Braving the Elements (Darkness #2)(7)

Stefan blew out a breath. “We’ll have to divide her time. Put her in more classes; speed up her education. Learn elements from you, push her to James for weapons, then to Darla for incantations.”

“Not Darla,” I blurted.

Stefan speared me with his Boss stare. My back and lower cheeks tingled, a warning that danger headed my way. I shut the hell up before he did something awful.

To Master Bert he said, “This starts tomorrow. Get her working. We don’t have a lot of time—she’s in danger every time she uses her magic without control.” His bearing still filled with command, expecting to be obeyed at any cost, his next words were for me. “And no more reckless car rides. You’re putting yourself in needless danger. They stop immediately.”

My argument died on my lips as his powerful gaze shocked into my system. Didn’t mean I agreed, though. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission…

“Maw, yes!” Master Bert nodded at Charles and I, still thinking about my education. “Absolutely, Boss! Your pet is safe with me.”

As the words sank in, the world slowed down. My gaze swiveled to Master Bert, incredulous.

“Yes, well.” Stefan turned, a flash of irritation smearing his face before he stalked off.

“Pet?” I asked Charles in a disbelieving whisper as Master Bert led the way. “Is that what he said?”

My mind flashed back to Jonas on the first night we met them. When he and Charles had called me little pet. They’d thought Jared and I would break down and do as they said in mindless agreement. We were only as good as our willingness to drop our pants. Dimwitted humans. Lesser species.

Anger filled me. Shaking my head and blinking, I realized that I was being led by an oblivious Charles. His thoughts weren’t bent on how wrong that term was, how immoral. Quite the opposite. It was a given.

What the hell was wrong with these people?

I sucked that thought in. I tucked it away. I didn’t know how to handle it yet, the pain of it—so I would stuff it in a new secret box. I’d thought that if I learned this stuff, earned my reputation, I’d fit in. Nowhere in that equation was stooping to being a pet human.

My chin rose as my heart fell, refusing to let that term diminish my accomplishment of sucking in elements. I’d show them I wasn’t just a stupid human. I’d learn this stuff and rock their world.

Somehow.





CHAPTER TWO

CHARLES WAS IN STITCHES FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS. IT SEEMED THAT

pulling in elements once was enough for Sasha to thoroughly figure out how to do it repeatedly. Other students, even the best, would need a few seconds of concentration before they had some magic flowing. Not Sasha. Not anymore. She couldn’t pay attention for crap, she couldn’t remember even a sentence of knowledge if she heard it, but let her work with her hands once, and she got it. Not only that, but she pulled in way too much, freaked out, and then puffed a red fog that had the ability to singe off eyebrows.

Bert had gotten less and less chipper as the class wore on. He also had less and less hair on the top of his head. It seemed Sasha could pull fire the best. Yee haw. Plus, every time she did something before Salline, the top overachiever in class, she nodded to herself. She was pitting herself against the best and keeping tabs, willing herself to be better.

Thank God, too, cause Charles was really starting to get worried. He’d heard she could turn a letter opener red when she first came here. That was a decent flow of magic. Not only that, but she had the Boss’s eye. It took a special ability to have him looking—hinting at much higher than red. But up until now, she was like every other human that someone brought around to show off: fairly useless.

But what the hell was up with that strange shadow she had going on? It was like a wispy essence of the Boss hanging around her. Every time she bent over, or looked up at him in jubilation, or did something feminine, Charles would get wood. Natural enough. Except, when he thought about trying a move, he’d get a strange scent wafting by, that kinda smelled like the Boss in the height of rage. If that didn’t deflate the ol’ sails, Charles didn’t know what would.

Great gods, Charles needed to get laid. It’d been twelve days! The crazy human had him always on his toes—he was afraid to leave her alone in case she did something stupid. Like go give the Boss the finger.

“Alright, let’s go for a ride.” Sasha stalked off toward the house in determination.

“Whoa, wait a minute.” Charles ran to catch up, unable to help a smirk at the small curl of smoke rising from Bert’s scalp. The man should’ve just backed away like everyone else. “The Boss said no to that.”

“True. And if you aren’t a snitch, we won’t get caught going against his wishes.”

“Sasha, no. No way.” Charles grabbed her arm to keep her from marching through the gate toward the parking lot. A pure shot of lightning blasted his palm.

“Ow!” He shook his hand. “Why the hell are you sparking? What are you, a mutant?”

“No. Just a pet. Or maybe that’s the same thing,” she muttered softly.

He got the feeling he wasn’t supposed to hear that. Her chest bowed in.

He’d seen people do that in the field, closing down, trying to protect their vitals. The words, quiet and deep, hinted at a profound hurt. Something more than just taking offense to that idiot Bert. Something more than indignation, or even outrage. This was something older; old haunts that stayed with her.