Chapter Nine
Almost a month later, Audrey had explored as much of the grounds as she could during class breaks and she still didn’t know more than two routes out of the labyrinth of the Synod’s fortress—the main entry through the courtyard, and the side entry through the kitchen that led to Corvin’s tower. Both were guarded, but that didn’t matter, since the Hohlwen seemed to be everywhere the Kinde guards were not. Any time she’d been down a new hallway or snooping through a new room, one had appeared. Now she recognized the itch between her shoulder blades to be a warning that they were watching, even if she couldn’t see them. She’d come to appreciate the seclusion of Corvin’s tower. He had some sort of truce or magic that kept the Hohlwen from entering his airspace. It was the one place she could relax, and she’d taken every opportunity to help him there rather than attending her more book-centric lessons.
It had felt ah-mazing to flex her powers the first week. She was one of the more advanced Wards, both in power and know-how, but she hadn’t known about the wicked-ass energy blasts. She’d mastered them in one afternoon. Her teacher, Marjorie, couldn’t break Audrey’s wards when they sparred, and it had only taken her a couple of days to be able to fade from one end of the training chamber to the other with just a thought. She couldn’t wait to put that to use in the real world. The possibilities were endless.
By week two, she was bored. The only valuable part of her lessons was the morning meditation practices Cian led them through, which had taught her how to tap into the Conduit and practice controlling the flow of her power. Before, she’d only been able to take a sip at a time and use it immediately, but now she could go directly to the source whenever she wanted and store it within her. It was the difference between using a cup to go back and forth to a well or tapping into a river. Just that small tweak, and she could hold her invisibility shield for hours without feeling drained. So, magic school hadn’t been a total loss.
Except she was still a prisoner.
Every day she got no closer to a solution she battled with what to do about Lilly. That poor, innocent girl was still in the hands of Dr. Banner and his goons. It made Audrey queasy to remember the terror in those deep, knowing eyes. She would be better off at the Arcanum. At least here she wouldn’t be tortured. But she couldn’t free her from that hellhole just to sign her future over to the Synod, trading one cage for another.
No, she would get both of them free. It was just taking longer than expected.
Aside from the immortal guards, there were two big problems. One—breaking the binding and getting her powers back. And two—getting away from the fortress without passing out.
She’d spent the last week focused on the simpler of the two. Her energy only drained if she headed away from the fortress, unless she followed a specific path Corvin had laid out for her. Corvin’s tower was another safe zone. She could move around the tower and the surrounding outbuildings freely as long as she didn’t stray too far. He could send her to the well or shed without any issue. She sort of missed him escorting her to and from classes at first, but not being supervised had allowed her to test the limits of the magic to see if she could find the trigger.
Was it some spelled object? A password? Fairy dust?
All magic has counter-magic.
They’d pounded that into her head. The Zyne were all about balance. She just needed to figure out what the magic was and then look up how to counter it.
He was very clever at dodging her questions about it, no matter how sideways she came at the subject. Despite her inability to pump him for useful intel, she took the opportunity to learn what she could from him and about him. One thing had become very clear in the course of those conversations—Corvin was totally drinking the Kool-Aid.
Sometimes he would go on and on about the Legacy and the Threefold Path, until she had to make snoring noises to get him to stop. She wasn’t interested in any of their stuffy traditions, arcane ritual-speak, or theatrical black robes. The Synod was basically the church of magic, and as such, she wrote them off along with all the other religious zealots that had tried to convert and “save” her.
Magic was real, obviously. She could accept that she had supernatural powers by birthright, that there were others with similar gifts, and a whole bunch of scary immortal beings on earth too. But just because she had these abilities did not mean she had to accept their way of life or their way of thinking. She didn’t believe in souls, in heaven or hell, or in an afterlife or circle of life or whatever they called it. She’d given up arguing those points with Corvin, though. He’d been brainwashed with the rhetoric from an early age and didn’t understand why it was so important to live life on your own terms.
Corvin was highly gifted at magic in his own right. He was a strong Summoner, with good control of all four elements and super heightened empathy, which was why he got along with animals so well. As he’d explained, most animals communicated with feelings, not thoughts. Any time he joined their training sessions and she saw him use his magic, she felt all fluttery inside.
