Out of the Mountain (20 page)

He jumped back from me like I had shocked him, his breathing heavy. I blushed from head to toe at the sound that had escaped me. My hand went immediately to my lips; they were raw from the power of his kiss, and all I could think as my heart pounded in my chest was that I wanted more. I stepped toward him, and he put a hand out to stop me.

“Vinnie . . .” Oh no.

“You can’t say you didn’t enjoy that as much as I did . . . I felt it! I know it! It was perfect.” I smiled, and he groaned, putting a hand over his face.

“We cannot,” he murmured, face to the sky.

“Why not?” I asked, heart already hurting.

“You would not understand. I should have never . . . I am sorry. It was a moment of weakness. It will not happen again,” he said, nodding to himself in confirmation.

“What if I want it to happen again?” I asked, humiliating myself immediately.

“You are much too young for me,” he said, and I almost laughed.

“I am more than old enough and you know it. Try again.”

“I am with Adelaide,” he said, voice firm. OK, that one hurt.

“You don’t have to be.”

“I cannot,” he said. This time it wasn’t “we can’t.” It was “I can’t.” I noticed the difference.

“That was my first kiss,” I blurted, and then smiled, touching my lips again, surprised at the tingle that I still felt there.

“Vinnie . . .” His voice softened, and I watched as conflicting emotions crossed his face. His eyes found mine, and I saw something there . . . calling to me again. I took a step toward him, and he yelped in frustration before quickly shifting into his lion. I felt a sting of hurt by his refusal as his lion’s eyes stared at me intently, but I remembered the look he had given me before giving into the kiss. I know he wanted me.

“I’m glad it was you,” I said honestly, and kissed his lion on the nose before shifting into my tigress and running back through the forest the way we came.

***

When we arrived back to Guard HQ, Farran was waiting to bring me to the Six. He had heard about what happened and gave me a quick hug before he led the way. Rowan followed us, as steady and silent as ever. I tried to fight the urge to keep touching my lips.

The Six were convened in a room that looked much like their version of a center of operations. I quickly spied Cassia and Oliviana sitting to the side of the room, looking pretty worse for wear. Cassia’s nose was bandaged and taped and Oliviana’s jaw was swollen, a purple bruise blooming across it. Everyone who had witnessed the encounter had been called in as well.

“We convene to decide the disciplinary action that will befall the two novices who attacked our princess earlier today,” Mauve began angrily. This was not going to end well.

“If I may speak?” I interrupted Mauve before she could continue.

“Yes, of course,” she replied, too brightly for my approval.

“They didn’t exactly attack me . . . I mean, we exchanged heated words and I, umm . . . lost my temper. I hit Cassia, and Oliviana tried to defend her.” I stretched the truth of the last part. I was pretty sure Oliviana just wanted to keep up with Cassia.

“It is no matter that they did not physically attack you. They set out to slander your name and to bait you into altercation. I have heard the brash accusations that were slung your way, Princess. It is not how we expect our future guard members to present themselves,” she droned, and I nodded.

“We have conferred with Silas, and he has agreed that this group is not a cohesive one. It is on that note that I will allow anyone who wishes to leave the novice training to do so now. No consequences will come of it,” she said sharply while looking at each of us. Cassia immediately stood.

“I would like to leave the training,” she said casually. I would almost bet this was what she was going for from the start. When she looked at Oliviana, she too stood, declaring that she would like to leave. No one was surprised when Joel stepped forward as well.

“Would anyone else like to abandon their training?” Mauve asked with a sharp edge in her voice. It was clear to me that she hadn’t thought that anyone would volunteer, and she didn’t like being caught off guard. When no one answered, she nodded, looking at the three.

“You will serve time in the fields for abandoning the posts you swore to fill and when that time is up, you will be free to do as you please,” she snapped without even taking the time to confer with the others, and everyone gasped.

“But you said we would have no consequences!” Cassia bellowed in anger.

