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Especially since I might find myself growing a baby in the coming weeks or months, and Namir would probably get more possessive and difficult when that happened.

When we made it to the training room, we found Lavee already talking to the warriors about magic, so Namir and I leaned up against the room’s doorway instead of going in.

My braid was draped over the marking on my neck, and Namir’s was probably hidden by my head or shoulder, so the change in our relationship wasn’t immediately obvious to anyone around us.

Lavee didn’t teach them about using it like a hand, or making it work with you, but about finding it. Feeling it, in your chest. Locating that spark of power, the wildness in your middle, and embracing it.

She flashed me a curious look when her instructions paused to let people practice for a moment, and though she didn’t ask aloud, I was pretty sure she was checking to make sure I was okay with her teaching the warriors instead of me. I gave her a quick smile back, and she relaxed.

And honestly, I was glad I didn’t have to train them myself. If she knew how to explain it, she could take that job permanently. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do with my life, but I wasn’t considering the role of magic teacher. Patience wasn’t one of my virtues, so teaching was not the job for me.

Namir’s arms were around my body, holding my back to his chest while the lesson went on. He didn’t say anything to me, but our shadows danced slowly around us.

It felt incredible, honestly. And not in a sexual way—in a comfortable, easy, peaceful way.

A happy way, even.

“Thinking about me?” Namir murmured, his lips only a breath from my ear.

“No,” I lied.

He chuckled, his teeth scraping my earlobe. “I love it when you lie to me.”

My lips curved upward, just the tiniest bit.

“You felt our emotions collide after the bond fell into place, right?” His voice was still soft, quiet enough that no one nearby would hear.

“Mmhm.”

“We’ll be able to communicate mentally at some point. I don’t know when exactly, but soon, I hope.”

I didn’t want to admit it, but I hoped so too.

Being able to communicate mentally would give us a way to converse more easily… and would make it much harder for us to have misunderstandings, I thought.

We watched the lesson until Lavee had everyone start practicing their magic. Then, Namir scooped me up into his arms and strode into the room.

I scowled up at him, earning a playful wink, and assumed he was heading toward the throne he had unceremoniously shoved into the corner of the room. Instead, he walked over to the few stairs leading up toward it, and then sat down. He set me on my ass on the stair below the one he occupied, holding my back to his chest with his arms around me loosely, but firmly as well.

We were getting a lot of curious looks, but Lavee growled at anyone who wasn’t practicing with their magic, so eventually they got over the strangeness of seeing us like that and focused on what they were doing.

Namir’s shadows slid around us, and I could feel his magic shifting and stretching as he tested the instructions Lav had given. While I didn’t know if it was helping him use more of his power—our power, now that our magic was bound—the feeling of it sliding over my skin and filling the air around me was a bit surreal. Warm, and comfortable, and right.

I felt settled in a way I hadn’t known I could.

I felt… at home.

Not in the castle, but with Namir. With our magic in the air, and our bodies touching. Not sexually, but intimately nonetheless.

The room exploded with moonlight as the first of the fae warriors found her magic. Cheers and whoops went through the room as the light dissipated, and I saw the female fae grinning and slapping hands with the people around her.

She continued practicing her magic with the others, and one by one, more warriors found the triggers to their magic.

Some of the magical bursts were much smaller than others, and some of the warriors had already discovered how to tune into their magic on their own, but didn’t possess the same level of power as the fae whose magic practically exploded.

Namir murmured sexy words and stupid jokes into my ear every now and then, his magic continuously floating around us and filling the air we occupied. Time passed quickly, and I felt happy.

Really happy.