"I need to practice defense more," I looked at Julian seated next to me on the couch. "Julian, will you come with me?"
Julian's grey eyes deadpanned as he looked at me. He looked so different from his usual cocky demeanor. Maybe he was in pain. "You just put an ice pack on my shoulder."
I nodded. "So, no?"
Leah looked at me from where she stood behind the couch. She was handing him a salve they had made from plants in the woods. His shoulder, which had been dislocated by dark magic during an exercise would take longer to heal.
Leah was firm. "I don't think so."
Damien stood from his seat on the other side of the couch. "Come on, Em. You can practice with me."
Julian looked at him warily. "You will take it easy on her. Don't dislocate her shoulder."
Damien shrugged but I could see him fight a smile. "If that's what she wants."
The fight between them ended with Damien sporting a bloody nose and Julian with a dislocated shoulder.
I practically jumped at the opportunity. "Outside?"
Damien nodded towards the back doors. "After you."
I leaned over to Julian and planted a kiss on his lips.
He grabbed my wrist before I moved away, making me pause. His studious eyes were suspicious. "You will be careful. You won't push yourself."
I kissed him again. "Of course."
Julian looked at Damien. "Damien?"
"I won't push too hard," Damien promised.
He hesitated but let me go slowly. "Stay close too?"
I smiled. "I promise."
I moved towards the closed back doors with Damien closely behind. As soon as the doors were closed and we were going down the back steps, I laughed. "You better not take it easy on me."
Damien laughed. "Careful what you wish for."
•••••••••••••••
I let out a long, slow breath, attempting to steady my rattling nerves. I wanted to move from my hiding spot to get a better vantage point but fear kept me still.
I pushed my back against the trunk of the tree when I heard the crunch of leaves somewhere nearby.
"Come on, Em," Damien's smooth voice cooed. I held my breath. He was closer than I thought. "Come on out."
I swallowed as I ran through my options. I was running out of time.
"You can't hide forever." His voice was close, like a soft caress.
This was too familiar. Too real.
I remembered the last time he spoke like that.
It wasn't Damien then, it was Robyn. He had taunted me and ridiculed me in the woods. He boasted his victory.
Gods, it was too familiar.
I closed my eyes. Robyn was dead. He was gone. It was Damien there, not that monster.
I tried to feel around with my magic. I tried to find his location in the wooded area but couldn't make it farther than a few feet.
I sucked in a breath, almost collapsing on my knees. It was exhausting trying to concentrate on which one to use. Both Light and Dark were within me, they were both so tightly bound it was impossible to distinguish which was which.
Before I could draw another breath, the ground shook beneath me. It hurled beneath me, making me reach back to the tree I was leaning against.
It crumbled beneath my hand, turning to ash in my fingers. I screamed as I stumbled back, falling into the cold ground.
I spectered again, this time hiding behind another tree.
Damien knew exactly where I went.
As soon as my feet touched solid ground again, pressure pushed me down to my knees. I felt it seize my lungs and squeeze making me expel any air I had in them with a hacking cough.
His hand reached for my shirt and pulled me to my feet. He pushed his power against me and right before I hit the trunk of a tree, I was stopped.
Damien sighed, and the pressure around me released. I gasped, coughing air into my thirsty lungs. He appeared in front of me. "Em, are you even trying?"
He released me carefully, my toes touching the ground first then letting me go when I was steady on my feet. I grabbed a fistful of his coat for support as he stepped closer.
His hands touched my shoulders carefully to steady me. "Are you all right?"
I nodded but in reality, I wasn't. I froze at the memory of Robyn chasing me through the woods of my old home. What started as a training exercise ended up being much worse.
Maybe I should have taken it easy.
"Why didn't you use your power?" Damien asked curiously. "That's why we're here—why you asked me to help, to force you to use it."
I shook my head but couldn't form words. I wanted to train with my power but I wanted to be sure to use only Light magic, not Dark.
He waited for me to stand fully and meet his eyes. He smiled. "Why don't we get going? We can tell Julian what happened."
I nodded. "Can we walk instead of spectering?"
He smiled kindly. "Of course. I'll even carry you if you want."
I rolled my eyes with a laugh. I pushed him away playfully. He barely moved.
"I'm not that weak," I laughed.
As we began to walk back to the house, I heard Damien clear his throat. "So, you and Julian."
I tried to hide a smile but failed. "Yes, me and Julian."
"You're together now."
I grabbed strands of my hair, excitedly twirling them between my fingers. "Yeah."
"You never told me."
