Page 41 of A Touch of Gold and Madness (Celestials of Arcadia #1)

Chapter 40

Chrome

“ G reat, so we’re fucked,” River said.

I stood before my core crew in the war room to fill them in on the extent of Forest’s plans, my full knowledge of Arcadia, and the bond I shared with Gray. It was time everyone knew. Just because I feared it would lead to my own secrets being revealed didn’t mean that I had the right to withhold important information.

“What does it mean if Forest gets ahold of you and Gray together? Can he force you two to open another portal for him?” Void asked, sitting beside River at the long meeting table.

I moved to sit at one end, while Gray headed the other. Onyx and Orion flanked either side of me, as Aella and River flanked Gray’s.

“Don’t know,” I said. “There’s a lot to our bond that has yet to be discovered.”

“But if we can explore it, learn some control over it, then we’ll know better how to protect ourselves from Forest,” Gray added, holding my gaze in solidarity.

“What do you need?” Kodiak sat straight in his seat, his beard looking just a tad longer than usual .

“Since Forest is looking for us, we need to be prepared for an attack. From now on, everyone at this Hollow is to be armed at all times. No bracelets either. We also need to build up a reserve on antidotes because everyone will need to always have a syringe on them, too.”

Kodiak nodded. “I’ll talk to my mother about the antidote. I’ll also schedule ways to increase training for the warriors.”

“Everyone, warrior or not, will need to be included in training.”

Onyx leaned forward on his forearms, lacing his fingers together. “I’ll coordinate with Orion and Kodiak to organize that.”

“I’ll handle hand-to-hand sparring,” Void said, and everyone nodded in agreement. “I don’t know if I’ll have time to be present for weapons, as well, if everyone in the Hollow is to be trained. But I can put the Rambo triplets in charge of weapons.”

I looked to Orion. “You’ll take magic combat?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll organize the schedules and delegate the trainings to those most experienced in their element.” He turned his gaze to Aella. “So that means you’ll take the lead with air elementals, yes?”

Aella offered a gentle smile and a dip of her head. “Thank you, Orion.”

“No, thank you. You have a way of working with others.”

River and Kodiak agreed to take up the combat training for the earth and water elementals while we couldn’t choose the right fire elemental just yet.

When all that was settled, we ventured to the topic of preparing for Sergeant Hogan’s arrival. He was said to be bringing at least two others with him, so it wouldn’t require much. But we wanted to provide comfort for the humans. Especially since it had been far too long since they’d experienced any sort of luxury.

“I’ll make sure two cabins are cleaned and prepared,” Orion offered.

“I’ll continue to work with Gray on mastering her Kinetic and Elemental abilities. And, Void, whenever you get the chance, it would much be appreciated if you continued to work with her in sensory awareness?” I asked .

Void shifted in his seat and turned his silver-rimmed gaze onto Gray. He didn’t answer right away, clearly pondering his response. “As difficult as the princess can be, I’ll accept. Only because I don’t want her ignorance to get us all killed.”

“Don’t,” I said through clenched teeth. “Don’t speak to her like that.” My magic thrummed through my body, both parts, electrifying me and wanting to burst. I shook trying to hold in.

Void slowly turned his head toward me, cocking a brow. The silence was heavy as everyone waited with bated breath to see how this would turn out. With a quirk of his lip, he said, “I knew it.”

“What?” I snapped.

“I guess this bond between you two is real, after all.” Void laughed deeply before turning his attention back to Gray. It was rare to hear his laugh. But when he did, it meant something. “I hate to admit it, Princess, but you’re growing on me. Just a little. If there’s anyone with bigger pride issues than you, it’s him,” he quipped, nodding his head in my direction. Void rubbed his bottom lip with his forefinger and thumb. “I’m still going to give you shit on a daily basis. Don’t think otherwise.”

The bond told me that Gray was confused by his acceptance of her, but I understood he could tell a difference in me since her arrival.

Gray bit her bottom lip, trying not to smile. “Sure. And I’m gonna continue to show off my charming personality until you officially crack. It’s my main goal here.”

“Your main goal?” I asked with a tilt of my head. What the hell went on in those sessions?

