling myself, I sent my power into him. I felt the warmth of his body as I pushed inside, then I felt a heartbeat, and the unmistakable glow of life that every living creature possesses.

My exultation at feeling his life force was quickly drowned by the cold wave of nausea that swept over me and left me silently gasping for breath. God, how does he bear it? I had to force myself to not pull away, to stay and endure the feel of the repulsive magic living inside him. Any uncertainty I had about how Hale witches hurt their victims was swept away and replaced by outrage. Instead of simply striking at someone in battle, they actually left a piece of their magic behind to fester and torment their victims. What made a person’s soul so dark they would inflict endless suffering on another?

Desmund’s arm jerked slightly, and I felt another presence stir inside him. Shit! I pulled my power back until it barely touched him. I had completely forgotten about his Mori. I doubted it would like my power any more than other demons did. The fact that I had my own demon was not lost on me, but I’d have to sort out how that worked later. Right now, I needed to figure out how to reach the witch’s magic without upsetting Desmund’s Mori, and that was easier said than done.

If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad . . .

As soon as the idea formed in my head, I knew it was the right one, even if it freaked me out more than a little. I almost shuddered at the thought of that horrible magic inside me again, but it made sense to try to pull it into me where I could fight it with my power. If it was even possible to draw it out of Desmund. I had no idea how the magic would behave if it had access to another host, and confronting it wouldn’t be the same as battling a Hale witch because there was no sentient presence to fight against. This magic had lived inside Desmund for a very long time, saturating every cell like a cancer. I wasn’t foolish enough to believe I could eradicate it as easily as I’d defeated the Hale witch, but maybe I could weaken it a little and ease some of Desmund’s suffering. There’s only one way to find out.

I tried to steel myself for what was to come, but I knew it would not be enough. Even though I had told Tristan I wasn’t afraid of Hale witches, I still abhorred their magic, and I already felt unclean just being near it. I pushed my power toward Desmund just enough to touch the swirling coldness inside him, and instead of putting up a barrier to protect me, I opened myself to the magic, calling it to me. It did not take long for the dark magic to begin moving toward a new potential host. I had to force myself not to jerk away and to clamp my lips together so I did not cry out when it trickled from Desmund into me like a cold slimy sludge. My heart sped up and sweat broke out on my upper lip as the magic invaded my body. It took every ounce of my strength to keep my power back except for the small tendril that lured the foul magic into me. Nausea twisted my stomach until I knew I was going to throw up if I endured it for one second longer.

My body trembled as I closed the connection between me and Desmund and pulled back until an inch separated us. I fought the urge to retch and opened my power, letting it sweep through me like a cleansing fire. There was no scream like the time I fought the witch, and the magic didn’t even fight as my power burned it away to nothing. My power receded leaving me only slightly nauseous, which all things considered, was a vast improvement over how I felt a moment ago.

Desmund finished the piece with a flourish and smiled at me. I had not been able to take all the magic from him, but it had to have helped him a little. Was I imagining it, or did he look more relaxed than he had when I arrived?

“That was pretty,” I said, searching his handsome face for any changes. He did look a little happier, but that could just be the joy he got from his music.

“Pretty? You don’t call Schubert pretty.” He sighed in mock aggravation. “I see I have my work cut out with you, little one.”

His playful words made hope spark inside me. The Desmund from a few days ago would have scowled at me and even showed disdain over my ignorance. Was it possible that I really had lessened his pain?

“You keep playing like that and you will spoil me for other music.” I touched the cool keys, still amazed that he could draw such incredible notes from them.

“Would you like to learn to play? I can teach you.”

I laughed, touched by his offer. “God, no. I tried to play the flute back in elementary school before I discovered I’m tone deaf. I’d much rather spend the time listening to you play.”

“As you wish.” His eyes sparkled with pleasure, and he began to play another piece. We spent the next hour like that, with him playing and me listening. There was no need for conversation, and an easy companionship grew between us. For a while I was able to forget my homesickness and my dread of tomorrow.

It took me a few minutes to realize I felt only slightly tired from my healing. Considering the amount of power I had used, I should have felt more drained than I did. It confirmed my suspicions that my elemental power was growing as Aine said it would. I didn’t know what that meant for me, but if it gave me more healing power, then it couldn’t be a bad thing.

“It is late, you should be in bed,” Desmund said, interrupting my thoughts. “Tristan will not be pleased with me if I keep you up all night and you fall asleep in training tomorrow.”

I made a face. “Don’t remind me.”

“You don’t like training?”

“Do the words ‘I suck at it’ mean anything to you? And now Tristan has decided to torture me by making me train with Nikolas.”

Desmund smiled. “Ah, Nikolas.”

“Do you know him?”

He chuckled. “Nikolas and I go way back.” His tone told me the two of them were not exactly friends. “Most women would be happy to spend time with him.”

“Not me. He’s always trying to tell me what to do, and I swear he does things just to bug me.” I tapped one of the keys and an angry note resonated. “He acts like I’m totally helpless, and he gets all uptight if there is the slightest hint of danger. Okay, maybe he had reason to worry a month ago, but not since I came here.”

“Nikolas always did take this vocation very seriously.”

“I’d say. He got so mad one time when I got hurt by a crocotta that he went into some kind of rage. At least that’s what Chris called it.”

Desmund’s eye widened. “A rage? Is that so?”

“Yes,” I said with a moan. “How am I supposed to train with someone like that?”

He was quiet for a long moment, and his next words surprised me. “I think you just have to trust that Tristan knows what he is doing.”

“How can you say that? Tristan knows how I feel about Nikolas, and I bet he knows what Nikolas thinks of me, too.”

“I’m sure he does.” He stood and held his arm out like a gentleman. I took his arm, and he led me to the top of the stairs. “As much as I enjoy your delightful company, you need to get your rest for tomorrow.”

“You know, this is so not what I signed up for.”

Desmund laughed softly. “If I know my old friend Nikolas, you are not what he was expecting either.”

“Gosh, thanks for the pep talk, Desmund.”

His eyes flashed with amusement as he turned away. “Anytime, little one.”