His combative magic was damned impressive too. Of course, he’d been born into magic and had all the best tutors, but it was still a turn-on to watch him throw down. He couldn’t shield against an energy blast or spell like a Ward, but he could charge up magical objects with enough power to knock most people out. He could even hold his own against immortals. The Hohlwen absorbed most Zyne magic, so the fact that he could weave a spell that could faze one of them was kind of a big deal.
She often recalled him twirling that staff around his back in the courtyard, though in her daydreams, he was shirtless for some reason. And then there was…that way about him. No BS. He moved with quiet purpose, always in his own head, yet completely tuned-in to everyone around him. She’d become painfully aware of the physical magnetism between them.
Or maybe you’re just imagining things.
She rolled her eyes at herself and kicked a rock through the underbrush as she made her way to the tower. Though she could admit she liked him, she wasn’t sure if the feeling was mutual. When they were alone, he was more careful and reserved. Overly formal. Aloof.
Corvin was never unkind to her, but she’d concluded that wasn’t because he liked her, but because it was beneath him. The spark between them had either sputtered and choked out, or she’d imagined it in the first place. He hadn’t pressed her for any more personal details, even when she’d dropped strategic hints about her past that would have left most people burning with curiosity. His interest in her had apparently evaporated.
It made her wish for some Oracle powers of her own. Then she could read his mind or ask a crystal ball if he was ever going to make a move.
She found him at the shed behind the backdoor to the mews, loading a wheelbarrow with straw. She waited behind him and couldn’t help admiring the flex of the muscles of his back with each toss. It had become difficult not to notice those sorts of things. She was annoyingly aware of him, like all the time. If he was in the same room, her hearing sharpened for the rich timbre of his voice, her eyes sought him out without her permission. Sleeping in his bed surrounded by the scent of sweet oil and herbs had given her some heated dreams that hadn’t made living in close quarters very easy.
“What’s on the agenda today, boss? Pump the well? Scrub the floors? Chop the wood?” He’d given her nothing but manual labor as “training” so far. It would have been a lot easier if she could use her magic, but she’d still take the work over studying in the stuffy library. She didn’t care if she “graduated” the Synod’s program as long as she left with everything she’d come in with.
Corvin tossed the pitchfork into the straw and turned to her, wiping sweat off his forehead with the hankie he kept in his pocket. “It’s Wednesday.”
“And?”
He nodded at the wheelbarrow. “The birds get fresh straw on Wednesdays.”
“Oh.” She didn’t hide how unenthused she was by that news.
He took the handles of the wheelbarrow and led her to the wooden door at the backside of the tower.
“You know, I could do this in like five minutes if I had my powers.”
“I’m sure you could.” He opened the door to the mews.
Audrey peeked in. It was dark and musty smelling.
“Nice try.”
She wrinkled her nose.
“Besides, this builds character.”
She snorted at that. “Yeah, I had a foster father that said the same thing.” Every time he made me clean up after one of his drunken rages.
Corvin’s brow furrowed. “Truthfully, I would do it myself, but I’m behind on my other work. I need to start spending more time with the eagle, or she won’t trust me enough to have a successful release. She will need rehab and exercise before it’s safe for her to fly any distance or hunt.”
Great, now she felt like a burden. She sighed and stormed back to the shed to retrieve the pitch fork. “At least one of us gets to leave. Can’t you just explain that to her?”
“I’m trying to form a bond, but she’s stubborn. Wild.”
The smile playing at the corner of his mouth made her stomach dip. “Fine, I’ll help you out. But how am I supposed to go in there without getting shit on? I draw the line at feces.”
His lips took on a mischievous curl, and she fidgeted, not sure what was so funny—she was serious. Corvin took a few steps back, rubbed his hands together, and rolled his shoulders back. He closed his eyes, and Audrey felt the familiar hum of magic pulsing through the ground beneath her feet, swirling in the air around her. She tried to tap into it, but nothing happened. Her own magic lay dormant.
A strange hush came over the tower. She hadn’t noticed the background noise of the birds until it was gone. Now she could hear every rustle of leaves in the forest around them. Then the rustling got louder. The wind picked up.
