With their ability for speed, Brian and AJ reached the edge of the forest first. AJ hugged the tree line, staying out of view for a moment while he watched Brian step out from the shelter of his three. Five people were coming toward them, walking at a steady pace. From his hiding spot, AJ was free to observe them. What he saw surprised him a little.
‘What can you tell?’ Brian asked him. They were both waiting, letting the people come to them.
AJ looked them over again, trying to assess everything he could before they got too close. ‘The man on the left, he’s Muslim. I can tell cause he’s dressed to the Muslim standard. Pants not below the ankle and the shirt he wears is called a kurta. That style is really comfortable, actually. Loose, falls just to the knees.’
‘Thanks for the fashion advice, Alex. Anything more important than that?’
Snickering, AJ looked back at the crowd. ‘Well, obviously the woman at his side is with him. She’s dressed in the jilbab and hijab of a woman of Muslim. See how everything but her hands and face are covered? Don’t try talking to her. You’re a man that’s not part of her family. She’s not allowed to talk to you or touch you skin to skin either.’
‘You’re kidding me? That’s ridiculous!’
‘It’s their customs, Bri. That’s what they believe. Um, let’s see. Those other two guys look like they’re Filipino by heritage. The last, the woman, she’s definitely Chinese as you can tell. All middle aged. Close to Donnelly’s age, actually. The Muslim man isn’t as strong as Donnelly, but his woman is as strong as Howi was. There’s something else that I can’t quite tell yet; she’s shielding them a little.’
Brian’s eyes flashed back toward him and one hand dropped to rest on the pommel of his sword. ‘Dangerous?’
‘I’m not sure. It doesn’t feel dangerous, but, I don’t know. Be cautious.’ AJ brought his eyes back to the others in the crowd. They were almost close enough that they would need to be stopped. Almost. ‘The Chinese woman about matches the Muslim woman in strength. The other two men aren’t extremely strong. One had a stronger feel of fire to him, though nowhere near yours, and the other has strong water. I sense they’re brothers.’
‘That’ll have to do for now. They’re close.’
All of that took only a minute or two between Brian and AJ. Thoughts travel fast, but they’d become adept at sharing one another’s thoughts. Not all of it always passed in words. Some of it was words tinged with sensations or images that only they understood.
The other three hadn’t caught up behind them yet but they were close. AJ watched as Brian stepped forward, raising a hand out to gesture for them to stop. Together they decided what to say. Brian’s voice lifted in the still air to the figure that now stood frozen. “I kindly ask that you state your business in this area.” He called to them. “What brings you to the border of these woods?”
One of the Filipino men stepped forward. With only slightly broken English, he spoke. “I am Bayani.” He tapped his chest first, then the chest of the man next to him. “This Crisanto.” He pointed to the Chinese woman next. “This Tao Jun Li.” Next, his finger moved to point at the couple on the other side. “This Ubayy and wife Nura. We come to answer our call. We not bring trouble.”
Answer their call? What on earth were they talking about? Brian took a small step forward, stopping when AJ growled lightly at him. They may have seemed harmless but AJ wasn’t going to trust them right away. Brian sighed but he stayed where he was. “What call do you answer, travelers? This area is private and sacred, not to be disturbed lightly.”
Ubayy stepped forward. “You let us pass.” He demanded in heavily accented English. “Our business is our own and none of yours.”
The muscles in Brian’s body went tight. “When you pass onto this land it became my business, traveler. I will not ask again. State your business or be gone with you. Your rudeness will not be tolerated here.”
The man shouted a curse in Farsi before dropping his hand down to his own sword. That was all the incentive that AJ needed. He bounded from the trees with a huge leap, landing between Brian and the travelers, snarling loudly at them. The group fell back, each of them reaching for different weapons. AJ snarled louder, the sound a definite threat.
“Stop!” A voice yelled. AJ didn’t bothering turning. He recognized Donnelly’s voice. “Stop!” He yelled again. A moment later Donnelly was standing between AJ and the group of people. He held his arms out wide, facing AJ. “These are my friends, don’t hurt them.”
