Midnight Magic, page 160
I fall asleep on Kiernan’s bed—fully dressed—and there’s still no sign of him when Darcy shows up at our door.
“You train every morning at dawn,” she states coldly as she leads me into the dark forest. I can tell she hates me and am relieved when we’re joined by other recruits.
We reach the main coven building and she directs us all to take our seats at the long tables inside. A few spellcasters show up and demonstrate how to change fabric color with magic, and we’re given plain white outfits and told to have fun.
It takes me a few minutes to get the hang of it, but when magic—actual magic—starts to flow out of my fingertips, a warmth swells in my chest.
I am a witch. I really am a witch.
My stomach growls a few times, but I’m so used to being starved at my pack that I easily ignore it so I can keep working. When Leia and Bay drop by, I forget about food and relax with my new friends.
The morning flies by. When Kiernan arrives, my clothes are beautifully rainbow-colored, and I’m filled with hope I’d sworn so many times I wouldn’t feel again.
“I want to show you something,” Kiernan says, taking my hand in his. “Leave this. Darcy will bring it for you later.”
It earns us quite a bit of attention from the recruits in the room, but Darcy nods. Did Kiernan tell her we’re fated mates? Or does he hit on all the recruits, like Alpha Reiker does, so she knows not to interfere?
A wave of jealousy slams into me as I follow Kiernan across the forest. But I need to trust him. It’s the only way I’ll be able to let go of the past.
I’m almost desperate with the urge to forget it all. The pack I grew up with, everything my former Alpha put me through, all the suffering and pain. I want a fresh start. I want to pretend that the moment I stepped out of the Selection, I was reborn. A new Breene, ready for a fresh start.
I hear the river before I see it. There’s a large blanket waiting for us on the bank, along with wooden plates filled with food. There’s sliced fruit, mushroom, bread and cheese, along with wooden cups and a large flask that I’m sure is filled with the delicious witch’s brew I can’t get enough of.
I glance at Kiernan with new eyes. Suddenly, I don’t see the powerful man who leads an entire coven of witches and has werewolf blood on his hands. I see my fated mate, who planned something nice for me. A gift of food.
My stomach growls, and Kiernan chuckles. “Hungry?”
“Starving,” I tell him, and rush to where the blanket is laid out.
A distant memory in the recess of my brain reminds me that I should wait for him to join me. When my mother was alive, we would always share. But after she died, I learned that the slow don’t eat. The ones who don’t fight for every morsel, starve. And this isn’t a grand buffet like last night.
I eat strategically. Bread and cheese first, since they’re the most filling, and then fruit, starting with the sliced bananas. I know from experience what will tide me over longest, and I’ve learned that sometimes I can only grab one thing before the rest of the food is gone.
I’m demolishing the last of the mushrooms when I finally feel full enough to slow down. And that’s when I look up and find Kiernan staring at me.
I pause, the last mushroom inches from my lips.
“Don’t stop on my account.” Kiernan chuckles.
Since I’m mostly full, I hesitate. “You’re not hungry?”
“Clearly not as much as you are.” He shakes his head. “Did you skip breakfast?”
I stare blankly at him.
“You did, didn’t you? Tomorrow morning, be sure to eat before training.”
“Was there food in the cabin?” I ask.
“Breakfast is served in the dining hall each morning. Didn’t Darcy take you? She said she’d come get you.”
“She must have forgotten.”
“We’ll go together tomorrow.” Kiernan stares at me quizzically. “If you’re ever hungry, you can stop by the dining hall to grab something. There’s always extra food in the kitchen.”
“Always?” I breathe.
I can’t imagine having an endless supply of food. What’s it like not having to fight over every bite? What’s it like not to feel constant, gnawing cramps in one’s belly? I’d never hoped for something like this, because I never imagined it could be real.
“Of course, there’s always food. Wasn’t it like that with…” he trails off.
