Page 139 of Fated or Knot

Marius nodded in agreement and took it from him. “My point is that you probably won’t be able to do that.” He pointed at the first dagger, still embedded in the target. “But a well-placed vortex could surpass the force of the strongest alpha’s throw.”

He mimed what he meant by tossing the dagger upward and making the palm-forward motion of summoning a vortex from his palm. I could see where it’d work, maybe. Still, I whined. I didn’t want to hurt anyone, and that was the clear purpose of this.

Marius rumbled back. We communicated instinct to instinct again.

He wanted me to have some kind of surprise prepared if I was ever in danger and he wasn’t nearby. If it wasn’t a vortex-powered dagger, then it’d be something more traditional. Besides, the spell was strong enough to shoot me straight in the air at full power. He picked me up by my hips without trouble, suggesting I weighed…

I growled viciously at what he was about to imply.

“Two feathers,” he said, letting the feral side recede. He lifted me further for a quick kiss before setting me on my feet. “While a dagger weighs nearly nothing. You could probably lift a whole arsenal’s worth of weapons with one spell, but precision is also important, else you’ll throw them away for nothing.”

Kauz glanced between us, his brows raised. “What?” Marius asked.

The winged fae tilted his head back and forth, weighing his words before he spoke. “Not to detract from the conversation, but did she just go feral for a moment?”

I opened my mouth to say it was just my omega instincts speaking for me, then realized that was probably the textbookdefinition of feral behavior. Oh, stars, we’d been having feral conversations on and off for a while.

Marius shrugged, unconcerned. “Aye. Her feral side isn’t like mine. It’s tiny and shy.”

“Talking with Niall is the most active it’s been. Other than…you know,” I said. Both males nodded. “I thought it was fading.”

The kelpie chuckled bitterly. “Much to the family’s disappointment, the transition to feral instincts is permanent. You’ll always have a bit that comes out when you’re upset, and I will have a case so advanced it requires a separate name.”

“No one blames you for your trauma.” Kauz rested a hand on his brother’s shoulder. Marius released the pressure on his clenched hands and cast his gaze away.

I eased myself into the space where he was looking. “You’ve survived a lot,” I said in agreement. “You’re very strong.”

“Not compared to you, p’nixie. But emotional strength won’t help you in a real fight.” After giving Kauz an appreciative nod, he turned to me and held out yet another dagger. “Enough of this. It’s time to practice.”

I accepted the weapon and that he didn’t want to talk about this anymore. But he’d just called me strong, and I wasn’t about to forget it, not with how much of a relief it was. I could let some nagging doubts fade for good now that I knew he saw me differently than he used to.

We tried several methods to executing this vortex trick. Tossing the dagger in the air and then hitting it with a vortex on its way down was unpredictable and usually resulted in the blade going wildly awry of the target. The most accurate method involved me holding the blade between my middle and fourth finger, with the blunt end of the weapon tucked into my palm. Once I released it and hit it with a vortex when it was as straight as possible, it shot in a straight line wherever it was pointed.

I hit the target by using this method once and embedded the dagger past the start of the hilt. Marius applauded lightly, a vicious grin on his face. By the time my essence levels were dwindling, he reiterated that I would need to keep practicing and placed the bandolier over the edge of the target “for later.”

“Thalas won’t mind this?” I asked.

The male in question peered down at us from over the edge of one of the upper platforms. Those bat ears really were sharp. “Mind what? Oh, are you all leaving?”

I was feeling tired after expending so much essence. A nap sounded nice, but we were heading to the library nest, which meant Thalas had to come with us. Marius took a protective stance right behind me as we traveled through the halls. He was back to warning away any alpha that glanced in my direction with a growl or his bared fangs.

We walked to the library tower, and I groused about stairs midway through climbing to the top. Just by passing through, we’d acquired Eletha too, who’d rushed ahead with the two dream wardens. Marius kept pace a few steps below me.

“Fucking stairs,” he said in agreement but let me climb them rather than sweep me up to do it for me. I appreciated the chance, even though I arrived at the top with sore ankles and tight calves.

Thalas cast the spell that would make the magical lock on the library nest open at my touch. We then settled into the nest together and had quiet time only broken by the scratching of Eletha’s pen as she continued working on her manuscript. Kauz and his father worked on a puzzle together, while Marius had me sit in an armchair.

My feral mate rustled through a small cupboard, grumbling about organization as he picked out random items before placing them back inside in some semblance of a better order. He picked out a wooden pot that looked similar to the containerof bruise salve he’d left in my room. After he returned to my chair, he sat on the ground and worked off my shoes.

Oh, he was doing this right now? I shifted, a little self-conscious. He didn’t really have to. I’d loosen up soon enough, once my body was used to the motions of walking.

Marius hesitated before purposefully letting Niall loose by the dilation of his eyes. He rumbled quietly as he unscrewed the pot’s lid and rubbed lotion between his palms. That bit of me that was feral understood he was saying,“Let me take care of you.”

I wanted to answer in kind, but my instincts didn’t rise again so soon. Still, it was like we had our own secret language, promising to become easier to use once our bond was complete. I extended my right leg, as that side was still stiff with disuse.

He started massaging with a soft purr.“Mate.”

I smiled and settled back. Someday, I’d return the favor, but for now, I needed this. Those firm fingers coaxed out the pain and stiffness from my legs, working on me from foot to knee. He was attentive to the needs he must’ve sensed through our one-way bond, adjusting the pressure he used and returning to problematic spots.

---