Dylan’s eyebrows rose, and Gabby’s eyes danced between us.

  “None of us were there, AJ,” he said.

  “Damn. That’s what I thought.”

  “Weren’t you there?” Gabby asked, pushing aside her empty plate.

  “I was for the fight, but as always, I used too much magic and passed out.” I glanced around again, trying to make it seem like a secret. Maybe it was. “I was hoping you could tell me about the Elvin army. I would’ve loved to see them show up in their silver armor glittering in the sun.” I pretended to swoon.

  Dylan snorted, then leaned back and laughed. “You’ve got a crush on the elves.”

  “Shhh! You don’t have to say it so loud,” I hissed.

  Gabby joined in his mockery of my elf obsession. I smiled, happy to take the jabs if it sounded believable. Anything to keep from drawing suspicion. I had no desire to hurt Gabby. Sure, she’d find out about Dylan’s offer and would probably be upset, but I wasn’t about to rub it in her face by discussing it openly. Dylan could talk to her privately if everything worked out.

  We talked and joked for another ten minutes until Gabby announced she had physical therapy with one of the Woodland Fae healers.

  “You’ll be outrunning all of us in no time,” I said.

  “I doubt it, but at least I’ll be able to join the upcoming fight.” She gave me another quick hug, then disappeared.

  Dylan stacked their empty plates, then drained his glass. The silence between us hovered uncomfortably for a few minutes. He avoided my gaze, so I watched his jaw clench beneath his perpetual five o’clock shadow.

  “I couldn’t tell her no,” he said, “when she asked to come with me.”

  “I understand completely. She’s having a hard enough time. We don’t need to add rejection to the pile.” If we had time for her to both finish her physical therapy and train with the Dionadair, I would have asked her to join us. She’d be a great fit. But time wasn’t on our side. Maybe we could expand the team once we defeated Neobitch.

  “Yeah.”

  I tucked my fingers under my thighs so I wouldn’t fidget with them. “You know why I’m here, don’t you?”

  “I think so, and I don’t know what to tell you,” he said. “After you invited me to lunch, I skipped the rest of my training session to find Vince and Blaire.”

  I let the surprise show on my face. Apparently, my newest team members had a bunch of company this morning.

  “I’m not sure I can do it, AJ.” Dylan’s eyes finally met mine. “I don’t want anyone to know all my thoughts. What if the elementals sit around gossiping about us? I’d be mortified if anyone else caught wind of some of the stuff floating around in my head.”

  I tried to hide my smile. I really did, because I understood where he was coming from, even if I’d never thought about it myself.

  “It’s not funny,” he growled.

  “You’re right.” I licked my lips then bit down really hard. “I just had this mental image of the elementals sitting around a campfire getting trashed and sharing the shit that floats around in my head. I’d be so embarrassed, but I’m sure they’d get a kick out of it.” I chuckled. “Seriously, though. It never occurred to me that my elementals might betray my trust. They’re definitely more…um…mature? Honest? I don’t know the right word.”

  “You’ve never worried about them telling someone else your secrets?” he asked, his dark eyes full of concern.

  “No. I never even thought about it until today,” I replied. “If it helps, everyone I’ve talked to has the same concerns as you. No one wants to have someone in their head.”

  He leaned across the table. “I don’t think Vince and Blaire really thought about it until it was too late,” he whispered. “Vince is having a really hard time knowing they see his thoughts. He’s afraid his elementals will talk to someone else’s and then they’ll talk to their Dionadair.”

  I leaned forward until only a few inches separated us. “Blaire already knows how he feels,” I said quietly. “He doesn’t need to worry about the elementals spilling the beans. I only spent ten minutes with them, and it was obvious. So was her reaction to him.”

  Dylan smiled. “You don’t miss a thing, do you?”

  “Only the important stuff,” I corrected. “Vince just needs to talk to his elementals about his concerns. It’s not like they don’t already know. Open, honest conversations are the only way to go.”

