Magic Forged (Hall of Blood and Mercy #1)(62)

Killian glanced at me. “I assume by your bizarre shift of conversation, this is something you’ve been thinking of for a while?”

“Maybe—yeah.”

Killian stared out his window. “The Drake Family is loyal to me.”

“I don’t know about that, because let me tell you not all of them are happy.”

He raised an eyebrow as he studied my face. “You suspect Rupert?”

“I’m not saying it’s him, buuuuut…”

“You suspect him because you dislike him.”

I leaned forward against my seatbelt so I could pluck my chisa katana from the front seat. “But he’s definitely capable of it.”

Killian was still for several moments, then shook his head. “It’s not anyone from my Family. I looked into that possibility after the first casualty in Drake Hall, before you arrived,” he said. “The Night Court is absolutely behind it.”

I shrugged. “If you say so.”

I wasn’t surprised by his refusal—I actually thought he’d instantly reject me instead of thinking it over for even a moment. But I’d done what was right and spoken up. I’d just have to keep an eye on Rupert—and my senses open in case it really was a fae sneaking in and out.

“What do you have in your purse?” Killian asked, drawing me from my thoughts.

“It’s called a clutch, and it’s stuffed with the biggest book I could fit in it.”

“A rather eccentric weapon, but one that Club Luminary could not feasibly refuse. Good thinking.”

“Thanks! Do you think tonight was a success?”

Killian shrugged. “It’s difficult to say—I’m not sure how desperate or gullible the murderer is.”

I nodded slowly and pushed back against the bench seat.

I suspected that our display had gone well—not in the club, but in the attack. The supernatural community was just chock full of gossips…and I suspected that by morning everyone important would know how Killian Drake had protected me—his supposed pet wizard he was training up—and then dragged me from the warehouse by my wrist.

Undoubtedly, he’d done it to protect his investment, but there was a pretty good chance that everyone else would ignore that truth and make us into something else…hopefully it would be enough to bring the murderer knocking.

Which meant I intended to never let my katana out of my sight until the creep was caught, and I had better take my training as seriously as ever.





I was feeling marvelous when I jogged into the gym two days later. Celestina had sent me outside for a warmup run, and I was happily chortling because I was jogging at a faster pace than when I had first started my training. I really was improving!

“Finished,” I told Celestina as I came to a stop in front of her.

“Great job.” Celestina waved Josh down—who was holding my chisa katana for me on the other side of the gym. “Let’s get started, then.”

I caught sight of her nails—which were a dainty shade of blue with pink dahlia flowers on her thumbs and pinkies. “Did you get your nails done?”

“Yes!” Celestina eagerly held her hands out for inspection. “I went to a shop while Killian was wining and dining you. What do you think?”

“They’re so pretty! I love them!” I appropriately cooed.

“Are we admiring nails?” Josh handed me my sword as he peered over Celestina’s arm.

“Yep,” I said.

Josh cleared his throat and said in a much more enthusiastic and slightly higher pitched voice, “Wow, they are so totally gorgeous! You’re a queen, and they absolutely suit you!”

I stared at him as Celestina almost jumped with her joy.

“What?” Josh asked. “I can mimic girl talk—though I am limited in my vernacular.”

Before I could ask—because Drake Hall was not a hotbed of modern phrases and girl talk, which begged the question, how had he learned it?—Celestina clapped her hands. “Okay! Since you so easily defeated that female wizard, we’ve decided you’re ready for a bigger challenge.” She swiveled and pointed to the area cushioned with thick mats the vampires used for sparring. “Starting today, you’ll be in mock fights with some of the other Drake Family vampires while Josh and I coach you from the sidelines.”

I squinted at the beautiful vampire. “You’re kidding, right?”

Celestina patted my arm—I wasn’t sure if she was trying to be encouraging or consoling, which made me more than a little nervous. “Not at all. You’ve progressed marvelously in your basic training. It’s time we work on your foundation in fighting.”

I scrunched my nose up. “You’re awful. I take back all the nice things I said about your nails.”

Celestina laughed. “You might think this is unfair, but if we can get you used to the physical aspects of a fight—the dodging, using weaponry, and general battle strategies and assessment—when you do finally unseal your magic, you’ll be a major threat.”

“I believe,” Josh chipped in, “the proper term is ‘a badass’.”

It sounded appealing. I was starting to think my seal couldn’t be broken given everything they’d already put me through. But that only meant this training was even more important. If I could take down a wizard with my skills, if I improved enough I might be able to take out Mason even without magic.