“Get back, Donnelly!” Ubayy yelled out. “You fool. That wolf will kill you!”
Donnelly looked over his shoulder at his friend and snapped out “Put your damn sword away, Ubayy! He won’t hurt you if you don’t threaten them.” Then he turned back to look down at AJ’s still snarling form. “Please, they mean no harm. They’re my friends. I sent for them.”
Brian stepped forward, Richard and Geoff on either side of him. “You sent for these people? Why?” His voice was low with warning.
“They’re all descendants of Nellador families. Please, everyone just calm down.” He turned just enough to face his friends. “I’m sorry; I didn’t warn them you were coming. They didn’t know. They’re just protecting their home here, that’s all. I’m sorry. Can we all just talk calmly?”
Furious, Ubayy stepped forward, his hand still gripping his sword. “What manner of beasts do you consort with now, Donnelly? What dark magic have you done to speak with the wolves?”
“He’s not a wolf! Well, not really.” Again Donnelly turned to look at AJ. “Would you shift back, let them know you’re not a threat? They won’t harm you with me here, I swear on my life.”
It was Brian who took charge for a minute. He looked to the crowd of newcomers. “Would one of you be able to spare a blanket or a long jacket, something, please?” he asked politely. No one but AJ heard the note of tension in his voice.
It was Crisanto who reached into his bag and pulled out a blanket, as well as a shirt that looked like it would hang to the knees. He silently tossed them to Brian who caught them easily before walking to AJ. Squatting down, Brian draped the blanket over AJ. Once that cover was on, AJ took a deep breath and prepared for the shift back to his own form.
There was the pain, as there was each time that his body made the shift. Then he found himself kneeling in the grass, hands on the ground, momentarily disoriented to find himself back in his own shape. It took him an extra minute to gain his bearings, during which he heard the gasps of the others around him. Under the cover of the blanket, Brian helped him slide on the long shirt. AJ rose, letting the shirt slide down to properly cover him. It draped loosely down to his knees.
Brian took off the cloth that was holding back his hair and tied it around AJ’s waist, cinching the shirt against him so it wasn’t flapping in the breeze. He took his swords from Brian, sliding the baldrics on easily before he finally shifted his attention to the other people present. At the moment, his gaze was all for Donnelly. “You invited these people to this place?”
His tone left it obvious that he expected an answer. Donnelly heard that and winced slightly before saying “Yes.”
“Without alerting us to their coming?”
“Yes, but...”
AJ cut in, furious. “You told them of this castle, of this home, without the permission of the King?”
“Yes, but…”
“Without alerting Brian or myself?”
“Yes, Alyck, but…”
“You had no rights to do this!” Anger carried him right to Donnelly so that they were only inches apart. “You had no right to bring visitors to a home that is not yours without permission of the King! Do you realize what you’ve done?”
White faced, Donnelly tried to speak but no sound came out. AJ gave him no sympathy. “Your friends could have died, Donnelly, because of your foolishness. With that much potential among them, you’re lucky we asked questions first and didn’t just attack on the spot. Everything that’s against us right now, everything that’s trying to kill us, and you invite five beings of magic without giving warning? If they had died it would have been on your head!”
The man Ubayy laughed mockingly. “You may be able to transform to a wolf, but there are five of us, all magically gifted, and only two of you came out. You would not have killed us. We could have killed you before your other friends here arrived.”
The fury singing in AJ’s blood had him reacting without much thought to it. He spun, slamming a shield over all of them and wrapping Ubayy in flows of air that lifted him off the ground. “Silence your tongue, or I shall silence it for you. My heart song or I could have destroyed you all where you stand before you even knew we were here. Speak not of what you do not know.”
Ubayy stared, wide eyed, at the ground beneath him. When AJ set him down he stumbled slightly at finding himself on solid ground again. But it succeeded in shutting him up. Though he still gripped his sword, he said nothing.