Corvin stood with his head bowed, calling energy. Straw swirled around his feet as he slowly raised his arms. The trees closest to them rocked back and forth, as if dancing to a song only they could hear. He tilted his face up to the sky, and his summoned wind tossed his hair and feathers about his face. Her chest squeezed at the sight. He was wild beauty and magic embodied.
A crush of wings erupted from all around them.
Audrey dropped the pitchfork and fell back against the stone wall with a hand pressed to her thundering heart.
Hundreds of black birds surged through the open windows of the mews and streamed into the sky in a tight formation. The flock curved through the air, turned back, and swirled around Corvin like a giant tentacle, following the pattern of the funnel of wind he’d created.
Though she couldn’t see him anymore, his laughter, charged with power and filled with pure joy, was what finally stole her breath.
He spun, and the birds followed him as if choreographed. His arms swung toward the woods, and the funnel of black beating wings surged in that direction, leaving him standing there, watching them as they filtered into the trees that still swayed softly.
Wow.
“That was…” She cleared her throat and tried to calm the pounding in her chest. Her feet still thrummed from the magic lapping at her from the earth. Her mouth was dry from hanging open, and her cheeks felt flushed. “Impressive.”
Corvin’s answering smile was unguarded and the most joyful she’d ever seen. It did nothing to help her find steady footing. It made her long to see that heat in his eyes again, but they were cool and dark—darker, as his power settled. He walked toward her, his stare never leaving her face.
She felt a caress of cool wind against her heated cheek and shivered. “I mean, it’s not a fireball, but it’s a pretty cool trick.”
He stepped close enough that she could smell the sweat on his skin mixed with the loamy scent of earth and the crisp freshness of the wind. She held her breath as he leaned toward her… and reached past her to grab the pitchfork where she’d dropped it. “Perhaps next time I’ll call down some lightning. For effect. Would that satisfy?”
Hardly, she thought as a surge of heat ran up and down her body. She swallowed hard and gathered her wits enough to glare at him. Was he just toying with her? Did he realize the effect he had? Couldn’t he feel it? “What do I do when I’m finished here?”
He straightened, and the fluidity of his movements disappeared as he glanced away. “I have nothing else for you to do today. You can take the rest of the afternoon for yourself.”
Without another look or word, he walked away.
So, definitely a figment of my imagination.
An hour later, she’d decided maybe Corvin actually hated her. Of all the jobs she’d been given, this was by far the worst. Shoveling pile after pile of moldy straw and bird poop.
Yuck.
She had three splinters, and her back ached. Her pride was stung worse. She’d spent the hour berating herself for her traitorous libido and cataloging every one of Corvin’s flaws she could think of. Why did she let him get her so riled up? He was not her type at all—she liked them pretty and dumb—and she … well, did Corvin even have a type? He seemed to pretty much live like a monk. Maybe that was the appeal. She was a sucker for a challenge, and so far, he seemed immune to all her charms.
Or maybe he doesn’t handle damaged goods.
She ignored the tightness in her chest at that thought as she spread the last of the fresh straw around the door and backed out of the mews. Her recon mission had stalled out, which was a problem, because Plan B wasn’t looking super promising anymore. She could barely keep Corvin’s attention long enough to hold a conversation, and she wasn’t looking forward to throwing any more flirt down just to get ghosted.
She rinsed her hands at the well and turned toward the fortress. She hadn’t seen how deep and slick the mud was, and she skidded into a pile of it, scraping her elbow on the stones of the well on the way down.
“Ow.” She swore under her breath as she climbed to her feet and dusted the biggest clumps of mud from her rear.
Great.
She only had three sets of clothes. Now she would have to do laundry today or wear sweaty, stinky clothes for her work out later. Marjorie held an optional sparring workshop after dinner every night, and it was Audrey’s favorite part of the day—the one thing she looked forward to. Not only did she get to stretch her powers, practice using them in different ways, and shove around guys nearly twice her size, but it was the one place she felt respected. Admired, even. She wasn’t the most trained or disciplined fighter in her class, but she was the most experienced and the most ruthless. No one had taken her down yet.
