“Turn around.”
Spinning on her heel, she discovered that not only Talon stood in front of her in the Council’s Foyer, but Drake and Zia were there too, all eyes on her. Before she could stop herself, she snapped, “What?”
Zia glanced over her from head to toe. “You have some injuries.” Before Nexi could retort with a Wonder why, and a death look at Kyden, Zia added, “Here, let me help.”
The second her fingers wrapped around Nexi’s, heat shot up her arm and tingles—almost like pins and needles—rushed through her veins, all throughout her body. But in the places that ached the most, she noticed a slight sting, even if it only lasted a second.
When the magic disengaged, Nexi exhaled, giving her body a little shake, realizing all her discomfort had vanished. Maybe she even seemed a little more energized now, as if Zia had given her a couple shots of espresso. “That is beyond strange your magic can do that.” She stretched out her fingers and confirmed that all her aches were gone. “But handy. Thank you.”
Zia smiled. “Anytime.”
“Now then,” Talon said, commanding her attention. “Kyden told us last night he thought you were ready for the guardian trials. ” He looked to Kyden. “You wanted tonight to be sure, so what’s your verdict. Is she ready?”
He nodded. “She is.”
Everything about their whole exchange made her head spin and she fought to catch up, giving her head a firm shake. “Wait. Ready for the what?”
Talon turned to her. “To go through your final tests as a guardian. If you pass the trials, you’ll join the Council’s Guard. If you fail, you’ll become a shield.”
Again, like usual, it seemed, what had come out of his mouth made no sense, and for some reason they expected that it would. Of course, her mind still hadn’t caught up, and now she realized she’d be wrong…again. “Wait a damn minute.” She held up her hand and to Kyden, she said, “Tonight, you acting like that, it was all a test?”
His eyes darkened, jaw clenched. “I’m not in the habit of picking physical fights with women for the hell of it.”
Why did she keep doing that, thinking the worst things of him when he’d been nothing but helping her? She should’ve known something more was going on with the fight tonight. Not that he had an actual desire to beat her up and watch her fail. Heck, he’d been training her to ensure she succeeded.
Heaving a long sigh, feeling like a total douche, she asked, “Now, onto the other stuff, what exactly is a shield?”
Zia said, “Think of it as a bodyguard for those in the Earthworld who need protection.”
That didn’t sound appealing in the least. Leaving the Otherworld, moving away from Drake, Haven…and Kyden? She had found a home here now and had no intention of leaving, which meant she needed more information. “What are the guardian trials?”
Talon said, “To succeed the trails, you’ll have to battle a vampire and werewolf.”
Nexi had already been through the wringer tonight. The thought of killing anyone, who likely didn’t deserve it, would pretty much send her right over the edge. “Please tell me this isn’t to the death.”
“We’re not barbaric, Nexi.” Zia laughed. “You’ll use a practice sword. It’s sharp enough to cut but won’t kill, and any injuries that do occur, I’ll heal.”
Turning to Kyden, Nexi expressed another concern. “Shouldn’t I have practiced this whole sword business? I mean, I know I killed Jaxon, but I didn’t really fight with the sword, more just stabbed him.”
He shook his head. “You’re a guardian. It’s what we do. Your sword is as much a part of you as the rest of your body. Trust me, it’ll feel natural when you use it.”
While she didn’t want to leave the Otherworld, she also had reservations, considering what unfolded only a few minutes ago. “You saw me tonight.”
His eyes were gentle. “I saw you do well.”
“Fail, you mean.”
“No, not fail,” he said in a soft voice. “You lasted against me much longer than I thought you would. You’re ready for this.”
Sure, Kyden was the best-of-the-best when it came to guardians, other than his big ol’ dad. However, everyone missed one important fact. “I only fought like that—” She glanced at Kyden. “I had motivation for fighting as hard as I did tonight. I doubt I could repeat that.”
Drake gave a you’ve got this type of nod. “Anger can be a good motivator, so just draw on it, and I’m sure you’ll do fine.”
She grumbled, as her options dwindled. “Do I have a choice?”