He can’t even mention the “wolves” out loud, and I suddenly don’t want him to. I want to forget the past. I want to believe that my life will be filled with endless food and magic and a mate who brings me on picnics and lets me eat everything without batting an eye.
“You should have the rest,” I tell him, holding out the remaining fruit.
Kiernan shakes his head. “Breene… did you not have enough food before you came here?”
I shake my head. “Thank you for this. Not just the food… this place.”
“It’s beautiful here, isn’t it?” Kiernan asks.
I nod, even though I hadn’t noticed. I’d been too focused on how wonderfully he’d been treating me. I could picture us doing this again. Coming out here. Maybe one day, with children. After all, fated mates have children. Not that Alpha Reiker’s mate ever did, but there were rumors of miscarriages.
Once again, I force myself to forget. Force myself to let go of the past and be present in the moment. I want this. The beautiful river with clear blue water, the sun shining overhead, grass as green as the color I’d added to my new clothes with magic.
“This has always been my favorite spot,” Kiernan says. “I used to come here with Kiera…” I feel a wave of jealousy, and I think he picks up on it, because he adds, “my sister.”
“You have a sister?” I ask in surprise. “Did she go through Selection?”
“Yes. She’s a warrior mage. I’ll introduce you tomorrow at training.” Kiernan smiles. “Do you have any siblings?”
I shake my head. “Is it just you and your sister?” I ask, not wanting to think about my childhood.
Kiernan nods. “I never knew my parents. They died when I was a baby. Kiera was sixteen at the time, so she raised me. I was lucky she remained a witch after Selection. What about you?”
“My mom died when I was eight. Turf war with a neighboring pack. I never knew my dad.”
“Who took you in after she passed?” Kiernan asks.
“Alpha…” I swallow as I struggle to say his name out loud, afraid that I might somehow summon him, even though it isn’t possible. “Reiker.”
Kiernan’s jaw hardens. I stare down at my hands. “Many of us lost our parents that day. He took us in.”
“Did you like living there?” Kiernan frowns.
I shake my head as all the food I just ate threatens to come up. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to have to explain that Alpha Reiker didn’t take care of us kids. He starved us. He beat us. He cut us up with his knives. He tortured us, day after day.
When his mate joined our pack, she tried to keep us safe. But there was only so much she could do.
“What was it like, growing up?” Kiernan presses.
I don’t answer. I stare out at the river, trying to keep the awful memories at bay. Trying to remind myself that I’ve left the past behind. That this could be my chance to start over.
CHAPTER 10
Kiernan
New recruits stand in an open meadow, learning magic from one of the strongest mages I have ever known—my sister. Breene bounces on her toes in the back, nervously chewing on the inside of her cheek as she practices the hand movements incorrectly.
I curl my lips into a soft smile at how fucking adorable she looks. When she glances over at me with those wide eyes, I look away because I don’t know if I’d be able to trust her. Fuck, I want to so badly, but she hasn’t let me get too close.
Last week, I even set out a nice date for us in the hopes that she’d open up to me a bit more—especially after learning about how she was raised by the alpha of the Steelpaw Pack. But I haven’t been able to get closer to her.
At all.
After shyly looking back at my sister, Breene desperately tries to start a fire in the palm of her hand. Leia and Bay stand at the side of the meadow, encouraging her when they see a spark on her palm. They won’t be able to perform magic until after their Selection Ceremony, but all teenagers start learning the spells and hand gestures when they turn thirteen. And Leia and Bay are the most motivated of the bunch, so I fully expect them to be powerful warrior mages one day.
Breene tries once more. And when nothing more than a spark ignites from her palm, she slumps her shoulders forward and blows out a frustrated breath. I lean against the nearest tree and cross my arms, glancing at Kiera, who walks my way.
If Breene really is a spy like Darcy continues to suggest, I don’t want her sleeping in the same house as me because I have all the coven’s sensitive information inside my office, but I can’t help keeping her close.
