Page 33 of Horns of Wicked Ebony (Deathcaller Duet #2)
T he clanging bell yanked a groan from my throat. I rolled over, hand smacking for a pillow, and then dragged it over my head to smother the sound. Rokath snatched it away a moment later.
“Time to rise, little imposter.”
I cracked an eye, the outline of him barely visible in the darkness. “I hate you.”
He chuckled and slid from the bed. Grem and Zeec shook out their fur, ears flapping loud enough to join that damn wake up call. I reached for the blankets to shove them overhead. Two hands closed around my ankles, and without warning, I was yanked from the soft mattress and onto my feet.
“Now I really hate you,” I quipped, a shiver wracking my frame.
“Dress quickly. The next gong sounds in ten minutes,” Rokath told me, striding away.
“ Ten minutes ?” I groaned, rubbing the heels of my palms into my eyes. This asshole had dragged me from the deepest slumber I’d had in months . The moment I’d returned to our room the previous night, I’d passed out. Had barely roused when Rokath returned.
Fumbling around, I found my clothes and pulled them on. With few precious minutes until the next glorious chime sounded, I laced up my leathers while I stumbled to the bathing chamber.
My mate stood in front of the mirror, running a razor over his scalp.
I went to the basin and turned the taps, cupping my hands beneath the frigid water and splashing it on my face.
It was…refreshing to say the least. Blinking through the droplets clinging to my lashes, I found a cloth and dried my face.
“While we wait for Xannirin and Kiira, I want to test the limits of your magic. What’s possible, what’s not,” Rokath said, swiping a damp hand over his head.
A smile bloomed on my face. “I can’t wait.
I never really had anyone to teach me before you.
Everything I know I figured out on my own, by accident.
” I’d spent so long hiding my power, at my mother’s behest, I’d almost grown afraid of it.
But now, I was stepping into who I was meant to be, and that meant owning every bit of magic that the Giver had blessed me with.
My fingers flew through my hair, pulling the dark strands into a long plait. The tight weave pulled my locks away from my face, highlighting my high cheekbones. Excitement danced in my eyes as I looked at myself in the mirror. “Ready,” I pronounced, spinning to face Rokath.
The breakfast gong sounded at the same time, pulling a small laugh from me. At least this time, we wouldn’t be late for our meal—which was probably why Rokath had dragged me out of bed.
By the time we reached the bottom floor of the keep, the halls were a flurry of activity. Males descended from their watch posts, looking far more alert than those who had risen with us. All streamed toward the heavenly smell of rosemary bread. My stomach rumbled at the promise of food.
Swept up in the tide, we entered the commons. Rokath tucked me close to his side and steered me away from the deep line of soldiers and toward the high table.
Olet and Rapp were already there, the latter looking far better than he had the previous day.
“Morning,” I greeted Rapp, giving his good shoulder a squeeze before taking a seat beside him. Rokath took the chair opposite me, with his officers positioned between us.
Olet turned his attention to me immediately. “Szélhámos, I’d like to extend my sincerest apology. Had I known you were the mate of the Halálhívó, I never would have struck you.”
The muscles of my back flinched at the memory of how he’d whipped me.
I swallowed around the feeling of helplessness that arose with it.
Rokath’s rage flared down our bond. I flicked my attention to him.
The reminder was nearly as painful for him as it was for me.
Jaw clenched, he offered me a small dip of his chin, letting me know I was supposed to lead.
“Parancsok Olet, I hope that you aren’t only sorry because of who my mate is. Females do not deserve the treatment that had been afforded us for the past few centuries,” I said, each word measured and brimming with challenge.
Rapp’s fingers tightened over the table as he waited to see which way the exchange would fall. Rokath kept his gaze firmly on me.
Olet blew out a long breath. “I apologize for that as well, Szélhámos. You are absolutely correct in that assessment. While the Halálhívó’s plan shocked me at first, the wisdom in it is sound.
My sisters were both married off young, and I’ve hardly seen them since I joined the army.
Unfortunately, my perspective had been limited by that.
I hope to gain new insight upon the arrival of our new recruits. ”
My eyebrows shot up my forehead, but I quickly smoothed my expression and offered him a soft, sincere smile. “Thank you, Parancsok Olet. All is forgiven between us.”