Most of her classmates had gotten the message not to screw with her. She was getting attention from a couple of the guys too. She had unspoken invitations to climb into their beds any time. It’s not that she wasn’t tempted. She hadn’t felt a man she lusted for beneath her in… a long time. She was the horniest she could ever remember feeling—it had to be being well-fed and rested—but there was only one man she was interested in, and he wanted nothing to do with her.
She kicked off her tennis shoes at the bottom of the tower stairs and climbed the first two stories holding her pant legs up off the floor. She paused by the window past the mews to listen for Corvin, whom she often found having seemingly one-sided conversations with Smoke that were nothing short of hilarious, like listening to someone talk in their sleep. She’d seen him blush the last time, when she’d burst in on them and Smoke had chortled his crow laugh along with her, as if he’d been in on the joke.
She didn’t hear anything this time. The living room and kitchen were empty.
Must be on one of his walkabouts.
Corvin liked to disappear into the woods for hours at a time. She’d tried to follow him once, but couldn’t stay close enough to him to keep her energy from draining away. The problem was that where he went, the forest just swallowed him up. Plants moved out of his way to make a path and closed behind him. She’d lost him and had barely made it back to the tower before passing out.
He’d found her upon his return and said nothing, but she knew he’d assumed she’d tried to run away while he was gone. She’d wanted to explain, to change the cold, flinty look in his eyes to that warm banked fire. But then she’d been pissed at him for making her care what he thought at all. She’d rolled over, turning her back to him, and said, “Can’t blame me for trying.”
A rustling from the cage in the alcove drew Audrey’s attention as she crossed to the bedroom. Though a dog crate would no longer contain her, Corvin still kept the injured eagle covered all the time. Audrey cringed for her, knowing how frustrating it was to be kept in a windowless cell. As if the bird felt her sympathy from across the room, it gave an urgent and heartrending call that left a bitter taste in the back of Audrey’s throat.
“You know what? Screw it. He can get mad at me if he wants.”
At least that would be something other than indifference.
She crossed the room and gently drew back the edge of the sheet covering the cage. She expected the eagle to be startled upon seeing her, but instead it just seemed thankful as it quietly scanned the room, analyzing everything within eyeline. It twisted its head to look behind itself and ruffled its feathers, which she’d learned was sort of bird-speak for “We’re cool.”
“You’re welcome. No guarantees he won’t cover you back up though.”
She peeled off her mucky pants on the way to the bedroom and slipped through the half-open door. She froze when a cloud of steam scented with the herbal oils from Corvin’s bathroom filled her lungs. Then she heard the spray of the shower, and the intermittent splashing of water on the stone tiles—the unmistakable sound of a body moving under falling water.
Her brain went numb, refusing to process anything else but a looping mental image of Corvin’s tightly muscled form buck-nekkid and wet.
She blinked, cursed under her breath, and tossed her pants into the pile of dirty clothes in the corner. She’d settle for sweaty workout pants. She yanked them on and pulled on one of her extra shoes as quietly as possible.
Then she heard him moan. The sound shuddered through her and weighed on something low in her stomach. She froze, her heartbeat kicking up. As she bent to step into her other shoe, he moaned again, longer. Her face heated as she tiptoed to the door.
“Audrey,” Corvin’s deep voice called.
She cringed, thinking he must have heard her, but another breathy moan followed her name. She went ramrod straight, and the tiny hairs all along her spine stood on end and hummed.
“Ah, Gods.”
Ah, Gods? A fire had started in the pit of her belly.
He can’t be…is he?
She peeked around the corner.
From the other side of the doorway, hidden in the shadows, she caught a glimpse of Corvin braced against the wall with one forearm, stroking himself as water sluiced down the rippling muscles of his back like a stream over river rocks. His beautifully defined ass clenched as he thrust into his hand.
Her heart hammered in her chest, a hollow thump that sent ripples of heat radiating to her nipples.
He is.
“Oh, yeah, baby.”
Baby? She held her breath, too entranced to leave. Torn. She was afraid of being caught, while longing for that very thing…so that she could be a part of what she was witnessing.
