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Chapter Thirteen

TORIAN

W hen Ms. Rhodes had dragged us out to the gym, I'd expected a lecture about learning to protect ourselves. I'd been braced for a sermon about how our power could fail for any number of reasons - including iron. Basically, I'd expected the worst: a waste of my time.

What I hadn't expected was to be turned loose. Nor to see how Keir worked with my sister.

He was gentle with her, but didn't pamper her. Over and over, he made Aspen hold a sword, swing it around stupidly, then hold it again. Depending on what she did, he either put it aside to teach her later, or made it clear she shouldn't use that kind.

Rain pulled Wilder away and asked if he'd help her practice stopping a spell before it was cast. I knew she'd learned how to do that before she'd gained access to her Wild magic. Now she was trying to use those skills with her power.

Hawke? He moved to my side to watch our friends figuring this out.

He had a heavy blade in his hand made from Earth materials.

Bronze and carbon fiber, I thought, although I wasn't positive.

It was the sort of brutish weapon that would cleave a body with enough force. Perfect for him, in my opinion.

And once everyone else was invested in what they were doing, I had Hawke try to actually hit me.

After all, I didn't want them to say I wasn't taking this seriously.

When he swung, I did my best to use the smallest amount of magic necessary to deflect his blade.

Most times, it worked. When it didn't, he still didn't hit me.

Everything was fine until Aspen asked for a demonstration.

Keir and Rain squared off in the middle of the room with their wooden practice sticks and began swinging at each other.

I stopped. Hawke turned. Wilder was clearly judging them both, and Aspen was nearly bouncing in place with her excitement.

But I didn't expect Keir to look like that .

The man's weapon was the powerful kind, but he moved it like a saber.

His feet never slowed. His eyes jumped across Rain's body, checking for movement that would tell him what she was about to do.

He flexed, bent, and braced like a man who'd been doing this his entire life - and it looked good on him.

Rain was learning fast, but she was still hacking more than attacking.

In the months she'd been here, her body had toned more than I'd realized.

Her legs were now muscular and sculpted.

Her biceps bulged when she swung. Her dark ponytail swung behind her as she bounced around Keir on the balls of her feet.

They were a matched set: his gold to her shadow.

Both of them were smiling, and there was a comfort in their motion, as if they'd done this countless times.

And yet, I was sure Keir was holding back.

Not that he didn't think Rain could keep up.

It was more like he was leading this dance and simply didn't want to wear her out for no reason.

Soon enough, there was a hard rap at the door. A second later, it opened enough for Bracken to stick his head inside.

"That's enough for today," he said. "Talk about what you need and let me know tomorrow. Now get out of here!"

"Am I going to ache all over?" Aspen asked as she passed her weapon to Keir.

"Probably," he said. "Have Rain give you a massage."

We all quickly put our weapons away, then headed out as a group. Bracken stayed behind to clean up, which Keir told us was not normal. We'd likely be expected to do that from now on, but it seemed we were getting a pass today.

Hawke and Wilder moved together as we crossed the grounds. Aspen and Rain already had their heads together, giggling about something. Keir was watching them with a smile, and I just couldn't help myself.

"Don't even think it," I warned him.

He flashed me a smile. "I'm thinking it. What are you going to do now?"

I rolled my eyes.

"It," he said. "It, it, it. I'm thinking all about it ."

"That's not what I meant."

He shifted a little closer and dropped his voice. "I know. I also wasn't thinking that . Tor, Aspen's my friend. My partner in crime. I happen to think Rain is adorable when those two get to giggling like that. Aspen too, but a different sort of adorable."

"Most people don't think of queens as adorable," I pointed out.

He just shrugged. "And I'm not most people."

I was going to respond, but Rain pulled open the door, gesturing for Aspen to go in first. Somehow, we'd ended up on the girls' side of the atrium. Hawke and Wilder followed them in, but Keir gestured for me to go next.

"Majesty," he taunted.

"That's not my title," I reminded him.

"Asshole," he offered next.

I ignored him as I jerked my chin in Aspen's direction. "Syrup will ease any muscle pain. Not sure if it works for Rain."

"I'm good," Rain insisted. "Night, Tor. Keir!"

"Night," I muttered as the guys told the girls to enjoy their evening. Hawke made a production over being left out, but none of us stopped walking. I also wasn't the only one looking over my shoulder, checking to make sure the girls and Jack made it onto the elevator.

"Food?" Hawke asked.

I wrinkled my nose, knowing what he really wanted. "Pass."

"I'll go with you," Wilder said.

"Which means I'm with you," Keir told me. "I think this is getting to be a habit."

"I just like that they all have someone to watch their back," I admitted.

"So you simply expect me to watch yours?" Keir didn't bother looking at me as we made our way around the glass-walled atrium.

Both of us were checking over the doors and walls. I hadn't even needed to ask if he minded. The guy had simply turned his feet the same way mine were heading. From the way his head was bouncing, I knew he was trying to find some relic of the graffiti from this morning just like I was.

"It wasn't magical," I said.

"Clearly," he agreed. "Believe it or not, I am a couple of years ahead of you in my magical classes, Tor."

"Classes, yes," I agreed as we turned again, making our way to the elevator. "Training, no."

"Ok, you have a point," he admitted. "My parents were simple peasants."

"Who put a sword in your hand early," I added.

He laughed. "That obvious?"