The tension bled from his shoulders. “I am glad to hear it.”
A moment later, four steaming trays emerged from the kitchens, the servers placing them before us with practiced efficiency.
“Olet came around quickly after I told him of our plans last night. I wasn’t expecting him to apologize to you though. You handled yourself well,” Rokath said as water, juice, and steaming tea followed the food.
I sipped from the juice as I replied. “Thank you.”
“After we’re finished eating, I’ll give you a tour,” Rokath told me aloud a moment later.
I cocked my head to the side as I studied him. “We skip the tour and go straight to training.”
“It seems I might have empowered you a little too much, little imposter. Do not forget I am in charge here,” Rokath spoke into my mind.
My grin was fiery and saccharine. “For now.”
“Do you have plans to overthrow my rule?” he asked, amusement lifting his tone.
“Depends on how quickly you teach me to thoroughly stab someone to death,” I quipped, picking up a fork and shoving them forcefully into my eggs for good measure.
A laugh echoed down our bond, but he kept his expression neutral. “Fine, we’ll go to the training yard. Rapp can observe so he feels like he’s still important.”
Rapp grumbled. “If we weren’t in front of all these soldiers–”
“You’d have some choice words for him,” I teased.
“Exactly,” Rapp replied, popping a flaky piece of pastry into his mouth.
I ate quickly, finishing—thankfully—before the gong sounded. Draining the last of my water, I rose, waiting to see if Rapp needed my help. He shot me an annoyed look. I merely pressed my lips together to keep from grinning.
Olet strode toward the soldiers’ tables and pulled out a parchment, reading off the day’s assignments. Meanwhile, Rapp, Rokath, and I worked our way through the commons and out into the hall.
Excitement thrummed in my veins, our slow progress only serving to heighten the emotion.
While I’d trained prior to the rescue mission, it was paltry compared to what I wanted to learn.
Today, I was finally going to unlock the mysteries of my magic.
Today, I was going to discover parts of myself I’d kept hidden for far too long.
Today, I was taking the first steps into becoming the Szélhámos.
The training area on the east side of the academy was already a hub of excitement by the time we reached it.
Metal clashed against metal, mingling with the shouts of males sparring in hand to hand combat.
The yard was massive, with enough space for training with weapons or magic, and a place for onlookers to observe the pairs fighting.
Above, covered walkways allowed glimpses from passersby, while a grandstand sat off to one side, where sweat-soaked males reclined.
On the bottom most row, Olet sat, shouting at a pair utterly failing to execute some complex move with long staffs. More officers were off to another side, instructing what looked to be a group of Destructors facing off with an especially large tree trunk.
Most were too focused on their tasks to notice Rokath, Rapp, and I clinging to the periphery. “We’ll search for a quieter space to practice so you can focus,” he spoke into my mind.
Rapp settled next to Olet, barking instructions to another group. Rokath and I continued on, finding the space behind the stands blissfully empty. While the yells and sounds of fighting were still audible, it was low enough that it was mere background noise.
Off to one side, spare weapons and bales of hay waited, and Rokath dragged one forward, then settled himself on it. “Let’s start with your shadow power. Show me how much you can conjure.”
Nodding, I closed my eyes, digging into my magic well.
It opened readily with so much use over the past few months.
The smoky swirls spilled out of my palms as I exhaled.
I delved deeper, immersing myself in the way they felt both in my chest and against my skin.
All around me, magic darkened into existence.
Yet, I hadn’t glimpsed the depths of my limits.
So I continued to drink until the bottom of an empty glass appeared.
I halted there, not wanting to overextend myself, and opened my eyes.
A gasp fled my lips as I realized just how much I’d filled the area around us with wispy strands of black.
A sea of them curled around Rokath’s feet, and he drank me in like I was his salvation after a week in the desert.
The sight healed another shred of my tattered heart.
There was no question of his adoration of me, not when he looked at me like that.
Almost instinctively, I raised a hand, the tip of my finger dragging through the air to direct my magic up his body.
He didn’t move, merely kept watching me, as I wrapped the tendrils around his torso and his arms. When his black clothing had nearly been replaced by my power, I curled my fingers into my palm and yanked.
Obsidian ropes forced Rokath to his feet, to which he responded with a wicked grin. “You really are asking for it today, aren’t you, little imposter?”