Page 16 of A Reign of Storm and Madness

“Well then, I suggest you keep your mouth shut for the duration of the class period and let me be the one to teach this subject. Your swordplay will come soon enough.”

Kalix gestures for her to continue, disinterest plain on his face. Narelle, however, doesn’t say anything more to him as she turns back to the map and continues. The moment everyone’s attention has been recaptured and my brother’s outburst and distraction have come to an end, I lean over to him.

“If you ever do that again,” I warn him, “I’ll fucking slit your damn hamstrings before a mock battle.”

On my right, Kalix snickers. I flick my gaze to him and he gives me a smirk. “Not going to thank me for covering for your ass?”

Tension digs into my muscles, solidifying them to stone. “I don’t know what you mean,” I say coolly. I do know, however, that too much insult to Narelle would have her caning not Kalix, but our fucking Terra. Another wound and round of healing that she likely can’t bear.

Against my better judgment, my attention flashes to the side, over Kalix’s shoulder where she stands, face unmoved by the scene before her as she stares stiffly at the wall opposite her over all of our heads.

Kalix doesn’t miss my glance and gives me a solid nod of approval. “Any way we could get you to play like this more often, brother?” he asks quietly. “Because if so, I’m certainly willing to risk sliced hamstrings.”

I arch a brow. “Is that so?”

On my left, Theos sighs. “I’m still pissed at you,” he murmurs, low enough that no one outside of our small circle likely can hear. “You’ve yet to truly apologize to her.”

“Mortal Gods do not apologize to humans.” Even as the words leave me, though, they feel wrong. The urge to turn and look at the human in question slams into me with all the violence of a storm. It comes on so quickly that I’m already half-turned in my seat before I realize what’s happening, and I have to pivot back to face forward before I finish the rotation. I cross my arms over my chest.

My attention settles on Narelle as she waves her hand over the board at the head of the classroom and a map begins to appear. Long lines stretch around the continent of Anatol and then stars appear over three individual places. One on the northern cliffs, one in the eastern mountains, and the final, an island in the south.

Kalix cracks his neck to the side and leans back in his seat, tipping the front two legs up off the floor as he teeters precariously as if on a knife’s edge. “I do believe this little human of ours is the most interesting thing I’ve seen in a long damn time,” he says absently.

My head whips towards him. “No.” The denial shoots from my lips.

One corner of my brother’s lips twitches upward. “What? It’s not like Theos hasn’t already fucked her,” he says.

“That won’t happen again.”

Theos goes stiff at my side. “Says who?” His words are cold, and when I look back at him, it’s to find his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed.

For fuck’s sake. I grit my teeth. “She is nothing but fucking trouble,” I hiss at the two of them. “She—”

“What I do with my Terra,” Theos cuts me off, “is none of your fucking concern, brother.” He bites out the last word with no small amount of venom. “Stay out of it.”

Once more, my hands curl into fists. Only this time, instead of letting my illusions span outward to release the fire broiling inside, I tamp them down. “If you have something to say to me,” I growl as Narelle chatters on about the great history of the Divine Beings and how they entered this world, “then you can say it in the ring.”

Golden eyes flash with fire. “Consider it a fucking challenge,” he snaps back.

Kalix chuckles again. “This is going to be fun.”

Chapter 11

Kiera

Sparks fly off the ends of clashing blades, raining down in front of the two Darkhavens brandishing their swords at each other. My head is full of fog and exhaustion. Dauphine’s words from the day before swirl in my mind, and today is my first day with the addition of my new tasks. Once this is over, I’ll be reporting to the Academy’s library for extra work. The ‘others’ Dauphine had mentioned weren’t noted in my new schedule and that concern hovers over me like a dark cloud.

I need to get a message to Regis. He needs to know how things have changed. The lashing and now … my new routine. Then there’s Carcel’s arrival to think of. It’s hard to think of anything though as I’m forced to stand and watch the Darkhavens practice their swordplay.

As distracting as they are in their classes, they’re doubly so here. Kalix laughs, the sound catching on the stone walls surrounding us and echoing up to the sky as Ruen dives for him. Kalix relaxes back on his heels as Ruen circles him, crouched low, his face dotted with sweat. Unlike Ruen, however, Kalix has divested himself of his shirt and stands atop the deadened grass ring of their personal practice courtyard covered in nothing more than his trousers, boots, and the gleam of his perspiration. The chill in the air does nothing to stifle his obvious exertion.

I’m only so strong.

As if the bastard suspects it, too, he turns, swinging his sword up and over his knuckles before capturing the hilt once more and flicking a look my way.

Avoid. Avoid. Avoid. I order myself, repeating the word in my head as I narrowly evade his gaze. Unfortunately, averting my eyes from Kalix leads me to Theos, who sits off to the side watching me.

With his back to the outer wall of the buildings surrounding this courtyard as he reclines on the stone bench beneath him, Theos tips his head down. A single lock of white-gold hair falls over the side of his forehead, but those liquid sunset eyes remain in place. Fixated. Too damn dangerous.

---