Page 102 of The Dark Mage
When he rose from the bedroll, she sucked in a breath at the sight of him—broad chest, toned muscles, the morning light playing over every sculpted inch.Her cheeks warmed with a blush as he twirled a finger, silently telling her to turn around.
With every lace he tightened, he pressed a kiss along her shoulder blades, each touch sending tiny tremors through her.She wasn’t sure she’d keep her composure if he continued.Snatching his breeches from the table, she tossed them behind her with a sharp motion before pulling on her overdress.The rich purple fabric cascaded around her—it was Fael’s favorite dress, the one she had bought after their first night together at theinn.
When she turned to face him, she realized the sight of him half-dressed, his pants clinging to every curve of his muscular legs and his tan chest still bare, was even more distracting.
He stalked toward her like a predator, and a thrill licked down her spine.His hands gripped her backside firmly, pulling her flush againsthim.
She sucked in a shaky breath, biting back a moan as heat coursed throughher.
“I still feel like I shouldn’t let you out in this dress,” Fael murmured, his tone low and possessive.His fingers trailed along the neckline, brushing over the swell of her breasts, and she shook with longing.
“Fael,” she rasped, her voice thick.
He grinned, fully aware of the effect he had on her, every inch of her tingling and alive under his touch.And then, he pulled away, slipping his shirt over hishead.
She didn’t know what was worse—desiring him and holding back, or having him withdraw and leaving her aching formore.
He took her hand as they left the tent, tucking his shirt in as they walked toward the fire.Esrin cast a pointed glance toward Wilenrut, who ruined Esrin’s subtlety by openly staring at them.Ren’wyn flushed deeper, and Fael gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.They sat by the fire as Sorya passed them plates of breakfast.
“Will you be joining up to spar, Zev?”Fael asked casually, stirring the conversation around thefire.
Ren’wyn froze mid-bite, startled by Fael’s open challenge to fight a man he barely knew who possessed magic.She glanced between them, her fork hovering over hereggs.
Zev’s surprise registered briefly before his soft voice broke the silence.
“I’ll fight you, berserker,” he said evenly, his tone unreadable.“Have you trained to fight a wight before?”
Leta chuckled as Fael parted his hair with his fingers, revealing the black swirls tattooed on his scalp.“I’ve trained to fight all the magics,” he replied with a casual shrug.
Zev’s dark eyes narrowed in understanding.He reassessed Fael, now fully aware of who—and what—he hadbeen.
The sparring drew everyone’s attention, leaving Esrin to throw up his hands in mock exasperation at nothing productive getting done.The group cleared an area near the trees as Zev selected a scimitar and Fael a short sword.
Ren’wyn felt their magic stretch toward each other—Zev’s strange emptiness gathering like a void, while Fael glowed with power, his eyes flickering with barely containedrage.
Their movements were a deadly dance, Fael’s strength and speed evident in every swipe and parry.His muscles rippled beneath his clothing, and Ren’wyn recognized the precision of the Passage in his anticipation of Zev’s advances.
Zev, impossibly fast, darted and ducked with razor-sharp precision, his focus unwavering as he studied Fael intently.As their fight intensified, so did their power.Fael’s skin glimmered with a golden hue, flames licking down his blade, while Zev’s energy surged in a silent crescendo—
Then, suddenly, he disappeared into nothingness.
Fael froze in response, his eyes closing as a rush of his power washed over Ren’wyn’s skin—bright and searing.With her second sight, she saw it illuminate Zev’s hidden form as he crept silently along the trees.
Fael leaped toward him with furious precision, and Zev flickered into view, raising his scimitar just in time to meet the onslaught.The force of Fael’s attack crashed down, knocking Zev to the ground, his short sword poised at his throat.Ren’wyn’s breath caught as Zev’s face broke into a wide, glorious smile.
“An excellent opponent!”Zev declared, grasping Fael’s forearm as he rose.“I did not expect to be unmasked by magic.Wherever did you learn to dothat?”
Fael smiled, a rare glint of pride in his expression.“I had an intense Master who taught me to seek with my power.The fire of the berserkers, he said, can expose magic.I can also feel the hum of another’s power against my skin.Yours feels like an indrawn breath; Esrin’s, Sorya’s, and Relya’s like a summer wind; and Ren’wyn’s like frost.”
Zev nodded, running a hand over his chin thoughtfully.“Very interesting,” he murmured.“I can feel the dark one’s power as well.”His gaze shifted to Ren’wyn—not hostile but guarded.“I have never met her kind before.Her power calls to mine like a siren’ssong.”
As Zev turned his attention toward her, Ren’wyn tensed.His magic dragged against her own, like claws snagging on soft fabric.The sensation grated against her will.The rest of the group began to wander off, satisfied now that the fight was over, leaving only Fael, Esrin, Zev, and Ren’wyn behind.
“That doesn’t feel good,” Ren’wyn said through gritted teeth, glaring atZev.
“You’re strange, dark one,” Zev mused as he began to circle her.“Not as vile as I was taught to believe.The devotion of these two men suggests there’s more to you than killing.And your features…” He paused, a faint smirk curling his lips.“Surprising.I wouldn’t have expected the soft curves and pink cheeks of such a sweetgirl.”
Ren’wyn bristled as Zev closed his eyes, and again those claws scratched at her magic.She hissed, barely holding back her frustration.