With a satisfied nod, AJ looked back at Donnelly, who was standing hunched in on himself. Fury still reigned inside of AJ but it had tempered slightly. It wasn’t consuming him. “What you did was beyond foolish. You endangered innocent lives and you took on authority that was not yours. Not only that, but you have shamed yourself and by rout, myself and Brian, by your actions. When we return you will be presented before the King to have your shame dealt with. After that, we will settle this between us.” AJ’s sharp gaze cut across him and over to the others. “Now, I demand the explanation of what you are all doing here and what you think it is you are doing. A full accounting of your actions first, Donnelly.”
Shame tined Donnelly’s cheeks red. “These are all descendants of families of Nellador. I thought that since we were returning home that they had the right as much right as us to return to their homeland. I also felt that their magic would be appreciated in the war we wage.”
“You never mentioned their existence to us before.” Brian interjected, his voice low and furious.
“I know.” Donnelly sighed and looked down at the ground. “At first, I wasn’t too sure of what to say to you. We of Nellador have always guarded our secrecy. I put out the call to Bayani and Tao and they gathered the rest for me, but I wasn’t sure who would come. Then I just, well, it slipped my mind. I’m sorry.”
AJ stared at him for a moment, furious that he’d done something like this. But standing there being angry served nothing. So he shifted his attention to the new guests. “This is not a topic to be discussed here in the open. Here, we are not safe. But before you enter the lands of my people I must insist you submit to a scan of your thoughts to guarantee that there is no treachery. I will also check to make sure you do not have any evil magic placed upon you to attack my people.”
To no surprise, it was Ubayy who spoke up. AJ was quickly coming to understand that this man was passionate and ruled by that passion; namely, anger.
“If we refuse, wolf-man?”
“Then you shall die.” AJ said the words with finality. It was the only thing he could do. They knew the location of the Elf’s home as well as whatever secrets Donnelly had told them. To let them wander around where the enemy could find them and use them against him, against all of them, was not a risk he could take. The idea sickened him so that he thought he might retch, but he knew he would do what he had to.
The shock of it had a few of them stepping back. But Bayani stepped forward, Crisanto right behind him. “This we do.” He said clearly. “I see your choice. I understand. I have nothing to hide.”
“Salamat sa iyo, Bayani.” Thank you, Bayani. The words seemed to surprise Bayani. His face lit. In Filipino, he asked “You speak our language?”
“I do.” AJ replied in the same language. “I speak many. I spent time in your country. It is beautiful.”
Bayani’s smile was huge. “I will submit to this. Come, my mind is open to you.” He folded his hands in front of himself and waited.
Closing his eyes, AJ cast his mind forward, using this new power he had to step inside Bayani’s mind. Very carefully he scanned through, trying to remain as unobtrusive as possible and yet still be thorough. He felt no magical manipulation on him and, after a moment, felt nothing threatening in the man’s thoughts. He pulled back and nodded before casting his mind toward Crisanto. He put his mind at the edge of Crisanto’s, waiting for permission. When he felt it, he scanned him as well.
One by one he searched the magic and minds of each of the travelers. They all gave their permission for it, though Ubayy and his wife were slightly reluctant. Tao was as open as the brothers, her mind clear and sweet. AJ decided that he liked her already. She did not speak much, but he sensed that was more reserve and upbringing than anything else. She was cautious, holding back her opinions until she knew what was going on around her.
When he pulled back he let his thoughts slide along the bond to Brian. ‘They pass, though a little reluctantly on Ubayy. He has no trace of other magic nor is his magic evil. But there is something in his soul that bothers me. I can’t name what it is, but it bothers me nonetheless.’
‘We’ll watch him, then. But otherwise, we can’t bar him just by not liking his personality. He isn’t evil and he bears no evil thought. By our honor we have to permit them all to enter.’
The truth of it made AJ grumble slightly to himself. He just had a bad feeling about Ubayy. Something about him seemed to rub AJ the wrong way, though he couldn’t put his finger on it. Without a tangible reason, though, he couldn’t rightfully stop him from coming in. “Your minds and magic are clear. Come, let me take you to my home. Let me give you the welcome you should have had if things had been done right.”