Corvin…
With every agonizing second as he strived for his own pleasure, her desire built. Her nipples tightened painfully, and adrenaline spiked her blood, pounding in her ears like an ocean tide. Through the billows of steam, shadows played over his tall, lithe form. She yearned to trace every ridge and groove, to dig her nails into his flesh as he pounded into her.
She wanted him. So bad. What if she just took off her clothes and walked up to him? Surely he couldn’t turn her away now.
“Gods, Audrey!” he shouted as he came.
She couldn’t swallow. Her heart was in her throat, and her internal muscles were throbbing with a hot ache.
At that moment, Corvin turned to face her, and her breath hitched at the sight of what she’d just been picturing. Raw and flushed and in the flesh. She must have made some small movement or sound because his eyes opened and fixed on her, squinting through the steam and shadows that barely concealed her.
A long, drawn-out moment stretched before her as she decided whether to bolt, knowing she was busted. She could spare some semblance of her pride by never acknowledging that this had ever happened.
Or.
She stepped forward from the shadows and leaned one shoulder against the doorway. Her cheeks were probably a furious shade of pink and her eyes sparkling with desire, but there was no sense in hiding it. All the better, because this was a challenge.
He’d made her think this whole time that he wasn’t interested.
The power pendulum had just swung back again. Corvin wanted her too. He’d shouted her name as he’d gotten himself off! Even now, he was growing aroused again standing naked before her. His impressive cock twitched when she gave it an appreciative—okay, maybe a little covetous—glance.
Butterflies were doing a full Cirque du Soleil in her stomach, she gave him a teasing smile. “I didn’t mean to walk in on you, but then I figured tit for tat. You’ve already seen me naked, remember?”
He swallowed hard but stood there without an ounce of self-consciousness, shoulders back, head held high. The posture practically forced her eyes to follow the beautiful lines of his physique and the dark happy trail down from his broad chest and flexed abs to the evidence that he remembered the sight quite well.
“Maybe that’s what you were thinking about?” She licked her lips, and a thrill stole through her when his fists and jaw clenched and that fire in his eyes jumped to life. She felt the heat of it from across the room, like flames tickling every inch of her exposed skin.
“Audrey.” His voice was rough and low.
A tingle raced up her spine. She would never be able to hear him say her name again without flashing back to that moment. She dropped her gaze to the floor, unable to face the heat anymore. Her whole face was burning, and her panties were drenched. What she was doing felt very much like teasing a chained tiger. Unfortunately, the excitement of that only turned her on more. She could feel his eyes on her but couldn’t look up, afraid he would see the sheer want on her face.
But oh, how she wanted. She kept forgetting to breathe as a million ways he could satisfy that ache raced through her mind.
What if she just said, Take me, Corvin. Would he? Or would he find a way to push her away again?
He crossed the small room toward her, and more of that sweet-scented oil filled her nostrils as he reached past her for a towel off the shelf and wrapped it around his hips. She watched his hands as they lifted to drag his fingers through his wet hair.
She blinked herself out of a daze and turned to leave.
He grabbed hold of her wrist. “You’re not going anywhere until we settle this.”
“Oh,” she barked out a laugh, “it’s settled. You want me. That’s obvious.”
She peeked at him from under her lashes, and her eyes went wide when he rushed her, thrusting her against the stone wall at her back. Into the shadows, where she had just watched him come. Saying her name.
Though she normally had great defensive reflexes, her body went pliant, melding to the hard planes of his. His hand slid up her thigh and hitched it over his hip. She could feel the swell of his arousal press against her through the damp towel.
Corvin caged her with his other arm and held her like that, staring down at her face as the wet tendrils of his hair tickled her cheeks.
“I want you.” His knuckles brushed against her nipple, which was so hard, she felt an arc of current jump between them at the touch. “And you want me.”
He waited, staring at her face, daring her to deny it.
She said nothing, just tried to calm her hectic breathing and control the urge to rub against him like a cat in heat. She felt completely out of control of her own body. She’d never had someone make her feel so weak with desire. She was adrift in a sea of it, and he knew it—probably felt it. He’d probably known this whole time.