  He laughed. “I trust your judgement in this, probably more than I should. I’ll have an answer for you tonight.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Dylan.”

  He stood up, then carried his and Gabby’s dirty plates into the restaurant, leaving me to stare at the chair he’d just vacated.

  Damn.

  AJ? Luria’s voice prevented me from dwelling on Dylan’s words.

  What’s up?

  Can you meet me in my room?

  I didn’t like the apprehension in her voice. Was Elaine with her? Were they talking about becoming Dionadair together? Only one way to find out.

  Be right there.

  Instead of arriving in her apartment, I went to mine. First, it was rude to just barge in. I only did that to Lodron because he’d crossed that line ages ago. Second, I didn’t want to interrupt anything if Elaine was there. It’s not like she was that far away. Walking three doors down the hall wasn’t going to kill me.

  I tapped lightly on her door, and it opened a few moments later. Luria led the way into her space and gestured to Elaine sitting on the sofa in the living room.

  Elaine glared at me as I sat in the chair across from her.

  “What’s that for?” I asked.

  “You asked her first?” Elaine hissed. “Without even talking to me.”

  “We’re not going there,” I warned. “I’ve had a really shitty couple days.”

  “Don’t be a bitch,” Luria said, sitting down next to Elaine.

  I wasn’t sure which one of us she was talking to, so I assumed it wasn’t me.

  “We can’t seem to agree on whether or not we want to be included in this mess,” Luria continued. “I do, but she does not.”

  I bit my lip to hold back my smart-ass remark. I was getting really tired of saying the same thing over and over again.

  “I hate to say this, but you figure it out,” I snapped. “I love you both and would be thrilled to have you on the team, but in the end, it’s your decision. One you can’t back out of. So think about it really hard before you jump in.”

  “Thanks for being so very helpful,” Luria retorted.

  “That’s what I’m here for.” I stood and headed for the door.

  “Really? That’s it?” Elaine called after me.

  “Yep. You two need to talk about it and decide what’s most important to you.” I stopped, my hand hovering over the doorknob as I swallowed the lump in my throat. Braden and I had made that decision, and I still had doubts whether it was the right one. I missed the security he gave me, and I felt terrible about the demise of his people. Had he been focused on them instead of me from the beginning, it might have ended differently. “Come find me in the morning.” I stepped out into the hall and closed the door.

  It was harsh and I knew it, but damn. None of this was my doing. Everyone I thought would be a perfect fit for the Dionadair all but refused. Except Luria. I wasn’t sure she was thinking it through, though. I suspected Elaine would talk Luria down and I’d have to find someone else.

  Everyone’s fear of having the elementals in their heads was real even if it wasn’t really justified. They wouldn’t know unless they took that leap of faith, and it wasn’t my job to push them over the edge.

  Chapter 10

  I no longer got invites to Nardan’s private dining room, which was usually fine with me, but today would’ve been nice. The king never allowed controversial discussions during dinner. It was always meaningless stuff, and I liked it that way.

  Tonight, I sat with the warriors who trained with me every day. Luria was missing. No surprise there. I really hoped she and Elaine didn’t let this decision end their relationship.

  Vince and Blaire joined our little section of the long table tonight. At first, I thought it’d be nice to have some different conversation, but everyone wanted to badger them about their new role. Vince made it clear he had no desire to talk about it, and the tension among us increased with the silence.

  I finished my food in record time and stood. “It’s been a really long day,” I muttered, knowing I sounded pathetic. “I’ll see you all later.”

  Several nods and mumbles followed me from the room, adding to my frustration. Training with my new team this evening started looking better and better. A little swordplay and magic wielding would actually feel good after a day of trying to convince people the elementals weren’t the enemy.

  Ten minutes later, I was in my really cool armor standing in the middle of the large training cavern beneath the castle. My fiery glaive swung in slow, rolling arches around me. My modified version of Luria’s sword dance. Feeling its magic caress my skin gave me a sense of calm and focus. It cleared my mind and allowed my jumbled thoughts to slip away.