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The first thing AJ did when they got back was send a runner to the King and another to bring him a change of clothes. While they waited for the King to give permission for the audience, AJ changed into a pair of simple brown breeches and a green tunic, giving back the shirt and blanket to Crisanto. Just as he finished dressing, the runner came back to announce that Flreu was awaiting them in the main hall.
The introduction to the King went off just the way that AJ had thought it would. Flreu was polite, slightly reserved, but he trusted in AJ’s judgment of them and welcomed them to his Kingdom. For Donnelly, he had few words, only an expression of his disappointment and a warning that trust lost takes quite a bit to earn back. Though the words were few, AJ almost found himself wincing in sympathy. Flreu had a way of making a strong point and clearly displaying his emotions without wasting too many words. It was clear that Donnelly left the meeting with a strong sense of shame and embarrassment.
Of course, things between Donnelly and Brian were worse now. Wisely, Donnelly seemed to be hiding with his friends in front of the castle, the group of them sitting on the grass talking amongst themselves. AJ didn’t plan on leaving them there very long. All of this needed to be hashed out now, before they made their travels. If they traveled together, were expected to fight together, then there was no room for these kinds of problems.
So AJ headed to where Nifar was, working away in his forge. He found the handsome elf busy polishing some of his blades. “Hail, Nifar!” He called out cheerfully as he stepped into the heat of the forge. Nifar looked up and grinned at him. “Hail, trulion! Taking a stroll on this fine day we have?”
“Taking some thinking time. I have much in my head to organize and never enough room in there to work with.” Laughing, AJ folded his legs and sat before Nifar, reaching for a blade and a rag to help with the polishing. By doing that, he let Nifar know that this meeting wasn’t formal, but friendly. The older elf relaxed and smiled down at him. “There is never enough room for all thoughts, Alyck, but in time all thoughts make room for themselves.” Nifar replied wisely. “Is there a particular thought that brought you to my forge this day, or just the pleasure of a visit?”
“Visiting you is always a pleasure, my friend.” AJ responded in the Elvish language, letting his words be known as true. “But I admit that one thought brought me to you. You have heard of our new guests?”
Nifar nodded and answered in the same language. “I have. I doubt there are any who have not.”
“I need to find out how much they know of battle and train them accordingly in the time we have left before the full moon. I knew you’d be working hard to arm and outfit everyone before we leave, but I wondered if you might have some weapons and time to spare to come with me to the field and help me fit these newcomers.”
“Is it wise to arm them so soon?” The honest concern in Nifar’s question negated the presumption he displayed by asking.
AJ finished polishing the blade he had and rose, properly stowing it away. “I scanned them myself. Though I may not like all of them yet, so far I feel we shouldn’t fear them. I wouldn’t say trust, not yet, but I cannot give them a chance to earn trust if I suspect them from the start.”
The smile Nifar gave him was bright and slightly excited. There was nothing a bladesmith loved more than the challenge of finding the right blade for the right person. Most especially this bladesmith.
He took two boys to help him carry out an assortment of weapons and they followed AJ out toward the front of the castle. On his way, AJ sent a thought to Brian. ‘I need your help. Can you meet me out front, song of my heart?’
‘Ever am I at your call, song of my heart, song of my soul.’ The warmth of Brian’s reply had AJ’s heart singing. He found himself almost dancing out of the gate, laughter echoing behind him from the elves that were watching. Not mocking laughter, but laughter of joy, happiness at seeing him so happy.
AJ easily found Brian, standing at the edge of the forest. Between them were Donnelly and their crowd, none of them paying any attention for the moment. With their bond flung wide open, AJ let his joy at the sight of Brian fill him, feeling the same response from his love. Laughing with the sheer joy of it all, he couldn’t contain himself anymore. He took off at a run.
They had the attention of almost everyone now but they didn’t mind. Brian was running toward him as well, the two of them smiling and laughing, love passing back and forth between them. When he got close enough, AJ leapt into the air, knowing full well that Brian would catch him. Sure enough his lover’s hands settled around his waist, catching him close.
