Page 132 of Fated

I chuckled, stepping closer to him. “Of course, I want to marry you. I want the world to know we belong to each other in every way.” The way his face lit up made my heart skip a beat.

“Ok, yeah … We’ll talk about it more when we get back tonight,” he said, his eyes still wide.

I kissed him quickly, took the black clothes, and walked toward the bathroom.

Before shutting the door, I glanced back to see him still sitting in the same spot, still smiling as if he couldn’t believe his luck.

Showering quickly, I changed into the black and gray camouflage pants and the long-sleeved shirt. The material feltstrange, lightweight and cool, even with the long sleeves, like a second skin. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail and added a bit of light makeup, glancing at myself in the mirror. Dressed in combat gear, I felt oddly cute.

Strutting out of the bathroom, I found Ash waiting for me in the sitting room. I pretended not to notice as his eyes scanned my body from head to toe.

“I’ll take you dressed like that over some fancy dress any day.”

I bit back the smile threatening to form and casually walked over to the desk where he was standing.

“Tessa is going to send for you in a few days to get your power fitted to one of these,” he said, gesturing to the sleek gun at his side.

“What do you mean?” I asked, curious.

“The ammunition for this gun—it’s your actual magic. Only the strongest of us can even use one. The gun pulls directly from your power and converts it into concentrated shots. A single shot can be lethal for most divine; a human stands no chance, and even the more powerful divine will stay down for a while.”

I stared at the glossy black weapon, a thrill pulsing through me.

“You’re drooling, Areya,” Ash teased, pulling me out of my trance.

My attention snapped back to him, suddenly realizing I had been staring at the gun as if it was some shiny new toy I couldn’t wait to get my hands on.

He smiled, handing me a pair of clear glasses. “Put these on.”

I slid the glasses on as he instructed, and then he made me repeat certain words and phrases to sync my voice with the technology embedded in the lenses.

“Now press the button on the side of the glasses to turn them on,” he said.

I pressed the button, but nothing seemed to happen.

“Now say, ‘Activate camouflage.’”

“Activate camouflage,” I repeated, looking down to find my clothing blending in seamlessly with the surroundings. “Holy shit.”

I couldn’t help the grin spreading across my face, definitely geeking out.

Ash gave me an amused grin. “The glasses will automatically adjust to the sunlight, and there are a couple dozen other features, but I’ll teach you all that when I start your training.”

I nodded excitedly as Ash handed me a pair of black boots.

Once I had the boots on, he led me toward breakfast. I tried to keep track of the endless twists and turns through the castle’s hallways, but my nerves started to get the best of me.

I was lightheaded, my chest tightening with anxiety. As we rounded a corner, stopping in front of a dead end, Ash turned to face me, appearing concerned. “Areya, I can feel your panic. You’re about to hyperventilate,” he said, pulling me into his arms.

“Sorry!” I squeaked out.

“You have nothing to be afraid of.”

“Uh huh, nothing at all,” I said sarcastically. “We’re about to stroll into breakfast and drop a giant bomb on your family. ‘Hey Mom, hey Xanth. By the way, Areya is Queen now. Can you pass the butter?’

Ash chuckled, leaning his forehead against mine. “Breathe, Areya.”

I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm the storm inside me.

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