“Yes, Oh, Mighty Chrome, it is. I do not wish to elaborate, so if you have an issue with it, please…take the floor.” Gray swept an arm in front of her to elaborate her point.

Onyx leaned over to whisper to River, “What the fuck just happened?”

River shook her head, meeting Aella’s knowing expression as they communicated something silently to one another. “You wouldn’t understand, dumbass. ”

I sighed and leaned back in my seat. “Onyx,” I said, grabbing his attention. “You and I need to fortify the wards over the Hollow to ensure Forest can’t find it and sneak attack us.”

“Absolutely.”

“How does your magic work for that?” Gray asked, looking between Onyx and me.

“The energy that auras put off are electromagnetic, so I’m able to suppress that output while Onyx’s infrared magic can suppress all of our heat signatures. It’s not perfect, but it’s enough to keep us off Forest’s radar to keep other Kinetic’s from digging further.”

Gray smiled. “Nothing like using Kinetic magic against the Kinetic king to hinder his goals. I’m here for it. Let me know if I can help.”

My heart swelled with pride to see her stepping into acceptance. I never doubted that she would.

“Shield!”

Gray struggled to wield her element as a weapon, either of the offensive or defensive variety. I launched daggers and knives at her without the use of my hands. It might’ve been a bit unfair as she wasn’t allowed weapons of her own to ward off my attacks. But she needed to gain control and mastery of her element.

Gray cursed, ducked, and dodged the blades that kept flying at her. And once I ran out of blades, I stole Orion’s. “You know you could’ve just used your fallen blades from the ground, right?” he asked from beside me, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the tragedy that was Gray unfold.

“Yeah, I know,” I responded as I slid another dagger from his belt with my element. He tried to grab it but wasn’t fast enough. “But this is more fun.”

“I'm gonna fucking kill you, Chrome!” Gray shouted at me as she leaped over a flying blade and rolled across the grass with surprising grace .

“Then you might wanna shield from me so that you can, Princess,” I retorted, a wry grin on my face. “Maybe one day, you’ll follow through on your empty threats.” Somehow, she managed to toss up the middle finger in the midst of a dodge.

“Should we stop? I feel like we should stop at this point,” Orion muttered.

“Nah, it’s good for her cardio.”

Orion just shook his head and tried to hide his laughter through his rolled-in lips.

Once all the blades were gone—Orion’s and mine included—and I’d recycled them from the ground for another round, I finally called it quits, letting Gray breathe.

“Why can’t you build a shield?” I approached her heaving form, hunched over and leaning her weight on her knees.

If looks could kill, she might have actually succeeded in my murder at that point. “Fuck off.”

“Wrong.” I inched closer, breathing the same air as her, reveling in the viciousness that thrived in her soul. I needed it to come out; I needed her to be prepared for it. “I’ll ask again, why can’t you build,” I paused, dropping my voice deep and quiet, holding her glaring rainbow eyes, “a fucking shield?”

Orion had been working with her, but she hadn’t managed it yet. If she couldn’t build a shield, then she wouldn’t be able to use her element as a weapon.

Gray didn’t respond. She simply fumed, bearing the weight of her anger and frustration in her glare at me. I soaked it up and closed the distance between our faces, our noses almost touching.

The world around us disappeared, seeming only to capture the two of us in our own bubble. My voice lowered to a whisper, “You’re overthinking it, Princess. Release your need to control everything. You and your element are a team. Don’t forget that.” Unable to stop myself, I cupped the side of her face and rested my forehead against hers. Air soothed my lungs as if they’d been starved of oxygen for too long. “You can do this. I believe in you.”

The tension in Gray’s body relaxed at my touch. I breathed her in, the longing to make her mine consuming my chest in a vice grip. “Come on out, little savage. I wanna play.”

The princess snapped her gaze up to meet mine. A burning hunger ignited in her eyes, making it extremely difficult for me to not take her on the spot and claim her as mine. The hardening in my pants had me clenching my jaw and pulling away. We were supposed to remain friends, that’s it. And I respected her too much to breach that line.