  “How do you create that weapon?” Blaire’s voice interrupted my dance.

  “My wind elemental taught me to make the original,” I replied, holding my glaive in front of me. “My earth and fire gave me the rest a couple weeks ago.”

  “I want to learn.” Her hesitation made me look up.

  “Ask your elementals to teach you,” I said. “Mine taught me most of what I know. I had help with spells and specific techniques from others, but everything else came from my elementals.”

  Vince stood right next to Blaire, close but not touching. Protective but not invasive.

  “It’s hard to trust them,” he said. “We’ve been told for so long that they betrayed us.”

  “Have you talked to your elementals about it?” I asked. “Or do you just sit around and let your anger build because you know they hear your distrust and resentment?” He snarled at me, and I waved a dismissive hand at him. “Get over it, Vince. You’re in this now, whether you like it or not. Do you really think your elementals want to listen to your hate? You think it encourages a good working relationship?”

  The ground beneath us rumbled, and a gust of wind pulled at my hair. Magic grew thick and heavy in the air as all twelve of our elementals swirled into the room. I quickly realized I couldn’t tell mine from everyone else’s. They all took the same un-gendered humanoid form. Even Adeen, who normally flaunted her femininity.

  Fear circled Blaire and Vince like a tangible rope, tying them together. I didn’t know how to convert that fear into trust. Or maybe I did. They needed to see their elements as friends, not enemies.

  “Welp, now that everyone’s here, how about some poker?” I suggested.

  Adeen’s throaty laughter filled the room. “Finally! You promised poker night weeks ago.” One of the fire elementals pirouetted, giving her away. She was right, though. We were supposed to continue poker night and we hadn’t. I missed the therapeutic benefits that came with it.

  “Seriously, when have we had time?” I quipped. “Who brought the cards? Oh, and we need a table.”

  “We have too many for poker,” Niyol said, joining Adeen’s dance.

  An earth elemental broke from the group and pulled a long slab of stone from the floor. The entire cavern shook, and I glanced at the elemental. A grin spread across its wide face. Danae.

  The other earth elementals lined each side of our impromptu table with stone benches they also pulled from the floor.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” I said, letting my gaze drift over everyone. Way too many for poker. “How about a game of Charades?”

  Vince and Blaire hadn’t moved from their spot at the edge of the room. Instead of shrinking backward, though, they leaned toward the table of elementals. The elementals’ current form prevented me from seeing their expressions. I only knew mine because I’d seen them speaking to me.

  “Really?” Vince asked, finally finding his voice. “Games? Shouldn’t we be training?”

  I sat on the corner of the nearest stone bench and pointed a finger at him. “You either play the game or sit on the sidelines,” I said. “If you don’t play, you don’t learn how to work as a team. You also don’t get to bitch about the outcome, because you had nothing to do with it.” I slapped my hand on the stone table and winced. Not my brightest idea. “You also get no credit for winning, because you had nothing to do with that either.”

  Four elementals sat in a cluster around me, and the others stood on the opposite end of the table, waiting for their hosts to make a decision. It wasn’t about the game and everyone knew it. It was about acceptance. Niyol stretched across the table and pulled my hand into his.

  Hey bestie. I gave him a great big smile before turning back to my new team.

  Blaire looked up at Vince and placed her hand on his arm. He pulled his stubborn gaze from me and gave it to the redhead next to him. I had no doubt they were having a private conversation. Vince’s full lips pressed into a thin line, and his brows drew together. Blaire stepped in front of him and splayed her fingers against his chest. His entire body sagged with her touch, his expression softening. I almost felt bad for him. She totally had him wrapped around her finger.

  She reached up and kissed his cheek, then turned away. Vince’s eyes smoldered as he watched her take a seat at the table. Four of the elementals joined her. Finally, Vince sighed and took his place at the far end of the table, the remaining elementals joining him. I let a small smile tug at my lips. We could do this.

  Tell me again why you shouldn’t lead?