“Now you know what it feels like to be disappointed when someone goes back on her word,” Mauve hissed before standing and swiftly leaving the room. The others of the Six exchanged quick glances before standing and taking their exits as well. Cassia glared blatantly toward me as if it was my fault her plans fell through. I turned from her, not wanting to give her the satisfaction.

***

We all filed into the main room of Guard HQ afterward to discuss what had happened. I slunk into an uncomfortable chair and waited as the others did the same. Rowan took a place against the wall with Adelaide, and when she leaned her head on his shoulder, I decided it was probably best if I focused my attention elsewhere.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would say that those girls picked that fight on purpose,” Malachi said from his seat next to me. Tamora nodded.

“They didn’t seem too banged up to be asked to leave, until Mauve added in the community service, that is,” she said with a grin splitting her face.

“I would imagine they didn’t expect to get their asses kicked in the process either.” Briony laughed, and I smiled at her.

“I’m unpredictable at best,” I said indignantly, meeting Rowan’s eyes and quickly glancing away again before telling myself that it was OK to look at him and chastising myself for making things awkward.

“That’s what we love about you, Vivi,” Luca said, easily putting an arm around me. I smiled at him genuinely. Luca was a good guy.

“At least we’re an even number now,” Peyton said, trying to see the bright side. Genevieve laughed at her friend’s optimism.

“That’s only if our princess plans to stick around,” she replied, and I smiled.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said, boldly looking Rowan in the eye and seeing Adelaide stiffen by his side when she caught my double meaning. He might belong to her in some ways but not in all. He was blood-bound to be my guard, after all, and I had grown to respect him. She would just have to get used to me.

“Today we’re going to be mixing things up a little, kids! We’re going to be working with magic!” Marlowe had blue hair today and was sporting another pair of bright floral pants. He was an interesting sight. He, along with Tamora and Malachi, were to be our instructors for today. I wondered for a moment if Rowan was avoiding me and decided he probably was.

“Shuni over here!” Malachi barked from across the field. I followed Luca, Griffin, Briony, and Finley across the field to meet him. That left Peyton, Genevieve, and Jonah with Marlowe.

“Everybody go ahead and shift,” he said, and within moments I was surrounded by animals.

“You too, Princess.” He winked, and though it took me a moment, I shifted.

“OK, great, beautiful. Now shift back,” he said, and on it went. He made us shift a dozen times more until I finally felt completely comfortable with it. I suspected he did this little exercise for my benefit and smiled at him thankfully.

“OK, now . . . who wants to play tag?” he asked excitedly, and everyone laughed in response. When he shifted into a giant bird with white feathers, a wingspan much longer than my height, and talons that could easily pick even Rowan up, the humor left us immediately.

Tamora smiled and said, “Run.”

We shifted simultaneously and split off into different directions. There weren’t many places to hide in the open field, and Malachi wasn’t playing nice. I heard his shrill call as he soared into the air, and my tigress was frantic to get into a better position. I flattened onto my belly and hid behind an equipment pile so I could get a better look at what was going on. Malachi in his Shuni form was miraculous; his white feathers shone reflectively in the light as he soared above us, looking for his target. His beak was a bright yellow that matched his huge talons, which were tipped with sharp claws. My tigress ached to take a swat at the bird when it dove and picked Luca up before dropping him from about ten feet in the air. I roared at him instinctively, and he turned his gaze on me.

I thought about running from him, but I knew that he would only enjoy that more, so I ran at him instead. I saw the gleam in his eye at the challenge and just as I pounced, the bird’s wings launched him into the air, his talons grabbing onto my front paws before dragging me up with him. Terror filled me as he flew higher, and my tigress fought for control. The urge to tear at the huge bird’s underbelly with my teeth and neutralize the threat was overwhelming. I shifted back and screamed as I began to fall through the air toward the ground at a breakneck pace. Malachi had taken me too high . . . but he probably hadn’t thought I would shift and slip through his talons. He tucked his wings and dove, easily catching me seconds after I had fallen and spreading his wings to slow our descent before dropping me to my feet on the ground. I couldn’t be certain, but I swear I saw the bird roll its eyes at me in true Malachi form before turning to other prey and leaving me clutching my chest.

