Braving the Elements (Darkness #2)(18)

Charles didn’t know why—that jerk wasn’t packing much and he didn’t know how to use it! When Charles tried to explain this, he got an eye roll, of all things.

Plus, the Boss would not take too favorably to his special interest taking up with Mr. I-Smooth-Out-My-Eyebrows. The guy was great at working with elements, sure, but could he do any practical magic with it? Nope. He’d tried to get into the Watch Command twice. The Boss turned him down flat both times.

Clap, clap, clap.

“Okay, let’s learn some practical knowledge. Pair off.” James glanced at Charles. Charles stared back. He wasn’t in the mood to play babysitter to a bunch of newbies.

James backed down immediately. Yet another guy with knowledge that didn’t go beyond the classroom.

Sasha’s constant partner, Gabe, stared at her with nervous eyes and a line for a mouth. This was when things could get hairy. Sasha actually had great sword work, strangely enough, but with so much power zinging around her body, half the time her sword exploded. The amazing thing was that they used practice swords with no real edge—certainly not sharp. But they were metal, and could conduct energy—that was all Sasha seemed to need.

Gabe came at her at a snail’s pace—the kid wouldn’t go into work as a fighter, that was for sure—and slashed at her chest. She stepped out of the way like someone born for the role, and swiped at his arm plate, connecting with a scrape.

“Nice work, human. You are coming along,” James said, his eyes sweeping the students.

Sasha glared at him, and then glanced beyond him to that smirking redhead she had a vendetta against. She rightly assumed she’d earned a name at this point. She was one of the best in the class with hands-on, only failing because of the flaming sword issue, which the Boss suspected had something to do with her kind of magic and not her learning ability. Half the students grudgingly accepted her, acknowledging her right to be there. The other half only smirked when she wasn’t looking.

Like that redhead.

“Let’s see you do it, Ginger,” Sasha muttered at her enemy. Who was actually named Tessie.

The other female sneered, looking back at her sword. Charles chuckled. A little competition was good for the soul. As was beating heads, just like he’d said.

“Oh, God, sorry!”

Charles crossed his hands over his chest and watched as Sasha laid her hands on Gabe’s back. He was bent over painfully, holding his stomach. She’d probably blasted him in her anger at James-the-Clapping-Moron.

“Do what, kill my partner?” the redhead disparaged.

“I’m good, I’m good.” Gabe waved his hand at her, the other still fastened to his stomach.

Clap, clap, clap. “Focus, human! You are with the superior beings, now. You must focus.”

Sasha glowered at Tessie’s smug expression.

Charles groaned. That wasn’t going to help. When Sasha got angry, she had a harder time controlling the lesser power levels. He’d tried to get her to work in black, because she seemed to mess up less in that power, or even gold, but she was (for good reason) afraid she’d get magic shock. The Boss said they needed to find some better trainers who knew how to work with her; these weren’t harnessing what she had to offer. Charles had to agree, and since the Boss was one of the smartest people in the clan, well, he would know. Except, they didn’t have anyone. Not without verifying her power with the council. And that would mean Stefan would finally have to pick a mate, since them coming out here would serve that purpose as well.

Dicey.

Two more accidents later, and some more aggressive trash talking from the ginger, and it was finally time to call it quits. Charles needed to have a word with James about negative reinforcement…

Sasha needed to give Ginger a fat lip. If this kept up, Charles would have to do it, and picking on a student was expressly forbidden.

“Seriously, Gabe,” Sasha was saying as she rubbed his back, “I usually only make a mistake once, so hopefully—I mean, definitely—I’ll definitely stop hurting you very soon.”

Gabe, a soft kid with terrible taste in fashion, shrugged his thin shoulders. He gave her his attempt at a sultry smile. “It’s okay. I’ll brave it again to keep being your partner…”

Charles rolled his eyes and yanked Sasha toward the door. “Alright Casanova, let’s go.”

“Casanova is a guy, nitwit.”

“Whatever. You got a hard class next.”

“Trying to learn to fight without impaling my partner isn’t considered a hard lesson? I think I should use a wooden sword so I can’t blast people.”

“We have Darla next. I have to participate this time because I don’t know nothing about chanting and carrying on.”

“You don’t seem to know anything—notice my word choice—about English, either.” Sasha’s chuckle turned into a groan. “Darla hates me—worse than Ginger. This is gonna suck.”

“Yes on both counts.”

Chapter 4

I walked into the third story room with an air of confidence. Darla might be gorgeous, apparently great at whatever the hell she taught, and promised to the man of my dreams, but she would not get me down.

About eight people sat in chairs around the medium sized room. Darkness loomed outside, sucking the candlelight out of the space. Darla stood in the middle of the room wearing a chic red dress that hugged every perfect curve.