  Ronquil’s voice startled me, and my eyes jumped to the doorway. He and Lodron stood side-by-side with the same look of amazement.

  I can do this part, I said. I need you for the rest.

  He glanced at Lodron, who nodded. A spark of hope bloomed in my chest as Ronquil pushed off the doorframe and crossed the space. I slowly stood when he stopped in front of me.

  “I’m yours,” he said.

  Adeen purred next to me, and I slapped her arm without taking my gaze from Ronquil. His eyes flicked to my elemental, and a smile tugged at his lips.

  “No. We are yours,” I corrected. “I’m sure Dusha already knows. Be prepared to get pulled to the Elemental Council.”

  Sure enough, my spirit elemental appeared with his typical blinding light. I laughed as his enormous wings wrapped around Ronquil, making the giant fae look like a child.

  “Be good to him,” I said to Dusha.

  “I may have found a troll for the team,” he stated, ignoring my quip.

  “Fantastic! Just make sure it’s okay with Yera or Ekon.”

  “Already done.”

  Ron and Dusha disappeared a second later. I automatically looked for Lodron at the door, but he was gone. My smile faded. How did he really feel about Ronquil taking the lead? The two didn’t always agree. I just hoped they respected each other enough to make it work.

  “Teach us how to play this game of lies,” Adeen said, drawing my attention back to the table.

  “Charades,” I corrected.

  “There’s a difference?”

  I laughed, then started explaining the rules.

  For the next hour, we acted like fools. It was the perfect stress relief and ice breaker for Vince and Blaire, who quickly became comfortable with their own elementals.

  Being in each other’s minds made our game so much harder. The elementals wanted to cheat—imagine that—so we had to modify the rules for mind reading. Then amend them again to prevent the elementals from changing out of their humanoid forms.

  In the end, Blaire’s team won the first round with cheers and hugs. My face hurt from laughing. I loved it. Vince’s smile made me love it more, even if his happiness came from Blaire’s enthusiasm. Most of all, I loved the ease in which they all interacted. We could make this work. Blaire and Vince could set the stage for the others who would no doubt be joining us soon.

  Thirty seconds into our second round of Charades, Vince had one hand on his knee and the other above his head. His fingers were doing some weird thing that made absolutely no sense. Based on his elementals’ expressions, they had no idea either.

  Blaire and I burst into a fit of laughter, until Dusha’s blinding light interrupted Vince’s pantomime. Silence settled across the room, and the elementals disappeared. I felt mine attach themselves to my magical core, and dread filled my heart.

  “What happened?” I asked, stepping away from the table. I noticed Vince and Blaire doing the same.

  “One of the dark fae is on the beach trying to take down the barrier,” Dusha said.

  I quickly crossed the space between us. “Just one?” I asked.

  He nodded, taking my hand in his. “Follow me.”

  “We need to tell Lodron.”

  “I will as soon as I drop you off.” He glanced over my shoulder, and I followed his gaze. My team nodded, and the cavern-turned-game room disappeared.

  I stumbled onto the darkened beach, immediately taking in the growing tendrils of shadow blocking out the moon above. My eyes searched the sand, quickly finding the lone warrior. An inky fog stretched from his upturned palms, racing across the now visible dome above me.

  “That’s not good,” I mumbled as soon as Blaire and Vince appeared at my side.

  My weapon flared to life, drawing the dark fae’s attention. A silent laugh escaped his lips, but he didn’t stop pushing the eerie fog over our barrier. He was testing it. A sacrifice for Sabina to find out how defenseless we were, no doubt.

  “Don’t kill him and don’t let him escape.” I lunged at him with my glaive, jumping through the barrier to his side.

  The idiot on the other side of the shield clearly didn’t expect it. He didn’t have time to flinch as my fiery blade burned a path through his abdomen and out his back, just missing his spine.

  I wrapped my fingers around his neck. “We’re coming for your queen,” I hissed.

  His eyes widened. “How did you do that?”

  “For me to know and you to never find out.” I spat. “Time for a little torture, my friend.”

 

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