"I think so." I lengthened my stride to push the button for the elevator. "You're good with a blade, Keir."

"I try," he said.

"I mean that."

Beside me, he ducked his head. "I don't think I've ever heard you hand out a compliment, Torian. I mean, not like that."

"Ok, well, I'll temper it with this. You need to stop leading Rain."

"Yep, that's a good way to put me back in my place," he agreed as the car opened.

Without waiting, he stepped inside and I followed.

Keir hit the button for the fourth floor, and we rode up in silence.

I wasn't sure what it was about elevators, but they often had a way of killing the conversation.

That, or I'd fucked up again and said the wrong thing.

Keir probably heard enough about his failings from Bracken. He didn't need me helping.

But when we stepped out on our floor, he tilted his head up the hall. "You're welcome on my side, if you want."

"Because?" Since that sounded like a weighted offer.

"Because I have a feeling you're not happy about the schedule change," he said as he flicked his hand at his lock, magically releasing it. "Or at least you didn't seem happy about it." Then he opened his door and waved for me to enter first.

His room always smelled like pine. Not pine-scented perfume. This was like someone had brought a sliver of the mountains inside for a moment. I had a feeling it was a side effect of his magic, but I'd never had the chance to be sure of it. I also didn't want to ask.

"I thought we were going to be drilled on weapons," I said before claiming the free chair in his room and kicking my legs out. "Ms. Rhodes made it seem like she wanted us to be ready to fight."

"She does," Keir said as he tossed himself down on his bed.

Damn, his waist was flat. His chest wasn't. The shirt he had on showed those muscles off a little too well, making me aware my own physique was lacking by comparison. Then there was the lazy way he lounged, as if he was completely comfortable with his surroundings, including me.

But Keir knew me just a little too well. "Why do you want to keep Aspen away from weapons?" he asked.

"Because I don't want to frustrate her right now."

"Why?" he asked again.

"She just got her control."

He lifted a brow at me. "And?"

"And she's distracted with Rain. A good distraction, I think, since having the Morrigan on her side will protect her better than anything else. It's still a distraction, and if that's the thing that gets her killed?"

"That won't be it," he said. "It'll be some Summer-loving asshole who thinks the color of her magic matters more than the girl who threw away her own dreams to protect theirs."

I twitched back, looking at him again. "She didn't throw away her dreams!"

"Oh, she did," he assured me. "Aspen wanted to be normal, happy, and safe. Sadly, normal and safe don't go with a crown. Not in this world."

"Or ours," I agreed.

"But she has us," he said. "Tor, that's the thing you keep forgetting. Aspen isn't only relying on you and Rain. She has Hawke and Wilder too. Plus Jack, Bracken, Ms. Rhodes, and even Liam!"

"Tag," I added. "She seems to be helping as well." I almost stopped there. "And you're better than I thought."

"I've held back a few hunters," he bragged.

"No." I shifted to lean forward over my knees. "Keir, I've seen the Mad Queen's army. I knew her executioner. I've been there when real veteran fae have fought to the death."

"Oh."

"And you," I went on, "are good. Not going to be good, or could be good, or even have talent. Yes, all of those are true, but you are already good, and you're what, nineteen years old?"

"Twenty," he corrected.

"Not even old enough to drink on Earth," I joked.

Which made him crack a smile. "Don't need that shit. But you think I'm doing ok?"

I nodded slowly. "I think you're a badass." And I let my head drop, finally relaxing now that we were back in our rooms. "I always thought I'd have to be the one to save her. Now I'm not so sure."

"Is that a good thing?" he asked.

"Yeah," I breathed.

Keir shifted, sitting up and turning to face me in a single smooth motion. "Tor, are you really that scared about the graffiti?"

"I'm that scared about someone trying to bash her head in," I admitted. "I'm that scared about the Summer Queen still being alive."

"Are you sure she is?" he asked. "I mean, couldn't someone have killed her over there?"

I shook my head. "No. I'd have a crown."

"Mm, yeah. There's that."

"And she has to know Aspen exists by now," I told him. "The Winter Crown is gone. The only way for that to happen is for someone to take it. Now, there's a chance she may not have looked at it in a while, but I doubt it. She knows. I'm sure she knows, and that means she wants my sister dead."

"Does she think it's you?" he offered.

I shook my head. "No."

"Care to clarify?"

Licking my lips, I fought the urge to say nothing. For so long, that had served me best. Keeping secrets was easy once I'd gotten used to it. Saying nothing meant I didn't have to lie. Being pissed about even being asked kept anyone from pushing. Sadly, none of those tricks worked on Keir.

Plus, he needed to know. This man wasn't an enemy. He wasn't even a potential problem. Keir was on our side. He was Rain's knight and protector. He was my...

Friend. I'd go with friend. That was a safe word to use, and one that was true. Keir was my friend, my sister's partner, and the Morrigan's boyfriend. He was one of us, even if I hadn't expected him to be. But that was enough to make me look up, meeting his strange violet-blue eyes.

"The Queen has enchanted me so that if I ever inherit the Winter Crown, the power of that season will be channeled directly to her. She might not be the queen of both seasons, but she will get the power of them."

"Shit," Keir breathed.

I nodded. "Yeah. And if that happens?"

His eyes shifted between mine. "We won't let it, Torian. I give you my word. No matter what, you will never inherit your sister's crown."

And as the ripples from his vow encircled us, a weight lifted from my shoulders.