“Law is a Scots word for hill,” Jaxton answered automatically. “Where in the watch-house ruins on North Berwick Law did Giovanni say we can find the clue?”
She raised an eyebrow. “I thought my job was to get the clue while you played lookout.”
Jaxton shrugged. “Anything could happen, you know that.”
Kiarra pushed off from the table and dropped into a nearby cushy chair. Their new location was nothing more than a studio flat in eastern Edinburgh. Small, yet cozy, with a bed, a fireplace, and a “wee” kitchen.
It’d taken several hours to reach the flat and Jaxton hadn’t wasted a second, teaching Kiarra a few more of his tricks along the way. Jaxton’s drills of choosing the safest routes to go unnoticed and reciting DEFEND safe-house locations had distracted her from earlier revelations. Even now, she focused on their plan for following Gio’s instructions rather than on Jaxton’s unfulfilled promise or his claim that she was a Talent. She wasn’t quite ready to tackle either one.
She adjusted her position in the chair and said, “The clue will be buried in the only remaining corner of the watch-house ruins, under a rock, before tomorrow afternoon.”
Jaxton took out his new phone and pushed some buttons before laying it on the table. “Right, some people are going to watch that hill for me and let me know if anyone shows up.” Jaxton walked over to her and held out a hand. “Now that that’s settled, it’s time to train for a bit.”
She didn’t take his hand and gave a pointed look around the small room. “Where, exactly, are we going to do that? On the roof?”
Jaxton wiggled his fingers. “Are you ever going to cooperate easily?”
“No.”
Jaxton smiled. “Bloody woman.” He reached down, took her hand, and pulled her up before turning her around and placing his hands on her waist. She should scold his manhandling, yet part of her wanted him to move his hands higher, pull her up against his chest, and encircle her so she could feel safe in his arms again.
His hands stayed on her hips, but he did move in closer, surrounding her with his male scent mixed with soap. She resisted a shiver at the heat of his body against her back.
Jaxton leaned his mouth next to her ear. “We’re going to work on your concentration. Call up your fire.”
Kiarra closed her eyes, but Jaxton pinched her hip and said, “Keep them open and on your target.”
She opened her eyes and elbowed Jaxton in the ribs. Hard. “All right, teacher, what is my target? The fake plant in the corner?”
“That’ll do.”
She kept her eyes on the plant and channeled her heat outward as before. Without looking, Kiarra knew there was a flame surrounding each of her hands. The heat tickled against her skin and she realized how much she’d missed it over the years.
“Now,” Jaxton said, “make the fire dance in front of you.”
The air was full of elemental energy particles, each compass direction holding a higher concentration of a specific element. If she could find a way to draw the elemental fire particles to her flame, she could direct the fire to jump from energy particle to energy particle, appearing as a constant stream of flame to those without the ability.
She concentrated and sensed the change in the air, attuned to the gathering energy in front of her. The flame jumped from her hands to its new fuel source, creating an arc of fire that extended out six inches from her chest.
Kiarra wanted to celebrate, but maintained her concentration for a few seconds before Jaxton nuzzled the side of her head and stroked the right side of her ribcage. She was hyperaware of his touch, and before she realized it, her fire extinguished as her hormones battled for control of her brain.
Jaxton stilled his fingers and she felt his smile against her ear. “Is that the best you can do? Try again.”
Kiarra repeated the process, determined to best Jaxton. When she had another stream of fire dancing in front of her again, Jaxton started to stroke her side, but she was prepared. The touch prodded her to expand the flame farther away, creating a larger swath of fire.
Jaxton blew into her ear. The flame flickered for a split second before she regained control, extending its reach. Her fire was now only a few inches short of the plant in the corner.
“Now, try to surround the plant, but don’t destroy it,” Jaxton whispered.
Just as she directed the fire a little closer to the plant, Jaxton traced his finger up the side of her neck. He continued to stroke her sensitive skin, and Kiarra gritted her teeth. She would reach the plant if it killed her.
Careful not to melt the plastic, Kiarra encircled the outside leaves. The next few leaves would include the stem, making it tricky, but she pushed forward. Then Jaxton nipped her neck and the fire disappeared, leaving behind a small branch of melted plastic.
She let out a growl and turned around to find the bastard was smiling. “Is it a habit of yours to bite trainees?”
“Only the ones that taste as good as you.” He swirled his finger in the air, indicating for her to turn around. “Now, try it again. If you can’t concentrate with something as small as a nip on your neck, then you bloody well won’t be able to block out the people fighting, and possibly dying, around you.”
Kiarra was ab