Page 57 of Enchanted Crown
“I don’t,” Malachi admitted. He thought over his words for a moment. “I do not know if there are gods or a god or what even gave us these powers to begin with, but what I have seen time and time again is that there is a counter to everything. A balance of sorts. A force at work that defies our basic understanding. So if Esta gained magic from Keir to become more powerful, I believe Keir will have some too. His counter to hers.”
Tiny dragon, ready or not.
The next day,Esta was finally awake enough to do some training with Jorah. Seeing the two of them together did something to me. For all the mistakes I had made, for how hurt Jorah had been when fleeing from my Assemblage, she didn’t seem to hold it against me. Nor did I hold her happiness with my brother against her. All of us were happy, there was no room for lingering resentments. No room for anything other than joy.
I was sparring with Malachi and Owen in one of the training rooms in the castle, not having anything else to do while the girls trained. I wanted to spy on them, on their progress, but Owen and Malachi agreed that it was best we just stay away and let them work. With the link to Esta, I knew exactly where she was even as I stayed away. I’d know if she was hurting or needed my help though she had yet to speak to me down our bond. One thing at a time though. She wanted to get the hang of Wylan’s Enchantment so we could leave back for Dra Skor on time.
My shoulders burned. I was feeling what I thought was back to full strength, but that aching from before hadn’t totally subsided yet and here I was sparring with two men who I could barely best on a good day.
Damn muscles. Who needed them?
Having managed to somehow beat Owen and Malachi separately, the two of them decided to gang up on me. I knew I was going to lose. They were both far too skilled together.
I knew it, but they also knew it. The pricks were having fun beating me two on one.
So I started using my Enchantment to level the playing field.
I threw chains at their feet to hold them in place and began quickly moving around them. Sweat beaded my forehead. It was chilly out this morning, but we should have just gone outside. Intypical fashion where Owen was concerned, what was meant to be something to just pass the time got a bit competitive.
I smacked Owen in the thigh, none too softly, and moved forward to stop Malachi’s practice sword.
“You wound me,” Owen hissed.
“Emotionally,” I offered as I spun away, “Or physically?”
“Yes,” Owen grit out, rubbing his thigh.
I let the chains at his feet fall only so that he could move and wiggle his leg which was likely feeling dead. I may not play fair, but I wasn’t a total monster.
Malachi lowered his sword. “Is it lunch time yet? Though none of Wylan disappoints, the queen’s cookies are rather reputable. I am hoping there are some still left.”
I laughed. Jorah had made Malachi cookies after taking her for a ride to see the birds. We now had sightings of a dozen of them. Where they had all come from, we didn’t know.
“Once more,” Owen rang out. He had that glint in his eyes which promised revenge.
Minutes later, all of us grabbing our knees, I managed to get away with only a nick under my ribs. I was going to call that a win. Owen was a beast in man form. My speed had been the only thing to save me from total embarrassment.
The tension between my shoulder blades from holding my weapon was burning again, so I placed it gently onto the floor and moved to stretch them backward.
As I did, Owen’s sword slipped to the ground with a clunk.
Malachi grinned at me. “I knew it.”
“Knew what?”
“Wings,” Owen said, eyes wide, mouth open. “Y—you have wings, Keir.”
CHAPTER 21
Ispun one direction. Then the other. Sure enough, I had sprouted wings. Black wings with a blue hued tint to them, the veins sprawling across them matching the color of my own Enchantment.
“What the hell?” Where was a mirror when I needed one most? When my body decided to pop outwings.
Malachi was laughing. “I thought if I got you moving around enough, it’d happen.”
“Was this why you wanted to arm wrestle me the other day?”
He nodded. “I wondered if there was a kind of muscle there that you didn’t know you needed to use. Convinced Owen this morning that we needed to get you up and moving. You have been focused on Esta, but not really moving around as much as you normally do.”
