Page 28 of Magic Forsaken

It didn’t look like an office, nor was it complicated, stiff, or modern, as I would have expected. Instead it was simple, cozy, and natural—perfectly restored wood floors, dark, earth-toned paint on the walls, vintage crown molding, homey-looking furniture with colorful throw pillows, and an open kitchen with dark wood cabinets and oiled bronze fixtures.

It smelled like smokey, woodsy heaven, and made me want to curl up on one of those couches and take a nap.

“Raine?”

The sound of my name shook me out of that bizarre sense of comfort and reminded me why I was here. Because the dragon wanted me to work for him. And maybe a little bit because he wanted me close enough to eat in case I tried anything shady.

Right.

“Yes, sir,” I said cheekily, trying to regain my equilibrium. “Faris said you might be interested in offering me a job.”

That seemed innocuous enough. No accusations, just facts.

The dragon looked at me with one eyebrow raised as he shut the door. “Considering that youbitme last night, I think you can dispense with the ‘sir.’ And stop trying to prove how meek and amenable you can be. I know you don’t want to be here, same as I know you’d very much like to kick me for manipulating you into this.”

At least he was admitting it. And point to the dragon for being more perceptive than I’d given him credit for.

“I apologize for the biting,” I told him, with as much humility as I was capable of faking. “It won’t happen again.”

“That was my assumption also,” Callum said, and I honestly couldn’t tell whether he was being serious or trying very hard not to laugh.

Somehow, I managed not to respond with sarcasm. “I would like to reiterate that last night was anaccident.”

“Which part?” His raised eyebrow wasn’t just skeptical, it was downright condescending. “When you kicked Talia’s ass for her? Or when you tried to rip out the throat of a teenage gangster ten times your size?”

Ignoring his snark still seemed like the safest bet. “Look, Talia started it, and I hate bullies. I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. The fact is, I’ve chosen not to use my magic, and I have my reasons. Which means,”—I shot him a pointed look—“if you are offering me a job because you were hoping to use my power to your advantage, you’ll only be disappointed.”

I thought that would be the end of it, but Callum just looked at me with an annoying mixture of impatience and pity.

“Nice try,” he said bluntly. “But magic doesn’t work that way.”

Did I say considerate and perceptive? He was arrogant, judgmental, and rude.

“You don’t know that.”

“Actually, I do.”

What was it Faris called him? Rigid, impossible, bullheaded, and a total pain in the ass…

And the dragon was just getting warmed up.

“Look, I get that you’ve managed to hide from your heritage up until now. That’s impressive under the circumstances, but let me do you the favor of destroying any illusions you may still have about what happens next.”

He looked me dead in the eye. “I know you have secrets, Raine. Things you’re hiding from. Things you want to protect. All of us do. But you stopped being invisible the minute you stood up to Talia. Don’t get me wrong—that took guts, and I admire the hell out of it. But your anonymity? That’s over.”

Piece by piece, without softening or flinching, he took a wrecking ball to the fragile scaffolding of my hopes for the future.

“Dual wielders are rare, and it’s even more rare for them to have the kind of power you do. That makes you unique and memorable, which means pretty soon, everyone is going to know your name, and all of them will be watching your every move.”

I would have loved to say he was exaggerating. That he was only trying to scare me. But… I had to allow for the possibility that he wasn’t. Kira had said the same thing, and I didn’t think she would lie.

So where did that leave me? Running away again? Would we forever be running, in a vain attempt to outrun our pasts?

“You can’t run from this, Raine.”

Crud, I’d said some of that last part out loud.

“You don’t know me,” I said softly, fiercely. “You have no idea what I’m capable of.”

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