Page 79 of Lucifer's Mirror

Something to look forward to.

“Go,” she says when it becomes obvious that I literally can’t hold up the sword anymore. “Go go rest before dinner."

It sounds like a plan, but first I want to check in on Stella and the other horses.

I find the stables around the back of the cottage. They’re sort of open-plan so the horses can wander in and out of the stable into a small paddock area. There are two horses outside, Khaosti’s black stallion and a gray mare I presume belongs to Hecate. She’s beautiful, her coat gleaming almost silver.

I find Stella snoozing in one of the stalls. She blinks open her soft eyes as I approach and lets out a low nicker.

“Hey, girl,” I murmur, leaning close to breathe in her warm smell. “I have a present.”

I hold out the apple in my palm, and she takes it gently, her hard white teeth crunching into the juicy flesh.

“I don’t suppose you have another of those for me,” Zayne says from behind me, making me jump. Stella huffs out her breath and stamps her feet.

I turn to find him sitting on a pile of hay bales. I toss the other apple. He catches it and takes a bite.

“Thanks, I’m starving.”

Wait... “You’re speaking Valandrian. How?”

“Hecate did a spell thing, so now at least I can understand what everyone is saying.”

“That’s great. So what are you doing hiding in here?”

“Just hanging out. I’d forgotten how much I like spending time with horses. They’re soothing.” He peers at me, one eyebrow raised. “You look like you’re on your way to a fancy dress party,” he mutters, taking a bite of his apple as his gaze rakes me up and down. “And is that a fucking sword?”

“Yup. Apparently, it’s mine. And I could sword fight before, so Hecate is trying to jolt my memory.”

“That is both seriously scary and sexy as shit. Did it work?”

Did Zayne just say I was sexy? I’d never thought of him like that, not before that night on the garage roof where he’d sort of asked me to marry him. He’s twisting my brain, so I see him differently. Of course, I’ve always known he’s good-looking, but I guess I had so much other stuff on my mind that there was no room for boyfriends. I was concentrating on getting to know myself—not other people. And Zayne has always been my safe place. From the moment I met him, he made me feel as though things might work out. No way did I want to risk spoiling that.

“Earth to Amber,” he says, finishing the apple and tossing the core to Stella.

“Sorry. I was just thinking… Anyway, no, it didn’t work. I do remember how to use it”—I tap the sword at my shoulder—“but I don’t remember anything else.”

“I guess that means your memories might be in there somewhere.”

“That’s exactly what I thought. I just get so frustrated.” I sigh and plonk myself down on the hay bale beside him. Or at least I try to—my sword gets stuck in the hay, and I have to shift it out of the way. “What about you?” I ask. “I haven’t seen you all day. What have you been up to?”

At first, I don’t think he’s going to answer. His face gets that closed, stubborn look. I reach out and touch his thigh, and the tension oozes out of him as his shoulders slump.

“I’ve been with Khaosti.”

“That’s nice.” I frown. “I didn’t think you liked him.”

“I hate the arrogant fucker.”

I wait, biting back my questions—I’m getting good at that—hoping that he’ll open up on his own.

Finally, he blows out his breath. “He’s teaching me how to control my beast.”

I swing around to stare at him, then swallow. I peer into his eyes, but he still looks the same. “And how is that going?”

He taps his chest. “Total crap. I don’t think it wants to come out. And trying to force it fucking hurts like shit. It’s as if something is clawing its way out of me—which I suppose it is. According to Khaosti, I’m stopping it. ‘Let go of your fear and it will happen.’” He says the last bit in what I presume is supposed to be an imitation of Khaosti. Actually, it’s quite good. “Fucking bossy bastard. He says I can’t learn to control it if I don’t let go of my control first.”

“Well, I don’t blame you for being afraid.”