Page 11 of Hellfire

Cole lifted one of my legs over his to massage. “I’m intrigued by what she’ll say that she couldn’t say over the phone.”

“That makes two of us.” She was very vague during their conversation. “Do you have a list of questions you want to ask?”

“Hundreds.” His grip on me hardened a little. “I’ll take it as it comes.”

“That will sound more natural, and more questions would fall from her answers.”

He nodded, ending that topic and starting a new one. “What classes are you taking this semester?”

I tapped my lip, recalling my schedule. “Defensive Spells, Level Two. Introduction to Potion Making and Offensive Spells, Level One.”

Cole chuckled and patted the side of my thigh. “You’ll love Potion Making.”

“Really? I was looking forward to Offensive Spells.” I needed to practice those for the showdown with my grandfather that tempered like forged steel in my blood, a weapon shaped to perfection.

My man continued his massage, getting a knot in the center from all the standing and walking we did this past week to repair the Veil. “It’s a good insight into what the Hadrians do.”

We all needed to know the roles of every Guild member as part of our studies to familiarize ourselves with who could assist us and how.

“I’m not looking forward to the dark arts.” A pain lashed down my spine from sitting rigid in my chair.

Ever since the wards mapped my mind, more memories cracked through my thoughts beyond the snake tongue Gable pried free. Lessons with my grandfather where he slapped orhumiliated me if I didn’t perform to his expectations. Locked alone in a cell if I failed to apprehend the gantii he needed for a life-preserving spell.

Cole’s fingers went easier on me, responding to my tension, and I loved that he knew the cues of my body well. “My Dark Princess should excel at it.”

I leveled him with a hard stare. “Not funny. I dread that subject.”

He skimmed his palm along my quad. “Why? Are you nervous about your classmates?”

I bristled. “A little. I’m worried that looking at specific characters or reciting certain words will bring memories back.” I buried my face in my palm. “I do not want to go Dark Luna.”

He clasped my knee, the weight and warmth of his palm pumping me with reassurance. “Don’t hide from your past, Luna. Embrace it. Light and Dark Princess. All of it. Just because you were trained in the dark magick, doesn’t mean using it will turn you evil.”

He sounded like Gable, reminding me how the white magick lightened the darkness in my heart, mind, soul, in my very DNA. Evidenced by the discoloring of the second dark snake on my wrist from black to white.

I clasped his hands and squeezed. “Sometimes I need to hear that when everything reminds me of what I’ve done wrong.”

I reeled off a list in my mind: my snake tattoos branding me evil, disobeying orders to save Blaze, dating my teacher when it was against the rules, and my friendship with Gable. I shuddered at the last one, disgusted by my powers to control a gantii and snake against its will.

“I know, baby.” Cole pressed one palm to my heart. “You’re good in here, and that’s all I care about.”

I let out a gush of air, swallowing back a sob, grateful for his endorsement, commitment, and love. “I haven’t encountered theworst of it yet. Imagine what it will be like when all my memories come flooding back.”

“We’ll take it one day at a time,” Cole reminded, his voice low and soothing. “Don’t worry about it until then.”

Easy for him to say. He had all his memories, as horrible as they were. Maybe I was lucky in that respect. Some part of me wanted to keep the past buried, while the other wanted to unleash my full potential. I shoved those thoughts aside to enjoy the rest of my afternoon.

He changed the direction of the conversation again. “Let’s start planning a vacation since our mid-year one went to shit.”

His suggestion brightened my dulled mood and gave me a heightened sense of appreciation and trust that we felt comfortable broaching these topics when I didn’t feel secure addressing them with Talon or Blaze, given our rocky history. Our vibe changed from enemies to lovers to trust, friends, and hot tamale sauce spicy lovers. Oh, God… Astra rubbed off on me. Regardless of our status, I didn’t get into certain topics with my bonded or prince, and I was okay with that. Cole and Gable were enough to confide in.

Cole’s fingers tapped on my leg. “What about a Christmas vacation or even a weekend getaway with your harem?”

Harem. The first time he used the word when he previously avoided it.

I cupped his face. “I’d love to explore Sydney. Mom and Dad never took me there. Too many of Grandfather’s spies.”

My man’s mouth curled up into a secretive smile. “I might have something up my sleeve. Stay tuned.” He patted more of a beat into my legs and grinned.

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