Page 129 of Fate and Flame
He had agreed last night to help me train with swords. Rhogan had taken that as an invitation also, and now both barked orders at me while Kai attacked. I was getting better. I was a far cry from the warrior I’d been when we left the Wind Court. Still, I’d been almost useless against the tharraing. I couldn’t let that happen again.
“Good. Again,” the drac barked.
“Give it a rest, Greeve. Just because your mate’s giving you hell doesn’t mean you have to take it out on him.”
I stumbled. “Mate?”I knew they had grown close. I knew he was sulking over her. Had I avoided the signs? Refused to see them? She hadn’t told me.
“Yeah, didn’t you know?” Kai asked.
“No.” I raised my sword back up. “But I suppose it makes the most sense. You’re similar.”
“I don’t run away. I don’t fear the way she does,” Greeve said, his eyes going dark.
“I’ve known Gaea for a long time.”
“I know.” He gripped his wooden sword tighter and gave me a look.
I wondered how much she had told him. Probably everything.I took a step back. “I’m only saying when she needs space, the only thing you can do is give it to her. At least she’s here. When we . . . I mean . . . the old Gaea would have just disappeared.”
He nodded, and the conversation was over. He walked away before I could say anything else.
Kai held his fingers close together. “Little tip. Maybe don’t remind him you banged his mate.”
My eyes doubled.
“Yeah. We all know.” Rhogan kicked the sand and turned to hide his obnoxious grin.
“It’s not like I think of her that way anymore. I’m happily mated.”
Kai picked at a piece of lint on his sleeve as he casually asked, “How would you like it if I gave you advice on that sweet little fox you’re keeping locked up in your room?”
I balled my hands into fists, and Rhogan slid between us.
“Exactly,” Kai smirked. He’d used those words just to provoke me. To prove a point.
It worked.
“We’ve got a meeting to get to.” Rhogan pushed me toward the door. When we were far enough away, he let go.“He didn’t mean that, you know.”
“I know,” I snapped and stormed into the castle.
I found Nadra in the hall and pulled her into the room, smashed her against the wall and kissed her until my nerves calmed and I realized my response was completely irrational. I brushed the hair from her face and then kissed her gently. She reached up and ran her nails down my back in response, and I grabbed her around the waist and threw her onto the bed.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Ara
“You could just talk,” I barked at Fen as I chased him down the hallway. “Instead of glaring at me and making it awkward in front of everyone, just ask me.”
He opened the door to his study, and I followed him in, slamming it behind me. I crossed my arms as I took in the state of the room. The books that had filled the floors were still there, but the desk had been completely cleared off, everything thrown to the floor.
“Fen,” I said softly.
“You want to talk?” he answered, his voice the only thing I’d longed for since the second Gaea spirited us away last night. “You should have done that before you went on whatever your secret mission was. Whatever you thought was so important it was worth sneaking out of bed for.”
“You wouldn’t have let me go.”
“Then you shouldn’t have gone. And I won’t apologize for saying that. I may not tell you what you want to hear, but I’ll always tell you what you need to hear, Ara.” No anger, no emotion at all. The defeat on his face was worse than anything else.
