Soul Mates: Magic (Soul Mates Series) (3 page)

Chapter Four

By the time Daire ran over to me after practice, I had three pages of notes on congress and how our government is supposed to work. “Gee, it’s no wonder you flunked this class,” I said closing the book and standing up to stretch.

Daire’s face looked strange and his voice sounded strangled when he replied, “I did it on purpose, and you really need to not do that Princess.”

“Do what? Refer to your flunking a class?” I asked with a smile.

“No, not that…never mind.” Daire shook his head. “Come on, or you’ll be late for Gideon’s lesson. We’ll have to stop in and see Taban for a timepiece. We wouldn’t want you to be late for your date with lover boy.”

Daire
didn’t bother to change clothes. We headed straight to the car and drove to the Faerie Mound. It was a quiet ride. Daire didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk, at least not until we pulled into the parking lot at the park, where the Faerie Mound was located. Humans couldn’t see it, it was glamoured of course. I grabbed my bag and started to get out of the car.

“So, what are you and lover boy doing tonight?”

I frowned at him. “I think we are just going to Carter’s. What about you? Do you have a date?”

Daire i
gnored that question. “Carter’s? Isn’t that a bit crowded? Why would he take you there on a first date?”

“I don’t know. I asked him what he usually did after a game and he said he usually goes to Carter’s. I said that would be fine.”

“Why are you going out with him, Princess? What could you possibly see in such a person?”

“I don’t know. He seems nice, he asked me out when no one else would. He’s fairly cute.”
             

“And that is your reason for accepting his company? He’s cute? There are a million men out there better looking than him. He’s…”

“That’s enough, Daire. He asked me out, not the million other men. I want to fit in. I want to do things a normal girl would do.”

“But you aren’t a normal girl. You are the Princess of Light and Illusion. You are the heir to the Faerie kingdom! You deserve…”

“I deserve to be happy. Why can’t you just let it go?”

“Because I…” he stopped and looked at me with frustration. “I just can’t,” he said softly, lifting his hand to cup my cheek.

I relished the feel of his hand resting so tenderly upon my skin. I closed my eyes and sighed. I would have given anything to turn my face into his palm and kiss him, but instead I placed my hand on his and pulled away. “I’m going on this date. I’m going to have a good time. I’m going to be normal for a while.” I let go of his hand and opened the door.

I heard him sigh and I turned to look at him sitting forlornly behind the wheel of my convertible. “I’ll be there with Meagan. I’ll keep an eye upon you, Cole doesn’t have to go.”

“Are you sure that is a good idea? You haven’t been very supportive of this date.”

“
I want to know you are safe. It will bother me if I am not there to protect you from any and all assaults.”

“Fine.” I hefted my bag onto my shoulder and strode to the door of Faerie. I didn’t bother to turn and see if Daire was following. He’d be along when he was ready. “Thane,” I said with a smile as I reached the entrance to Faerie. “What are you doing on the door
, where is Elvin?”

“Good afternoon, Princess.” Thane returned my smile. “
Elvin is doing some training at the New York Mound. I’m on guard duty this evening. Rumors have been circulating about an attack. Auberon is being cautious.”

“An attack? Here? That’s ridiculous. The Unseelie haven’t attacked us here in fifteen years.”

“As you say, Princess.”

I smiled. “May I?” I gestured at the door.

“Of course, Princess.” Thane opened the door and allowed me entrance. I quickly made my way to Taban’s offices to ask for a timepiece.

“Taba
n?” I called as I entered the room.

“Princess! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

I grinned at Taban. “I need a timepiece so that I don’t lose too much time in the mortal world. I have a date tonight and I don’t want to be late.”

“Are you not going to the game?”

“I am, but I want to prepare myself before hand, you know, more than the usual. It’s sort of my first official date you know.”

“Ah, I see. Very well, I think I have just the thing. Seems like just yesterday I was handing this piece over to your brother and that pretty wife of his…” Tab
an sorted through numerous pieces. “Here it is. Now I’ll just set it so that a minute equals an hour here in Faerie and you should be good.”

“Thank
you, Taban. I appreciate it.” I took the piece and headed out to the courtyard and the training grounds where I knew Gideon was waiting.

“You’re late
, Princess.”

“I’m sorry
, Gideon. I stopped to get a timepiece from Taban.” I held up the watch and then stuffed it in my pocket. “What are we working on today?”

“Nine inch swords and throwing daggers.”

“Again?”

“You missed three targets last practice.”

“Out of fifty-five!”

“If those targets had been Unseelie it could have meant your death. You will practice again.”

I sighed. “Fine.” I snapped my fingers and changed into my training attire, tight black Fae pants and a tank top, black boots with a spiked heel, only because Gideon made me wear them. He said that I needed to be ready if I had to fight dressed in any kind of shoe. If I had my preference for training I would have leaned toward something I could move fast in, like tennis shoes. However Gideon believes that the spiked heel boots could be used as a weapon if I needed them and I’m starting to get use to them. “Anything else?”

“We’ll work on your martial arts after you have mastered the targets. Begin.”

I picked up the first two daggers and waited for the targets to make a sudden appearance. I didn’t have to wait long. I sent the daggers flying and managed to hit both targets dead center. The next two came faster and with each throw I felt my reflexes improve. Twenty minutes and sixty-five targets later, I managed to pass by the skin of my teeth.

“Now the swords. Cale!”

I picked up my swords and waited for Cale to enter the fighting ring. I didn’t really like Cale, he was sort of cocky and always made some snarky comment. “Cale.”

“Princess, ready to bleed?” he asked with a smirk.