“If you’re here for Breene,” Kiera starts, glancing over her shoulder and grimacing, “then I think Darcy might be right. There is something off about her that I can’t quite put my finger on. Nice girl and everything, but… gah, I don’t know. She can barely do magic.”
Hating the fact that my sister even thinks this of her, I grit my teeth. “But she can do some magic, right?” I ask. Has she not seen the spark of fire in her palm, the first sign of magic, of power within someone? And what about the colorful shirt she created last week?
A wolf spy wouldn’t be able to do that, right?
“She can,” my sister says with a long sigh. “But new recruits tend to catch on quickly. It’s already been a week, and she can only light a small spark and dye a shirt. One of our new recruits is already shooting fireballs at targets and actually hitting them. You should meet her. She’s…”
When she starts talking about someone other than Breene, my focus drifts away. It shouldn’t, because I am still the leader of this coven and need to know all the ins and outs as well as everyone’s highest abilities, but Breene has carved herself a place to live inside my head, and I don’t want to kick her out.
During this past week, she has grown into her magic—the little she has at the moment—and into her friendships with some of my coven members—primarily Leia and Bay. I cross my arms and watch her intensely, searching for any slip up or any abnormality, something that would confirm that this is all a lie.
“All right!” Kiera says to the new recruits. “Rest up, eat herbs from our garden to replenish your magic mana, and drink plenty of water. We have another training session tonight at dusk.”
The new recruits walk with each other back to the main coven building for lunch, but Breene drifts behind them. She wipes some sweat from her forehead, grabs her stuff from the sideline, and smiles at Leia and Bay.
It is usual for new recruits to hang out with the younger teens. They usually stick with their Selection class. But I’m not going to let that get the best of me either. I can’t nit-pick little things like this.
“That was so amazing!” Bay says, grinning at her.
I watch them intently, loathing the excitement he shows my mate. While I want her to make friends, I don’t want any other male getting closer to her than I have been. On the surface, I write this off as wanting to protect this coven.
But deep down, I know I’ll kill anyone who takes my mate away from me.
“Thanks,” Breene says, tucking some raven hair behind her ear. “But I’m not that good.”
“Sure you are!” Leia says enthusiastically. “You made fire!”
Breene’s cheeks flush, and she looks over at me. When our eyes meet, she quickly looks away this time and suddenly becomes fascinated with the meadow grass, as if it is more important than me.
I clear my throat to get their attention. “You’re free to go, Leia and Bay,” I say, keeping my gaze trained on Breene.
Leia waves to Breene and hurries after Bay. They’ll soon be going through the Selection Ceremony, just like my mate has. I hope nothing will change and that they’ll stay witches. Every Selection, there seems to be less and less of us.
My sister lingers behind, her gaze telling me that she wants to chat some more. But now isn’t the time. I want to help Breene practice, because even my sister isn’t giving her a fair treatment. Of course the other students are learning quicker; she gives them more attention. And it makes me fucking furious.
When everyone leaves, Breene stares up at me through shy eyes and clasps her hands together. “Is there, uhm, something you’d like from me? I know I’m not the best at this magic thing, but I’m trying and I—”
“You don’t have to explain yourself.”
She gulps and tucks some raven hair behind her ear. It’s something she does when she is nervous. “I know and I’m sorry, but—”
“Stop apologizing,” I say.
It seems like all she has done since she became a witch is apologize, flinch, and stare down at her feet, never making eye contact.
“Why don’t you show me what you’ve learned?”
“Okay,” she whispers, furrowing her brows together and lifting her hands.
“What spell are you trying to cast?” I ask.
“Uhm… the fire one.”
“Like this,” I say, slipping behind her so my body presses flush against hers.
She sucks in a sharp breath and tenses, just like I want to. Her body is so much smaller than mine, her arms frail and her stance rigid. I grasp her arms and lift them to the correct position for this spell.
“Now relax.”
