Page 172 of The Shadow Wand

He smiles again and takes another drink of the tirag as we all eat and Chi Nam and Valasca fall into a detailed conversation about the evening’s watch and the shield’s warding.

I let my gaze wander over the arcing rock formations of the Agolith Desert as I sip Chi Nam’s bitter tea in a handleless black mug marked with an ivory dragon design. Everything is lit a soft red by the moon’s scarlet glow, the constellations splashed across the sky like countless luminescent rubies, the red a fabled trick of the skies here. And lining the horizon, the roiling stormwall flashes lightning, lying in wait like a serpent made of violent weather.

Valasca throws more wood on the fire, and my attention is drawn toward the remnants of snakeskin cracking in it.

“Will you and Valasca be teaching me to hunt pythons too?” I ask Lukas, red firelight dancing over the hard, wildly attractive planes of his face and form.

He gives me a slow, lazy smile, his gaze increasingly hooded from the drink. “Elloren, you’ll be able to lay waste to cities. I suspect you’ll be able to take down a python or two.”

Lay waste to cities.

I know he means it partially in jest, but the reality of what I am comes rushing back in with the words, jostling my emotions, and suddenly I’m aware of the waves of emotional and physical exhaustion breaking over me. I lean against Lukas’s good shoulder, and he responds by pulling me closer, his cheek brushing my hair as he angles his head down to nuzzle against me. He inhales deeply, and then, to my great surprise, he kisses my temple, soft and lingering, as his fire shudders through my lines.

Lukas certainly isn’t the least bit shy in private, but he’s always been reserved and formal in public, and I’m both flustered and drawn in by his open display of affection.

“Would you like some?” His tone is light as he offers me Valasca’s flask of tirag.

“I think you need that more than I do,” I wryly observe, declining, even though it’s tempting. Part of me wants to deaden my ever-present grief and my fear of the future and the horrific memories of this evening. I want to forget that there are evil Shadow forces ready to destroy me and everything and everyone that I love. And I want to forget Lukas almost died tonight and how that shook me to the core.

But I also want to stay clearheaded, especially with Lukas injured and increasingly affected by the drink.

“How long do you think it will take me to learn to use a wand?” I ask him.

Lukas pulls in a long, languid breath, growing thoughtful. “It might take a while.” He focuses his glazed eyes on me, and my gaze is drawn to the sensual curve of his mouth, his lips shimmering green in this dark. “I’ve been training intensively in wand magic since I was a young child,” he says. “Elemental magic is complicated and difficult to master. And shielding is some of the most difficult magic of all. But we’ll simply take you out tomorrow morning and start from the beginning.”

“And we’ll pool what we know about mixed magical systems to protect her,” Chi Nam adds, throwing pointed looks at both Lukas and Valasca, her expression made even more formidable by the flickering red firelight. “The forces of all the Realms will throw everything they have at us,” she says. “We can’t afford to just be lethal. We need to be one step ahead of them at all times and know their magical systems better than they do.”

“I’ll have the advantage there,” Valasca boasts as she cradles her tea, her elbows resting on her knees as she leans toward the guttering fire. “Because my people link all the runic systems. None of this nonsense about magical mixing being against the gods. And we’re stronger for it. We actually value diversity in Amazakaraan.”

Lukas laughs then winces as he gives her an arch look. “To apoint.”

Valasca gives a conceding shrug. “All right, to a point. Minus men.”

Lukas’s sardonic smile widens. “That’s a sizable subtraction.”

Valasca rolls her eyes at him. “Yes, well, I’m here, aren’t I? Not killing you.” Her expression turns feline. “Not yet, anyway.”

Lukas nods, grinning. “Point taken.”

I look to Lukas in surprise. “Could she really kill you?”

Lukas glances at Valasca, their eyes meeting again for a long moment, as if they’re calmly sizing each other up, his gaze flicking over the blades she has sheathed on her arms, at her waist, across her chest. Lukas turns back to me and nods amiably. “Most probably. She’s the head of the Queen’s Guard. That’s not a position that goes to the talentless. She’s likely able to deflect any spell I could throw out.”

“You could try to run a sword through me,” Valasca offers helpfully.

Lukas shoots her a sarcastic look. “I imagine I can’t.”

Valasca barks out a laugh. “I imagine you can’t either.”

Lukas gives her a wolfish look and takes another swig from the flask of tirag, wincing a bit as he lifts his arm.

“Is the pain still bad?” I ask him as Valasca and Chi Nam fall into a conversation about how to link runes from different magical systems.

“Itwasbad,” Lukas says then pulls in another draft, his gaze on me serious, but then his mouth curves into a lazy grin. “But I’m feeling better and better.” His gaze does a slow slide over my newly gray form as his earth magic brushes my lines. “That gray on you... You’re so beautiful,” he muses throatily. “You look like a storm sweeping in.” He smiles at this, as if amused by his own sentiment, passion firing in his eyes. “You’re going to pull me clear under.”

I raise a brow at this effusive expression of his feelings, charmed by this more open, unrestrained Lukas. His thumb begins to trace a provocative spiral along the side of my waist. I glance at Valasca and flush at the amused, knowing look she’s giving me through the red flames.

“Have you ever drunk this much before?” I ask Lukas, meeting his gaze as his pianist fingers trace over me.

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