Page 134 of First Ritual

I’d put aside all that because today I’d get to punch someone.

Syera had never understood my thirst for violence. She’d found it amusing. A contradiction to the equal and opposite part of me that yearned to heal and help.

Summoning her birth pendant, I gripped it tight in my fist. “I miss you so much.”

I missed them all so damn much. But they weren’t here. I couldn’t have them. While the cruelty of that would never change, a busy day made coping easier.

I was going to fuck Huxley up in Caves.

Dressing in my white training set, I tied my hair into a bun atop my crown, not bothering to pin the tendrils that wiggled free. Picking up my opal, I then left my esteemed apartment.

Breakfast on a Caves day.

Unlike the weeks prior, I noticed everything.

The people passing me. What Huxley ate. I tried not to focus on him nor the novice, Spur, who I’d face before Huxley. Yet was I looking enough not to raise their suspicions? Everyone watched everyone. The energy crackled through the cave chamber.

Our strategy was to hit early this morning. If we were successful, we’d have two territories in the bag. That was huge. That kind of win mitigated losing to Fertim. We may not have enough magic in the tank to defend against their plan after winning ours, but our mission would hopefully take out a lot of their main players and leave our defense team—our smaller defense team because of me—in a position to ensure a Fertim loss.

I shoveled buttered toast in my mouth followed by an orange and spinach smoothie. Nothing too heavy. Nothing that would weigh me down against Smokey.

“Can I sit here?” Rooke hovered by the table, her tray empty aside from a few bits of fruit.

Anger flashed within me anew at the way she’d used our bond last night. A tether made you privy to emotions and information that should be kept between the two magus. To speak those discoveries aloud without permission from the other was a breach of trust. “You can.”

She sat on the bench. “I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t. Bronte, I’m so sorry about last night. The whole thing. It seemed like the only thing we could do, but I felt some of what you did in there. I saw that it was horrible for you and achieved nothing. What I did with our bond—that was a really shitty thing to do. Your emotions were hitting me so hard, and I was kind of speaking to myself and forgetting others were around. Either way, it was careless and thoughtless, and I’m pissed at myself for treating you badly, especially when you feel so lost and I treasure our tether.”

As apologies went… that was the best I’d ever received. “Thank you. I can hear the truth in your words.”

Her shoulders sagged. “I’m glad. They are the truth.”

“A mistake is a lesson if you don’t make it twice,” I quipped.

The corner of her mouth quirked. “I hear you loud and clear. And it won’t.” She took a breath. “So. Caves day. How are you feeling?”

“Bloodthirsty.”

She squinted. “I can see that. Scary stuff.”

My cousin had come to sit with me, but I’d seen the disgust on her face last night. Had I heard a real ring of fear in her voice just now? Why did she really come to sit here? Pity? “What about you?”

“I always get nervous on Caves days. I’m a lover, not a fighter. Once I’m in it, then I’m fine. The lead-up is the worst part for me. The part you seem to be very excited about.”

Had the question of if my aggression was demon-related caused that pinch to her expression?

I released a breath and sipped at my smoothie. From the corner of my eye, my first victim stood.

I rose. “Catch ya later.”

“Good luck,” she whispered, holding two thumbs up.

Luck was a farce. People made their own success. As I intended to do imminently.

Sven caught my gaze and nodded. Huxley was still eating. Sven would tail him, and we each had a stone from Ruby that would help us to communicate and stage the attack later. I wanted to fight that battle now.

Time to deal with this novice.

The woman, older than me, was an apothecary affinity. I could expect charms of a low power level. Maybe some self-made protections. I’d gone through the entire contents of my duffel and the kits stashed within last night to prepare. My magical reserves were at about 85 percent after the divination journey, so I didn’t want to expend a lot in this fight.