“Remember what Orion and Aella have taught you. Let it flow.” Orion’s eyebrows basically touched his hairline as I returned to my previous spot beside him.

“Well, that was…” he mused, rubbing the stubble on his jaw.

“Shut the fuck up.”

He laughed and raised his hands in surrender. “My apologies.”

Gray returned to her spot in the field, seeming unaffected by our heated moment, but I knew better.

All the discarded blades levitated and drifted to me, where I snagged a couple for one hand to have on deck.

Without warning, I sent a knife sailing at Gray. She did as before, ducking before rolling to avoid the next one. And the next. I didn’t stop. “Stop overthinking, Gray.” The blades flew for several minutes, whizzing dangerously close by her head a few times.

These daggers were average metal blades, so she wasn’t at risk of dying from the poisons, but if not healed fast enough in a vital spot, she could be permanently altered. She needed to fucking shield.

Another masculine presence stepped up to my left as I continued to launch blade after blade at our princess. “I see she still hasn’t managed an air shield,” Void’s deep timber rumbled.

“No,” I responded, keeping my focus on all the metal weapons. “But it’s coming. ”

“She is a fast learner. I’m surprised she hasn’t mastered it yet.” Void couldn’t see, but it didn’t stop him from knowing everything going on around him. His immensely heightened senses allowed him to form images of what transpired. In my opinion, Void was our greatest asset. No one would ever compare to him.

“Was that…a compliment , Void?” I joked.

He snorted. “Never. Just an observation.”

“Right.”

“How is she progressing in your training?” Orion asked Void from my left.

Gray leaped in the air a breath before a knife almost impaled her stomach. She had been dodging a dagger coming from a different direction, so she hadn’t seen it coming; rather, she must’ve felt or heard it. “It seems her lessons with me are paying off. Otherwise, she would’ve been dead by now,” he answered, his voice deadpan.

Somehow, my little savage had managed to skirt around every weapon thrown her way and avoided being struck. Until I got creative with a knife. Instead of launching one directly at her, I tricked her, making her think it would sail on past her dodge. When she turned her back to avoid another, I made the knife follow her from behind while she was warding off the others and sliced her arm from the back.

She froze. A smile threatened to break loose on my face, but I held it back.

“What is she doing?” Orion whispered from my side.

“Hopefully building a godsdamn shield.”

But that was not what she did. An unseen force took hold of the weapons’ hilts, making them halt midair from their trajectories. I battled for control of the metal, trying to mentally snatch them back as I was caught by surprise. But once I realized it was Gray, using her air element to grab them, I let go, taking this opportunity to let her learn.

Gray resembled an avenging angel who’d finally had enough. Her blended dual-toned tresses floated up and down under the pillow of air that surrounded her. The scowl she graced me with said what she had planned with the levitating weapons now under her control.

“Now, what are you gonna do with them? Wait for me to steal them back?” I taunted, ready to see her wrath.

With an imperceptible twitch of her lip, the weapons went on attack, flying at Orion, Void, and me like a flock of birds. I grabbed the metal, essentially pushing Gray’s air control aside just before the blades struck, but I felt Orion’s air shield go up in front of us at the last second.

“Not quite a shield, but that works,” I said, pride filling my chest.

“What about this?” she asked.

I felt the air’s movement and heard the slight whistle just before the sharp sting of a blade sliced across my chest. Invisible.

I looked down at the bleeding wound and then met the eyes of its creator. “Did you just make an air weapon and cut me with it?”

Gray couldn’t hide the smug smile that was followed by a shrug. “I did.”

“Before a shield?” Orion asked, doubt evident in his tone and raised an eyebrow.

Gray nodded once.

I held her gaze, unspoken words passing between us. The pride continued to swell in my heart, loving the savagery within her. “Perfect,” I said. “Again.”

My fists pummeled the leather punching bag full of rice from our fields.

I struck the bag with my shin before beating it in quick succession with precise jabs. Tension released with each strike, as well as the intensity of trying to keep my distance from Gray for the past two weeks. The madness started to return in small waves. But the anger and hunger continued to build. My withdrawals and need to replenish my reserves began to grow unbearable as Grim’s haunting laugh echoed in the depths of my mind .

