Destined (War of the Covens 2)

“Good as new,” she whispered.

If only she could do that for herself.

Glamour was easy for her, and Caia could tell Mordecai was becoming worried that she was bored.

“There really is no challenge in it for you, is there?” He watched as she glamoured an apple to look like a banana.

She shook her head. “Nope.”

Usually, she would have been apologetic, but in truth, she was bored, which meant her mind was too easily on other things. Like Lucien … and his lover.

Mordecai rubbed his bristly cheek in thought. “Well … we could try the martial arts class. Or we could go back to natural materialization … damn. I just wasn’t expecting you to pick things up so quickly. Marion did warn—”

“Martial arts sound good. Do I get to kick someone’s ass?”

He laughed. “Yeah. Mine.”

She chuckled, not really seeing Mordecai as the Jackie Chan type. This should be funny, she mused.

This was so not funny. Caia groaned as her back grumbled in complaint, her eyes glazed at the ceiling as she lay prone on a mat.

Mordecai’s head popped into her vision, smiling down at her. “Looks like we found something that doesn’t come so easily, huh?”

“If I were a wolf right now, your jugular would be mine.”

He chuckled and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to her feet. “That would be unsportsmanlike.”

She grunted. “What, in comparison to flipping me over your shoulder and grounding me into the floor?”

“It’s called judo.”

“It’s called whaling on a ninety-pound, nineteen-year-old girl and being smug about it.”

He laughed and shrugged. “What can I say? It’s nice to be good at something around you.”

She frowned. What did that mean? That she made people feel inadequate? Did Lucien feel that way?

“Did I say something wrong?” Mordecai asked. “I was just joking with you.”

She turned away, pulling her ponytail back into place. “No, I guess I just didn’t realize how annoying it is to be around a freak like me.”

“Hey.” He whirled her around, his eyes wide with concern. “Caia, I was kidding. Your abilities are exhilarating to be around, I promise.” He chuckled. “That doesn’t mean it isn’t funny that someone as graceful as you is as hopeless as you seem to be at judo, tae kwon do, and aikido.”

“Don’t forget jujitsu.”

Mordecai let out a guffaw of laughter. “I didn’t, I was being kind.”

She smiled and shoved at him playfully, although her mind still buzzed with insecurity.

He seemed to sense it. “Is this about Lucien?”

“No,” she said too quickly and then laughed at herself when she saw the disbelief in his eyes. “Maybe.”

“Is it about Rose?”

Caia shook her head frantically. No, no one could know about her hopeless unrequited infatuation. It was too, too sad. “No. It’s just …” She flopped down on to the mat. “Lucien is my best friend, you know. Sometimes when Marion or I talk about my magikal abilities, he goes all weird and quiet. What you said … I mean … I don’t know. Do you think he might … resent me?”

“Resent you how?”

“He’s the Alpha of our pack. And he’s been through a lot and deserves that position. He’s the most powerful lykan among us, except—”

“That he’s not. You are.”

She nodded reluctantly. “Yes.”

“You think it bothers him?”

“I don’t want to lose him.”

Mordecai smiled kindly down at her. “I don’t think you need to worry about that, Caia. The way he looks at you … he cares a great deal about you, I’m sure of it. I think you are as much his friend as he is yours.”

His friend. Wonderful.

“Now, if you are done having your ass kicked, might I suggest you shower and then join me for the afternoon lecture on the element of water?”

“Sure. Whatever floats your boat.”

“Was that a joke?”

“A poor one, but yes.”

He laughed and pulled her to her feet. “You’ll learn a lot. It’s a beginner’s lecture, but it’s useful, I promise.”

Caia would never know if her first beginner’s lecture in the practice of water magik was useful. After Mordecai had led her to the lecture halls in the basement level at the back of the building, an increasing sense of unease trickled down her spine, an unease accompanied by a familiar icy, tingling sensation.

The feeling grew stronger as she followed him into lecture hall A and took a seat in the back row of the semicircular theater room. She blankly took in the younger magiks who sat talking and laughing, notepads at the ready in front of them. Numb, she was barely aware of a short magik set up down in the center of the room, where he had a laptop connected to the projection screen behind him. The magiks quieted as he began to speak, but Caia was no more aware of his words than of Mordecai’s concerned stare.

There was a Midnight at the Center.

Caia homed in on the trace and found the female. Because the girl was young, unpracticed, and afraid, her connection was strong. She was somewhere dark and cold. Trapped and bitter. Feeling stupid.