Page 21 of Rites of Passage

She stilled at the sight of the jagged scar running diagonally across the sorcerer’s back. It was her first time seeing it. The skin was puckered, as if it hadn’t healed properly. Anger sent heat flushing through her body.

It was Oscar who’d inflicted the wound on Nikolai, on the night they’d engaged in the Trial of Blood, a competition where a Sorcerer King would force his children to fight to the death to determine who was the strongest among them. The last child standing would be deemed his heir and go on to inherit the evil sorcerer’s powers when the next king needed to take the throne. Though long banned by former Sorcerer Kings, Nikolai and Oscar’s father had revived the practice in recent years.

Mae knew the Dark Council would have had healers who could have tended to Nikolai’s wound. Except they had chosen not to.

That’s something else I won’t forgive those bastards for.

Nikolai studied her with a faint frown as he opened the refrigerator. “Are you okay? You look like you’re about to murder someone.”

“Yeah.” Mae forced her face to relax. She hesitated. “Does it hurt?”

“Does what hurt?”

“Your scar.”

His eyes flared with surprise. His face grew shuttered the next instant.

“Not really,” he said dismissively. “It’s more numb than anything.”

Mae couldn’t help but feel a little hurt at his reserved tone. She’d thought the stuff they’d been through together meant he trusted her. She chewed the inside of her cheek.

“What?” Nikolai grunted.

“You can probably heal it. You know, with your white magic.”

His brows knitted together. “Does it bother you that much?”

Mae blinked.

“No!” she blurted out. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

A tense silence fell between them.

Nikolai’s shoulders loosened. “I know. I’m sorry, it’s just…it’s still a sore subject.” He sighed. “Why don’t you have a shower and change? It won’t take me long to—” He stopped and narrowed his eyes at the top shelf of the refrigerator. “What the hell happened to the ground beef I was defrosting?”

They turned to Brimstone, their stares accusing. The fox avoided their eyes.

“Do you have something to say?” Mae asked coolly.

What?the fox said defensively.I was peckish.

She flashed an apologetic look at Nikolai. “I’ll order pizza.”

“Fine,” he grumbled. “FYI, the rate at which we’re ordering takeout, we’re gonna pile on the pounds.”

Mae studied Nikolai’s perfectly toned body surreptitiously. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on the man and they both knew it.

Brimstone grinned.There’s something you both can do about those pounds—ouch!He glared at Mae.What’d you step on my tail for?

“To stop you from putting stupid ideas in his head,” she muttered.

Nikolai glanced suspiciously from her to Brimstone.

Why? It’s not as if he can read my mind.Brimstone sniffed.Besides, the bird thinks he’s keen to do the dance of the two-headed beast with you too.

Mae’s stomach clenched.He does?!

She looked at Alastair. The crow squawked and groomed his feathers, oblivious to the racy thoughts filling her mind.

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