Page 26 of Dark Princess: Shadows

She nodded. "And break things."

"Apology accepted, but I also want you to give me your vow that you will never compel me again."

As long as he wasn't demanding that she never compel anyone else, Drova was willing to do it. "I vow to never compel you again."

She had never vowed to do or not do anything before, but she'd always imagined a magical thunderclap would accompany the vow, the Mother of All Life putting her stamp of approval on it.

Of course, nothing like that happened, but Drova still felt the weight of her promise. Parker would never have to worry about her compelling him to do anything.

"Thank you." He smiled at her.

She was forced to repeat the same ritual with Cheryl and Lisa, and once it was done, everyone seemed to calm down, even Magnus.

Drova turned to the boy. "Tell me the truth, Parker, have you never used your abilities on the humans at your school? It must be so tempting, having all that power and not using it."

There was no chance he would admit it in front of his father, but she enjoyed needling him.

"Never," Parker said firmly. "Thralling and compulsion are forbidden unless it's to save a life or keep our existence secret from humans. We don't abuse our powers. When I want to practice my ability, I ask Lisa and Cheryl's permission first."

Well, that was a neat loophole. Maybe she could hone her ability in a similar way. Except Cheryl and Lisa trusted Parker, while no one was going to trust her after the stunt she'd pulled.

Still, she wasn't sure she believed Parker's avowed innocence.

"You expect me to believe that no one ever bends the rules a little?" She looked at Magnus this time. "There's no way to enforce compliance, and you can't expect a rule that can't be enforced to be followed."

"It's true that we can't find out about every infringement," Magnus said. "But it's a matter of character, Drova. Good people don't go around thralling and compelling others to gain an unfair advantage."

"Bullshit," Drova chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm a faster runner than any human or immortal. Should I not use my speed because it gives me an 'unfair advantage'? Where do you draw the line?"

"There's a big difference between natural physical abilities and manipulating someone's free will," Magnus countered. "One is a gift you were born with, the other is a violation of anotherperson's autonomy. Nevertheless, I would not advise running competitions with humans even if you could win great rewards. The risk of exposure is not worth it."

Had he just said great rewards?

"What kind of rewards?" Drova asked.

Magnus laughed. "Competitive sports reward winners with monetary prizes and opportunities to promote sports apparel for financial reward, but as I said, don't even think about it. The money is not worth your life, and this is what you could be forfeiting if you expose yourself."

"What if she wins only by a little?" Lisa asked. "And wears makeup to hide her alien features?"

Magnus shook his head. "Forget I ever said anything about it. No immortals or Kra-ell can compete in human sports, and that's the end of this discussion. I have other commitments to attend to today." He turned to his son. "Parker, why don't you tell Drova what you've decided to ask from her as compensation for the harm she has inflicted on you?"

Drova tensed.

With a glint in his eye, Parker leaned down, reached into his backpack, and pulled out four thick books."The condensed history of the universe from the beginning of time."He slammed one book on the table. "Humans." He slammed another on top of the first. "21st Century Science." He put it on top of the second. "Greatest Philosophers of All Time." He put it on top of the stack. "I want you to read these cover to cover. You have two months, and then I'll test you on what you've learned. If you don't pass with flying colors, I'll give you another two months and test you again, and so on, until you pass."

Drova felt her heart sink. Reading? Studying? It was almost the worst punishment he could have devised for her. She hated books, and she hated sitting on her ass. She was a warrior, and her time was best spent sparring and practicing her moves. "You've got to be kidding me," she groaned.

Parker's smile widened. "My mom's penalties for my bad behavior were always educational. I hated it, but when I got older, I realized how smart her approach was. Instead of diminishing you, this punishment will force your betterment."

Before Drova could protest further, Lisa and Cheryl pulled out more books from their backpacks, and her eyes widened in horror as she took in the growing stack on her dining table. At least Lisa's books seemed thinner—a small mercy.

"My contribution to your education is the greatest works in literature," Cheryl said. "I will give you six months to finish them all, and I suggest that you take notes because my test will be exhaustive. I will check your knowledge of the smallest details."

Lisa grinned. "Mine are math workbooks. You are to complete one every two months and bring it to me to check."

Drova hated math even more than all the other subjects.

"This is insane," she sputtered. "There are enough words in these books to fill years of schooling!"

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