I swallowed. "Well, we've all been busy." I sighed. "I wasn't sure how to bring it up, with our history. Julian and I—it just kind of happened. In Elysium, we cleared the air."
When I looked at him, he was smiling widely but kept his eyes on the trail ahead. He had his hands in his pockets, his hair falling over his eyes. He was extremely pleased. "Elysium, huh?"
I laughed. "Yes, Elysium. We're happy, even with all of this going on."
His hand reached out and his arm wrapped around my shoulders pulling into a half-hug as we walked." I'm happy you're happy, Em. You deserve it."
I took a deep breath. Why had I been afraid to bring it up before?
"Skryen, then, I imagine?"
I nodded against his shirt . "I never felt more at home than while I was there." I frowned. "Even with what was happening at the time. It's beautiful, have you been?"
Damien shook his head. "No. I'll go visit you." He laughed out loud. "Your mom will be absolutely thrilled!"
I laughed at his excitement.
He started shaking his head. "Does your dad know how old Julian is?"
I didn't even think about when I would tell my parents. I didn't even think of how I would explain that little three-hundred-year-old detail.
"He's old enough to be a great-great-I don't know how many times-great-grandfather."
I froze in my spot looking up at him when he stopped too. "You're not going to tell him, are you?"
He shook his head laughing. "No. You get to do that all on your own." He shrugged. "I don't think he'll have a problem with Julian, though. I'm sure he'll like him enough."
I placed my face in my hands. "That will be fun." I couldn't hide the sarcasm.
I imagined Julian going to dinner with me and my parents where I would formally introduce him as my boyfriend. My father would grill him and try to intimidate him because of course, he would. But Julian he'd seen battle, led soldiers--- would he be intimated?
Damien could see my anxiousness and in turn, pulled me closer into a hug. "Don't be so nervous, M&M. It'll be fine!" He cleared his throat. "Technically speaking, aren't the friends usually the worst? Initiation and all that?"
I looked at him horrified. I thought back to one of the first time they'd fought in training. Neither held back. Damien had a bloody lip but Julian... "You already dislocated his shoulder! Was that a part of this 'initiation'?"
Damien laughed. "No, not at all. After all of this is over, I would like to know him better, not as a trainer but as a person. Not talk about strategy but what kind of drink he enjoys."
I snorted. "That's easy, I think you both like that paint thinner you're so fond of."
The back patio of the house came into view through the trees.
He finally let me go, keeping in stride next to me as we continued our walk. "You and Leah have gotten closer, too." His tone was light but I could hear his curiosity.
"She's been helpful," I only answered. "She seems to be sorry about what happened. She's been trying to make it up ever since."
"Because I trapped her in a bargain. Which I should have done from the beginning. She can't hurt any of us or betray us."
I bit my lip. "I don't think she wants to. Not with how she feels--" As soon as the words were out, he stopped me.
"Em, no offense," Damien interrupted. "But I couldn't give a damn about what she feels." He sighed. "You need to stop being so damn forgiving. Even with my traitor cousin." He shook his head. "How happy would we be right now if she hadn't betrayed us?" His pace quickened somewhat with his anger. "You would be out of danger. You wouldn't have died. You'd be human, finishing your school and starting your career just like you wanted."
I shook my head. "I'd be human and naïve to what I am."
Damien shook his head. "We would have figured it out eventually."
I let out a strained chuckle. "Would we, Damien?" I stopped him, placing a hand on his arm. He looked down at me, dirt streaked his cheek. "We were friends for fifteen years and neither of us had a clue."
Damien's eyes turned cold, his Adam's Apple bobbed. "I won't forgive her for what she did and her role in bringing down my father's legacy, what she enabled him to do to me and most of all to you."
I shook my head, my heart beating fast. "Why most of all to me?"
He exhaled suddenly, scoffing under his breath. He looked away.
"Why most of all to me, Damien? What Robyn did to you--I can't even begin to imagine what it was like."
"I was trained for any scenario since I was a child. As King, it's always a possibility. I prepared for an attack." Damien looked back at me. "But you? You were human. Both fragile and innocent. You couldn't defend yourself. You didn't deserve what happened to you. And I couldn't protect you. And for that, I will never forgive her."
I couldn't blame him. I'd be as furious as he was. "She's helped me, Damien. I'm alive because of her."
Damien looked away suddenly. "It didn't change the past."
"Hey guys!"
We turned to Leah who called us from her back patio. She waved her arm above her head.
There was no mistaking her excitement. "Do you want to go to the fair?"