When Malachi had successfully gotten us all at least once, he dropped down to the ground and shifted back into his human form, laughing. He was the only one.

“That was a lot of good fun,” he said, and Luca growled at him. “Oh, you don’t have time for that, you should probably run again.” He chuckled as Tamora sent a whirlpool of water rushing our way. She began easily using air and water to create cyclones that enclosed us before tossing us out haphazardly across the field. When her gaze turned on me, I stood firm, daring her to do it. She almost didn’t, but at Malachi’s urging she shrugged as if in apology before aiming her powers at me.

I closed my eyes and braced for the barrage of water, but when nothing happened I opened them again warily. Tamora and Malachi were staring at me in confusion.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, worried.

“I don’t . . .” Tamora started, and then Farran appeared behind her.

“She’s magnificent, isn’t she?” He marveled.

“She blocked my magic?” Tamora wondered aloud.

“It would seem so.” Farran clapped with joy.

“I didn’t do anything,” I replied in confusion. Tamora quickly flung her hand and shot water at me, and I yelped, throwing my own hands up, but the water never made contact.

“Do it again,” I demanded, watching in awe this time as the water dissipated around me.

“How is she doing that?” Malachi asked in disbelief.

“I have no idea,” I said honestly, but I had done it before. I had deflected Narissa’s magic as well.

“She’s like a sponge! Soaking in everything around her,” Farran said, eyes alight.

“What are you talking about?”

“Think about it. She spent many years with the monks; she has powers of the mind. She spent many years under a ward that blocks her magic; she can block magic!” Farran was practically vibrating with excitement.

“She can heal with touch. She can change into a tiger. What else can she do?” Briony asked excitedly, studying me as if the answers would appear.

“She has limitless potential. She is one of a kind.” Luca smiled.

“We will never know what she can and can’t do until she tries,” Farran continued, already lost in thoughts of the possibilities.

“I know I can’t wield the elements. I’ve tried,” I said skeptically.

“Possibly because you can only block them from being used against you?” Tamora considered.

“I don’t know . . . ,” I said, thinking it over. They were putting an awful lot of pressure on me. I had barely just mastered shifting.

“I think I’m going to call it a day,” I said, looking to Farran for help. I was tired of being studied like an interesting insect, and it seemed that this particular session was only beginning as the others filed around me as well.

“Yes, of course. Come along, my dear,” he said happily, pulling me to his side. We walked in silence until we reached the palace gates, and I decided to head up to my room for a nice long bath. Farran agreed to come back and retrieve me for dinner, and I was content to have some time alone to process.

I couldn’t wield elemental magic, but I could block it. That was something, right? I could finally shift effortlessly, and my conjuring magic . . . I tried to conjure the razor I knew to be in the drawer of the sink into my hand to shave my legs, and I cut my thumb. I flinched in pain before my vision went dark.

“A single drop of our blood contains so much power Vivienne.” Isadora was holding the tiny girl on her lap.

“You must always remember that there is a light within you that no one can darken.” She was brushing the small girl’s dark hair into pigtails.

“Mommy, tell me story.”

“Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess. She had a great and powerful gift, but it was hidden away inside her. An evil sorcerer heard of this gift and wanted to take it away, but the queen had taken precautions. A dragon told her of a prophecy that someday her daughter would have to use her light to banish the shadows and save the people of her kingdom.

“The dragon taught the queen a song and told her of a ritual that would arm the princess against the evil that lurks in the shadows. The dragon cautioned that it would come at a great sacrifice to the queen, but she assured the dragon that she cared only for her daughter’s safety. She performed this ritual and embedded the magic into two weapons that only she or the princess could wield. A drop of her blood is all it takes . . .”

I was back in my bathroom, and I jumped from the tub, sloshing water all over the tiled floor. I wrapped a towel around me before entering my room and grabbing the dagger from its sheath on the desk. I hesitated only a moment before pressing the tip into my thumb and drawing blood. I winced but quickly forgot about the pain as light exploded from the blade. Power radiated around me, thick in the air.