Marked by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #4)(21)

Your continued rejection of your mage heritage is a large part of the problem, Resinah’s voice turned cool. If you do not want your shifter instincts to rule your body, you must learn to embrace the other half of your lineage.

“You make it sound like there’s something wrong with my shifter heritage,” I protested. “I’ll have you know that I’ve used my ‘shifter instincts’ to survive for most of my life.”

Shifters are powerful in their own right, Resinah acknowledged, to my surprise. Mages would not have created your race if that were not the case. But you must learn to use both sides of your nature. I watched you today as you were thrown out of the Enforcers Guild, and felt how stricken you were at their rejection. And I watch how you tiptoe around the shifter community, hoping they might accept you, even though you frighten them with your magic. What you have not yet understood, child, is that no one will fully accept you until you accept yourself – neither mages nor enforcers nor your fellow shifters. You must wear your unique heritage with pride and confidence.

“That’s easy for you to say,” I grumbled. “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to do that with a bounty on my head, though. Strutting around, going – I’m Sunaya Baine, bring it! – isn’t going to do me any favors right now.”

I would never suggest that you strut around arrogantly and invite challenge, Resinah retorted dryly. For now, you must continue to remain disguised a little longer. But be mindful of who you are disguising yourself from, and why. Are you hiding from the Resistance behind that teenage boy? Or from the world?

Her voice faded, the breeze caressing my skin along with it, before I could answer. She had gone. Alone now, I sat on the floor of the temple and stared up at her statue, pondering the words she’d left me with and wondering if maybe, just maybe, she was right.





9





I woke to the sound of footsteps rustling in the grass and cracked an eyelid open to see who had intruded upon my space. I’d fallen asleep in the grass outside Resinah’s temple, disguised as a female mage, after thinking long and hard about what she’d advised. Eventually, I’d come to the conclusion that she was right, and not just for the reasons she’d spoken of. How could I master my powers, powers that required such incredible self-control, if I remained a slave to my body? Iannis would never respect me, nor would the rest of the mage community, and I might never be given full access to my powers. Even if nothing ever came of the attraction between the Chief Mage and me, I needed to get a handle on my urges for the sake of my own future.

As though my dreams had conjured him, Iannis was right there, staring down at me. His violet eyes glowed in the darkness, reflecting the nearly full moon that shone above our heads. Desire bloomed low in my belly as I inhaled his scent… but it wasn’t as bad as I expected to be. In fact, the sensation was almost normal, rather than hormonally enhanced, even when I released my illusion and assumed my real form.

Maybe there was something to this ‘getting in touch with your inner mage’ thing.

“You didn’t come back to the Palace,” he said softly as he lowered himself down on the ground next to me. “I was worried.”

Pleasure glowed in my chest at the concern in his voice, and I smiled. “I was talking with Resinah,” I said, gesturing toward the temple with my right hand.

Iannis arched a brow. “Talking with her? Or to her?”

“With her.” I raised my own brows as his eyes widened. “Why? You got a problem with that?”

“No,” he said carefully, turning to look back at the temple himself. “It’s just…rare…for her to hold a conversation for any length of time.”

“She mentioned that,” I mused, tilting my head to look up at the clouds. “But she gave a reason for her interest.”

“And what reason was that?”

“That’s between me and her.” I waggled my eyebrows, but despite my levity, I was serious. The conversation I’d had with Resinah had felt sacred, and I didn’t think it was meant for other ears.

Iannis gave me a questioning look, but he didn’t press further. “Why didn’t you come back to the Palace, then, when you were done?”

I shrugged, then stretched myself out on the grass again. “I was comfortable here. I came to the temple because I needed some help controlling my heat, and after I was done talking with Resinah, I didn’t feel ready to go back yet.”

“I see.” Iannis’s eyes darkened, and he reached out to touch my cheek. “Was Resinah able to help you?”

My breath stuttered as his thumb caressed my skin, which was still sensitive – the heat was still there, after all, regardless of whether I could control it.

“She was,” I said, and I was proud that my voice remained steady. “I’m reasonably sure that I’ll be able to prevent myself from pouncing on every desirable male who walks by.”

“Even me?” Iannis asked, grabbing my wrists. The next thing I knew, he’d rolled himself on top of me, pressing me into the soft dirt. I gasped as his hard, muscular body molded against my softer curves – even the naked kiss we’d shared in the river hadn’t felt quite this intimate.

“Especially you,” I whispered. “You’re the very last person I should be falling into bed with right now.”