I glared at him and waited for him to come at me. I wasn’t disappointed. I blocked his move and managed to get in a cut of my own. It only managed to piss him off though. It went on for thirty minutes or so. He’d swing, I’d block him, perhaps get a cut on him and push away.

“Stop horsing around Abbey! Disarm him!”

I glanced at Gideon. Was he serious? He thought I was playing? I gritted my teeth and decided to play offense. I charged Cale, swinging and connecting with his side with one sword while I knocked his out of the way with my other. In the next second I spun around, kicked him in the stomach with my spiked heel, knocking him even more off balance. He fell and I kicked his swords out of his hands and pointed mine at his throat. “Enough?”

“Very good. You’ve been practicing, Princess,” Cale said sardonically. “I’ll be ready for that move next time. You’d better be prepared.” He stood, picked up his swords and walked out of the ring without a backwards glance.

“Not nearly good enough,” Gideon said with a frown. “You should have been finished with him after five minutes. You have got to be serious about this training, Princess. It could mean your life.”

I sighed. I thought I
was
being serious. “I’ll do better, Gideon. I promise.”

“Take a break, we will continue with martial arts training in twenty minutes.” Gideon gathered the weapons and vanished.

I sat down on the bench and pulled a bottle of water out of the air. I’d guzzled about half of it when Daire sat down next to me.

“Don’t feel bad. You are doing fine. Gideon just likes perfection.”

“I never seem to be good enough.”

“It took me twenty years to get as good as you’ve gotten in the last three. Don’t let it bother you. That is just the way Gideon works.”

“It doesn’t do any good if I’m never allowed to use any of this training.”

“The training is a precaution Princess. You shouldn’t have to use it. That is why we warriors fight. To protect you, to protect Faerie.”

“It shouldn’t be just your fight. As a leader does Auberon not ever fight? Should I never fight?”

“He has, in the past. And he will in the future I am sure. However, Tatiana does not fight with swords, she knows how, but as Queen it is her duty to stay safe. She helps where she can, with magic. It is why you are training with her as well.”

“And if I have no King to fight by my side against the Unseelie when I inherit the crown?”

Daire looked at me tenderly. “Then I will pick up my sword and fight at your side and defend you unto death, Princess.”

I shook my head. “I should be able to defend myself, Daire. And you and anyone else in Faerie.” And if I had any say at all, that is exactly what I aimed to do. I will work at it and improve until I can beat every one of my competitors in the ring. I may not get to use my skills in real life but I was darn sure going to be ready if I had to.

I finished off the bottle of water, and stood up to stretch, reaching over my head and arching my back and then dropped down into a back bend. I pushed my stomach up toward the sky and held it there for a moment before kicking my legs up and standing on my hands. I gently moved my legs forward, scissor like and came to rest in the splits.

As I pulled my back leg around to rest next to my other, I glanced up at the sound of Daire’s voice to see the audience I’d accumulated. It seemed several of the Fae had stopped whatever it was they were doing to watch me.

“You can all leave now! The Princess does not need an audience to practice!”

I shrugged and continued with my stretches, laying on my back and pushing off with my hands, forcing myself to a standing position. I grabbed the heel of my boot and pulled my right foot up past my back to my shoulder, stretching my thigh. I’d always been pretty flexible. I gently set my right leg down and stretched the other side.

“Princess, perhaps this kind of stretching would be best done in a private room?”

I had just gone down into center splits and turned to stretch my left side. “Why? Gideon will not be happy if I am not here when he is ready to begin.”

Daire sighed as I leaned back over my outstretched leg. “If I didn’t know better…”

I pulled my back leg around in front of me and crossed it over the left while I twisted my body to the right. “What?”

“Never mind,” Daire said as Gideon returned.

“Are you here to practice with the Princess?”

“No,” Daire said shortly.

“Then you can leave. She has serious work to do.”

I could tell Daire wanted to say something else, but he kept his mouth shut and went back inside.

“Now, Princess. Let us begin. Ferein!”

Great. I had to fight one of the most beautiful Fae men on the planet. Daire was gorgeous, but Ferein’s looks were almost deadly beautiful. As his skills improved
, his looks would be very much lethal, though it would probably take at least another five hundred years for him to reach that point. Gideon had that talent too. The talent to kill with his looks, his deadly beauty, but he kept it toned down. Thank goddess!

Ferein bowed. “Princess,” he said sweetl
y. His voice was like molasses, sugary and sweet and oh so sinful to listen to. It was his first mistake, trying to disarm me with his voice. I sought that place inside me, the quiet place that allowed me to focus on whatever task or magic I was working.

I dropped low, did a sitting spin kick and swept Ferein’s legs out from under him. I had my heel at his throat before he could say another word to me. “Ferein.”

Ferein smiled and reached up a hand, which I gingerly took. Fully expecting him to try and flip me, but he didn’t. He allowed me to pull him up and he bowed again. He was ready to begin again, as if I hadn’t just knocked him on his butt.

He came at me, fast as lightening, but I was just as fast. I blocked him, grabbed his arm and flipped him onto his back and once again had my spiked heel at his throat. I was determined not to allow him to get the best of me. That was my downfall. I was concentrating so hard on Ferein and what he would do next that I missed Felicia, his twin sister coming into the ring and sweeping my feet out from under me.

“Are you well, Princess?” Felicia asked silkily. Her voice wrapped around me, like I was drowning in silk and lusciousness. I worked hard to find that quiet place again, the one that she couldn’t penetrate with the dangerous timber of her voice, and I nodded.

“You have to be prepared for numerous attackers, Princess! The Unseelie will not just stand by and take turns coming at you! They will all come at once. You must be able to fight them off!” Gideon shouted at me. It was enough to get me back on my feet.