Talon said, “Kyden told us you’re ready, declaring your training is over. That’s the end of it.”
Drake squeezed her arm in a reassuring fatherly way. “I wouldn’t allow this if I didn’t think you were ready, but I do believe it’s time.” He backed away, giving her a strong nod. “We’ll wait for you in the Council’s Hall.”
Wondering if she held the same level of self-assurance, Nexi watched Drake follow Zia and Talon into the Council’s Hall. Even after they vanished through the door, she still hadn’t decided where exactly she sat on the confidence meter.
“I had something made for you,” Kyden said.
She turned to him and now that she was no longer seeing everything through a haze of red, she noticed injuries she inflicted on him. He had bruises and cuts on his face. “Why didn’t Zia heal you?”
“Earlier tonight I told her not to.” Darkness rippled across his features. “I did not enjoy anything about this evening. Not having to push you as hard as I did. Not watching you fail. And not fighting with you.” He approached the wall and picked up a medium-sized white box with a pink bow from the floor.
Returning to her, he offered the gift. “Here, for you.”
She remained stuck on his injuries, and she couldn’t decide if not healing himself was the sweetest gesture ever or just plain stupid. He put the gift into her hands, and she blinked away from examining him.
Keeping the box in her arms, she undid the bow, wondering why he decided to give her a gift now. If this night got any more confusing…no, she hoped this was the end of it. When she slid the lid off the package, her breath hitched. Reaching into the gift, and surrounded by pink paper, she lifted out female guardian gear. She let the box and the boots fall to the floor, inhaling the warm scent of leather.
The design was very similar to Kyden’s, only a hell of a lot smaller. Plus she had a matching brown leather bra with the kilt, and tiny black shorts. Obviously, a man had designed this gear. No woman in her right mind would want to fight anything wearing nothing but blinged up undergarments.
Running her hand over the soft leather, she examined her gear, when she spotted something and did a double take. Along the top of the kilt, resting at the hip, was a willow tree engraved into the leather. As she traced the etching, the design was smooth under her touch. She looked up at Kyden, and he stared down at her with tenderness. Her breath caught with emotion and her voice became stuck in her throat.
Turning away from her, Kyden strode toward the Council’s Hall. “Get into your gear and meet me back here.”
Chapter Eleven
Fifteen minutes later, Nexi re-entered the Council’s Foyer, and Kyden’s eyes flared with a whole lotta heat. Not a big shocker, she was half-naked. The kilt hugged her lower half and the hem stopped not too far after her bottom, and the bra held her girls in place—she was grateful. Her dark brown leather boots had a small heel, not enough to make fighting difficult, and they reached just below her knee, tied tight to her calf with a thick leather string.
Even though she was exposed, the gear on her body seemed…right.
Drawing closer to Kyden, she noticed he held a scabbard similar to his own, only half the size. He also had a dull-looking sword tucked under his arm. However, concerning her more than the idea of the fight ahead were the rumblings from the Council’s Hall.
How many supernaturals planned to watch this?
Five, she hoped.
Ten observers would be her tops.
Once she reached Kyden, he used soft touches with warm hands to place the scabbard over her head and fixed the strap on her shoulder, so it lay flat. His fingers lingered on her skin a moment before he dropped his hand.
Her mind raced as she tried to decipher his firm look. To her disappointment, he’d shut down all emotion and she couldn’t get a read on him. Last night he had kissed her, but what did that mean? Right now, he didn’t look at all interested in her. Did his welcome to my forceful side comment actually mean that things between them were over?
Her chest tightened oddly. “Kyden….”
He shook his head. “Not now, Nexi. You have a tough task ahead of you.” He stepped back, his eyes becoming hard. “Ready?”
She paused, gathering her thoughts. Of course, he was right, and now this thing between them was the least of her problems. Shoving all thoughts of Kyden, as well as the hollowness in her chest, aside to deal with later, she considered the task ahead of her. If she succeeded and joined the Council’s Guard, she gained the freedom to hunt the wolf that had gotten away with her parents murder.