Salt dripped into my mouth from the sweat. I hadn’t stopped, even as I released my tension and irrational anger in the best way I knew how: through violence. Images of bloodshed and ruined bodies splayed about flashed in my mind, tempting me to inflict pain and take their auras for myself. The potent memory of the euphoria the act fed me lived rent-free in my mind and soul. I couldn’t forget it, tempting me every day to cave just one more time.

The all-encompassing craving began to ease little by little two hours into my workout. Grim’s voice trailed off, quieting in the recesses of my mind. I still didn’t stop, focused on the punching bag. The faces I imagined shifted from Forest to Grim to my mother. The ever-present pain and betrayal of Amethyst stung me. What kind of mother did that shit?

“Hey.”

I spun and swung. Very rarely did I get caught by surprise by someone. Gray blocked my punch and landed one of her own in my ribs. “Fuck,” I wheezed, rubbing the spot she assaulted. “Sorry.”

The princess stepped forward with a concerned expression and placed her hand on my arm to make skin-on-skin contact. “You okay?”

I nodded and inhaled a deep breath from the reprieve her touch offered me. The hug I pulled her into was instinctual, tucking her head under my chin, emotion clogging my throat at how close I was to slipping away again, yet I was beyond grateful I was granted the chance to free myself from it. “Thank you,” I whispered, my chin resting on the crown of her head and breathing in her warm vanilla scent.

“Where have you been the past two weeks?” she asked, her voice muffled. “You’ve barely been around lately.”

I cleared my throat. “Trying to give you space.”

Gray straightened and pulled back to look up at me. Her face twisted in confusion. “What? Why?”

“Because you don’t need me clinging onto you while you’re figuring things out and getting acclimated here. You need to make your own path while healing your trauma. I’m not trying to add stress to you while you do that. Plus, this is my issue, and I won’t put that responsibility on you.” I fought the urge to run my fingers through her hair to brush it away from her face.

“And I’ve told you,” Gray insisted. “I want to help.”

I smiled. “I know, Rainbow,” I said, studying her multicolored eyes. “Beneath that steel exterior of yours, you have a heart of gold.”

Gray rolled her eyes dramatically. “Not cringey at all.”

I laughed and then took her palm in mine. “Come on,” I said and gave it a tug, gesturing for her to follow me.

“Where?” she asked but trailed after me anyway.

I glanced over my shoulder, flashing her a wide grin. “You’ll see.”

“Seriously? Hide and seek?”

“Let’s see if you can actually catch me this time, little savage.”

Gray narrowed her rainbow irises at me and pursed her lips. “What are the rules, oh legendary one?”

I leaned my shoulder against the oak tree and crossed my feet, holding out my hand. “No weapons. No magic.”

Gray sighed. “Fine.” She removed her weapons belt, placing all her blades on the grass in a nook of two tree roots. I did the same.

Balling my fist, I placed it on the flat of my other palm. “Ready?”

Gray looked at my hands like they’d grown a fungus. “What is this?”

“Rock, paper, scissors. It’s the only way to decide who hides first.”

“Oh.”

“You ever done it before?”

Gray bit her bottom lip, her cheeks flushing pink as shame filled those expressive eyes of hers.

“You haven’t, have you?” And when her silence sang louder than the birds, I grabbed the sides of her face and made her look at me. “It’s okay. No big deal. I’ll show you. ”

Gray listened intently as I detailed how to play the childhood-decision-making game of all other games passed onto me by Peri. Once finished, she positioned her hands as I had and straightened her shoulders.

“On the count of three. Loser hides first.” I studied the excited anticipation building in her features, wanting to soak up the fact that I was the one bringing it out of her. “One. Two. Three,” I counted, dragging out each number to allow the anticipation to grow. I chose paper while Gray maintained her hand in a fist to demonstrate rock. I closed my hand over the top of hers and gave it a squeeze. I didn’t move it away, and she didn’t retreat. “Paper beats rock, Princess.”

Her nostrils flared, and a strong hit of desire slammed into me with the familiar tug on my heart. Instead of commenting on it, I growled, “ Run .”