Silver Flame (Vampire Girl #3)(50)

"But you didn’t. You stopped yourself."

I take a deep breath, processing his words. "You’re right. Thank you."

Yami licks my face, trying to cheer me as well. It works, and I giggle.

Baldar places a vial in my hands. "To help you sleep, my dear." I reach into the pouch on my belt, searching for coins, but he stops me. "No need. Your company is payment enough."

I smile and thank him, then offer to help clean up. "No, but thank you. I have spells to aid in such things. Now, I believe you best be off. I think Varis expects you at this hour."

I glance outside at the sun. It’s later than I thought, and the Druid won’t be happy, indeed.

I thank Baldar and head for the door, and when I see he isn’t looking, I drop a few coins on his desk and depart.

On my way back to the palace, I notice a forge where blacksmiths toil over roaring fires, forging steel and iron. A part of me wants to join them, but then memories of Daison return, and I keep walking, away from the forge and the flame.

***

When I find Varis in the library, he is sitting cross-legged on the carpet, meditating with Pete. I don’t disrupt their trance, grateful for the delay before my training. Though I have learned some interesting and even useful things, none of my spells will aid me in the fight against Levi. I itch to do more, be more, to feel the thrill I felt watching Callisia battle the Windshark, and use that passion in combat.

Varis always preaches calmness and grace, but how can I fight and be calm? How can I fight without adrenaline pumping through my veins, fueling me like it fueled me when I fought Oren?

I slide into a chair, relaxing, when Es bursts in, shouting. "Pete, Ari. We’ve got things to talk about."

Varis groans, his concentration clearly broken. "Don’t you have any respect for the sacred art of—"

"Sitting on your ass and seeing who falls asleep first? Not right now," says Es, flicking her blond hair. She wears a black leather vest meant for battle, and a thick broadsword hangs at her side, making her seem even tougher than I remember her being—not that she’s ever had trouble taking care of herself.

Pete stands and stretches, his white fur robes nearly touching the ground. They seem likely borrowed from Varis and fit him well. Pete looks quite the Fae with his red hair. All he’s missing are the ears.

"So," says Es, sitting down in chair next to me and crossing her legs. "When can we get back to Portland, darlin'? Because as fun as this pleasure palace is, I got friends and family who miss me. I also pray I haven’t been fired."

"Me too," says Pete, sighing and running his fingers through his hair.

I fold my hands together in my lap, thinking. "Well, Fen left yesterday to scout out Stonehill. When he and Dean return, we should be able to make a concrete plan. Then once Levi is defeated, you’ll be safe to return to Portland."

Es sighs. "This Levi is really that bad, huh?"

"My words don’t do him justice. You really have to meet him. Or on second thought, don’t." The three of us laugh, and Varis grunts, still trying to meditate.

After a moment, he finally appears to give up. "Arianna, when Dean returns, can you please ask him to show me the Mirror of Idis. It is a Fae artifact, a piece of Fae history, and I, as a Wild One, should have access to it. But instead he keeps it locked up in his room. And from what I’ve heard, gazing into it more and more by the day."

I bow my head, sadness filling me at the thought of Dean and what he told me. He still looks into the pool because he sees a happier life. A life that may even be possible, if I were to choose him as king. But my heart belongs to Fen.

"I’ll ask him," I tell Varis.

"Thank you. Now, since it doesn’t seem like we’ll be doing any training tonight, I’ll be off. I do however expect you to catch up on your reading. Good night everyone." He leaves with a flourish of his cape, and I roll my eyes, tired of my currently assigned text: The History of Fae Cheese and Other Delicacies.

Es looks over at me with a raised eyebrow. "Training going that bad, huh?"

I grunt. "Slow. Like molasses. I'm learning simple tricks and some useful incantations, but nothing that will win us a war. However, if you need to find a rabbit or change your appearance, I'm your girl." My voice is sarcastic, though the things I've learned have been interesting. It's just not enough.

"I take it you're frustrated?" says Pete.

"Yes." In so many ways. Fen is gone. I miss him. I want to explore our relationship more, but we're always stuck in one mess or another. I wish I could whisk him back to my world for a normal dinner and movie date. But that's not a life I will ever have if I stay here and fulfill my contract to the princes.

Es studies the shelves of books. "Is there nothing else he can teach you?"

My lips curl in a smile as something occurs to me. "There's nothing more he's willing to teach me, but… there might be something else I can learn. Let’s go!"

I jump up and run into the hallway, Pete and Es at my heels. "And how will you learn this, exactly?" asks Pete, panting. He never did have the strongest constitution.

"There’s a book. A book Varis hid from me the first day we studied. I bet it has something I could use."

"Have you considered there’s probably a reason Varis doesn’t want you reading that text?" asks Pete. "I know I haven’t known him long, but he’s shared some great wisdom with me, and I’ve yet to see him wrong."