When I grab her hips to reposition them, she lets out a small whimper. For a moment, I think I hurt her, but then she shuffles her legs closer together. I swallow hard and try to think clearly, knowing that she will make me lose all control in a moment.
“Breene,” I say, desperately trying to stay respectable. But all I really want to do is rip off her clothes, push her down to all fours in the middle of the meadow, and claim her body.
“I’m sorry,” she apologizes yet again. Her hair falls into her face, and her body stiffens even more. “I can’t help it. I’ve never been this close to someone before while they’re this… gentle. It’s, uhm… nice.”
It feels more than just fucking nice to be this close to her.
After taking an unsteady breath, I swallow and regain my composure.
“Repeat after me,” I start. “Igni pyro impes.”
“Igni…” she says, scrunching her brows. “... pyro impes.”
Suddenly, a single flame ignites from her index finger. She sucks in a sharp breath and stares at the light in amazement. Her eyes widen and become even bigger somehow. She turns around, so I can see it, and grins.
“I did it,” she says, cheeks rounding. “I really did it.”
When she looks up at me, I nearly fucking choke at her beauty. Between the amazement in her eyes and the wide grin on her face, she is so much more than I can ever ask for in a fated mate.
And for the first time, she seems comfortable with me.
CHAPTER 11
Breene
The flame fizzles out, and I stare at my index finger in awe. It floors me that I managed to create fire with my bare hands and a few properly cast words.
“Want to try again?” Kiernan asks.
I nod. His deep voice sends heat coursing through me. Suddenly, all I can think about is how close he stood when he taught me the spell. How his arms were wrapped around my waist, and how I could feel his hard, muscular chest against my back.
My heart races. I want to be in his arms again. I want to feel his hands on my bare skin. I want… him.
“Do you need me to show you how to do the spell again?” he asks hoarsely.
I swallow hard and nod.
Kiernan grasps my hips and moves me in front of him. His touch sends heat coursing through me, which makes it really difficult to focus on the spell.
“Like this,” Kiernan says gruffly, his right hand sliding up my hip to my waist, then higher, grazing the side of my breast. I gasp, but he doesn’t seem to notice as he moves the hand in front of me and points up ahead. “Igni pyro impes.”
The grass in front of us lights up, little flames dancing on its surface before they fizzle out.
“That was beautiful,” I whisper in awe. “Will I be able to do that one day?”
“With practice.” He grazes his lips against my ear, his words making me shiver.
I squeeze my thighs together, my cheeks flushing pink. I’ve never reacted like this to a man before, but I’ve also never had a mate.
“Go ahead. Try the spell,” he whispers, nipping my ear.
I can barely focus. Heat courses through me as I recite the words. I can feel the magic begging to burst free, mixing with the longing I feel for Kiernan. It grows inside me, like a physical thing, and explodes out of my fingers.
Suddenly, the grass bursts into flames. I don’t mean little decorative dancing flames—I mean, a blazing ten-foot wall of fire.
In an instant, Kiernan shoves me behind him and raises his hands to the sky. He doesn’t say a word and a river of water falls from the sky. I know that with time, I’ll learn to cast without speaking, but it still shocks me when his spell douses the inferno—and the two of us in the process.
“Fuck,” Kiernan curses, wiping water from his face as he spins around to look at me. “Are you hurt? Did any of the fire get you?”
“No. I’m fine. Just a little… wet.” My cheeks flush as I realize that he is, too, and his clothes are sticking to him like a second skin. They show off rock-hard muscles I long to touch. I swallow hard.
“You’re shivering.” Kiernan’s eyes are glued to my tight nipples, which push against the soaked fabric of my shirt.
I gasp as he scoops me into his arms and heads into the trees. It’s suddenly really hot out, and I don’t think it’s just because Kiernan is holding me against his chest. “It feels like summer.”
“Drying spell,” Kiernan says gruffly. “Our clothes are soaked.”
