Page 185 of Rebellious Royals

"Daivon's magic has blues and yellows in it," I said.

He nodded. "Ok, so I wasn't imagining that?"

"Nope." The elevator dinged, announcing our arrival, and the doors slid open. "Also, did you see Rain's shadow?"

"I wasn't exactly watching it," he admitted.

"Couldn't," I corrected. "It wasn't under her, Keir."

"Huh." His brow furrowed, and together we headed toward our doors.

Yet when I stopped to open mine, he did too. Usually, he went to his side, but considering I'd just mentioned yet another oddity happening, I could see his need to discuss this a little more. So, once my room was unlocked, I gestured for him to enter first.

"Oh, a gentleman," he teased.

But the smile he tossed my way? It was warm and different from what I was used to seeing on him. This looked softer somehow. Beautiful, too. I couldn't help but notice the way his eyes looked more violet than navy when he looked at me that way.

And my stomach turned in a weird way, almost like it had flipped upside down inside me.

"I was well-trained in courtly manners," I replied, quickly finding something true that might keep him talking without making me sound like an idiot.

"Nice evasion," he teased before marching across the room and sitting on the edge of my bed.

Then the guy kicked off his shoes. He was still wearing his uniform from the gym. I wasn't, since we hadn't been issued one, but my eyes got stuck on the way his arms flexed as he did that. When both boots were off, he paired them up nicely, moved them out of his way, and leaned back.

"So where was her shadow?"

I realized I was staring. "I don't have a clue, but I know it wasn't with her. I also know it stopped me from stripping that one girl's power from her."

"Which one?"

"The one who tried to attack Rain. From the group that went after Pascal. That's what I was trying to do when it stood up in front of me."

He reached up to scrub at his mouth and I couldn't look away from his hands. What the fuck was I doing? Was Pascalright? Had my mother warped me so much I was suspicious of everyone?

"Tor?" Keir asked.

I blinked, realizing I'd fallen into my own thoughts. "Hm?"

"I asked if it was there when Pascal made his vow to Aspen."

"I don't know," I admitted, turning to claim one of the soft chairs I'd made. "What I do know is something's happening, there are now three kinds of magic instead of just two - not counting Wild, I mean. And if I'm not mistaken, Bran and Axel don't normally have that much magical ability."

"That's the thing I noticed," Keir said. "Bran's an enchanter. Axel's a glamour. I'm pretty sure I saw both of them do some minor conjurations today."

"Yeah," I said, thinking back over what they'd tried. "Their magic was always in the realm of what they're rated for, but at least a few were definitely conjurations."

"Because they swore their loyalty?" Keir asked.

Yet that didn't feel like it fit. "I don't know. What else could it be?"

"They were allowed to pick?" he offered next.

That felt better. "What do you mean?"

"Well, isn't swearing loyalty to you - or me - a form of choosing what camp you're in? Being your true self, or maybe accepting something? I don't know. I'm just tossing out possibilities."

"Pascal swore his oath to Aspen to put me in my place," I said softly.