Yet she’d had to find out how he felt about her by resorting to being a Peeping Tom.
Shame churned the currents of her desire, twisting them into a storm of regret and rage.
As if he sensed the change in her mood, he relaxed and backed away from her. “But what we want is irrelevant. I cannot fail in my duties as your mentor. Too much is at stake.”
Her body flashed hot and cold at his abrupt shift. She locked her jaw and fixed a defiant look on him. “No fraternizing with the students? That’s really your excuse?”
He shook his head and sat on the edge of the bed. “Perhaps I just know you’ll run at the first opportunity. You’ve made it clear you don’t want to be here and that you’ll do anything to get away, including seducing me.”
She glared at him. “Maybe I could quell my instinct to escape if I wasn’t being held captive against my will and totally controlled, with my powers being dangled in front of me like a treat for performing tricks.”
Corvin’s brow furrowed. “It wouldn’t feel that way if you chose to look at this as an opportunity to learn about your people and heritage. If you embraced the Legacy—”
“You should hear yourself. You sound like a brainwashed zealot. The Legacy. Read my lips: I don’t care about your stupid Legacy. I don’t care who you people are or where you came from. I am not one of you. I make my own way, and I just want to get the fuck out of here and be left the fuck alone.”
“Do you really?” That flame danced in his eyes, hypnotizing her like a moth to a lantern. She was so hungry for what it offered. Warmth. Light. Connection. Things she’d convinced herself were just life’s mirages, and here he was taunting her with them again. Using her feelings against her.
Fury bubbled up in her chest. “Like you’re one to talk! You’re practically a hermit. Your best friend is a bird! Everyone is either afraid of you or feels sorry for you. Why do you have to hide behind the Synod? It’s not your duty as my mentor that’s keeping you from taking what you want. You’re just afraid.”
He crossed the room in two strides and wrapped her in his arms, leaning her back gently, about to kiss her. She relaxed into his embrace and her eyelids fluttered closed.
“I think that’s the pot calling the kettle black. I’m not afraid of taking what I want.” His warm mouth sealed over her neck where it met her shoulder, and he trailed delicate kisses up the more sensitive flesh beneath her ear. Then he pulled away again, his stubble trailing over her sensitized skin as he let her slide out of his arms. “I’m afraid of wanting something I can never have. I would want more than just your body, Audrey.”
I don’t have anything else to give.
She cleared her throat, swallowing the butterflies once again. This had spiraled out of control so quickly. All of her internal panic alarms were going off, yet none of her protective measures were kicking in. She felt open and exposed. It was hard not to run out of the room. She crossed her arms over her chest and made her voice sound bored. “You’re right. I’m not really into that heavy shit. Sounds intense. Maybe I should move into the dormitory and let you have your privacy.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “If that’s how you feel. Here.” He grabbed his staff from where it rested against the wall and unwrapped a small leather pouch tied to it. He tossed the pouch at Audrey. “You can go anywhere on the grounds with that.”
She studied the tiny juju bag, turning it in her hand, then looked up at him. “What’s the catch?”
That fire winked at her. “No catch. It’s your choice, but I would prefer that you stay here. With me.”
She stared into his eyes as she tied the leather thong around her neck and tucked the pouch under her shirt, next to her mother’s moonstone. Several responses whirled through her head. She couldn’t say thank you for freedom that had been wrongfully taken in the first place. She couldn’t agree to stay, because she had no idea what he was asking. Not to mention that she was equal parts terrified and furious that he saw through her so easily. Despite the fact that a part of her wanted him more than anything, she’d decided sleeping with him was a very bad idea. He already cut through all her defenses, crossing that last line would be too risky.
Stay here. With me.
Her heart thumped in her chest, and the panic alarms buzzed to a frenzy, making it hard to breathe, much less think.
She couldn’t stay. She never stayed. She wasn’t even sure if she could trust Corvin. Besides, she had made a promise—and using him might be the only way to keep it. Getting attached would be the stupidest move she’d ever made.
There is no future for us.
As that realization settled in, clearing the haze of desire and fantasy, a cold bitterness stole through her. She blinked back tears and ran from the room and the tower as fast as her legs would carry her.