Automatically AJ wrapped his legs around Brian’s waist. He brought his hands up, framing Brian’s face so that he could kiss those beautiful lips. The wind whipped up, blowing his hair around them, pressing warmly against his skin. A wreath of flowers sprang to life around their feet.
It was the gasp of their guests that drew AJ back to reality. He pulled away from Brian, smiling at him. They said not a word to one another, but their emotions slid along the bond, speaking clearer than any words would have.
What finally pulled them apart was Richard’s warm, deep laugh. “Don’t mind them.” He was telling the newcomers. “They’re like that all the time. The flowers and wind are normal, too, so don’t worry.”
“The wind?” A feminine voice asked. By the accent, AJ assumed it was Tao.
Geoff was the one who answered this time. “Yeah. They’re pretty strong. I imagine you know our magic is tied to our emotions. Well, what they feel for each other is strong enough that the elements are usually effected when they get like this. Add on that they’re elvish and elves feel emotions so much stronger than the rest of us and, well, you get my drift.”
“You should see what happens when they sneak off and bang.” Richard added in cheekily. “The whole world trembles. Anyone nearby knows exactly what’s happening.”
Laughing, AJ and Brian finally broke completely apart, Brian helping AJ back to his feet. “Richard.” Brian scolded cheerfully. “You shouldn’t embarrass them so.”
“I was just warning them!” He shot back.
Their laughter echoed again through the midday air. The relaxed feeling around them made AJ feel calmer as he stepped toward the group, signaling Nifar forward. “It was all of you that I was coming to see, anyways.” He told them with a smile. His hand never left Brian’s, keeping a light grip, their tattoos brushing against one another. In the back of his mind he reminded himself that they had a date together later.
“Us?” Donnelly asked. He still looked a little hesitant around AJ, but he was getting back some of his confidence. “What do you need us for?”
Instead of answering with words, AJ gestured to Nifar again, then stepped back to watch as the elf and his assistants walked up. The weapons were laid out on a sheet of leather on the ground. “Alyck has charged me with helping you find the weapons that suit you the best.”
Nura cringed slightly from her position behind Ubayy. It was obvious that the idea of a weapon in her hands distressed her. Tao Jun Li rose gracefully to her feet. There was a small smile quirking her face. Now that they weren’t restricted by time and worry, AJ found himself admiring her small frame. She was a pretty little woman; short, but not too short. Her jet black hair was braided down to the small of her back. “I am trained with the dao styles of yanmadodao, liuyedao, and niuweidao. Also, jian, fighting fans, spears, staff, and the three sectional staff. Might you have any of those that I may use?”
The list impressed AJ. “Some of those are pretty heavy.” He told her. His tone wasn’t condescending, but an acknowledgement of her talent. She nodded her head at him. “My Grandfather made sure I learned much that girls do not typically learn.”
“Your Grandfather was a wise man.” AJ replied easily. He looked her over from head to toe, assessing her physically. “If you can handle those, your talent much be strong.” Again, his tone was an acknowledgement of talent. He wasn’t trying to flatter her. “I look forward to testing your skill against mine.”
“Yes, Xiānshēng.” She addressed him as ‘Mr.’, which was a simple honorific for any male in society.
Bayani and Crisanto were already over by Nifar, looking through his weapons with him, their hands kept to themselves. They openly admitted that they had no skill in weaponry but for the spear and bow and arrow. It didn’t take Nifar long to find them each a sword, broadswords, which he did not give to them yet. He set them aside on the ground and gestured forward Tao, helping her pick out a yanmadodao. It was a straight handled, straight blade sword until the last quarter of the sword where a small curve began. AJ had fought with it before and, while he could use it, he didn’t care much for it.
Next came Ubayy. He rose, puffing his chest out as he walked over to find his weapon. He wanted the big swords, pointing them out to Nifar, but the elf would shake his head and move on to another and another. Eventually he chose a curved sabre called a talwar for him, a long, slightly wide sword with a style of hilt known as a disc hilt, which has a disc shaped ridge surrounding the pommel.
Though he seemed reluctant, Donnelly took his turn. It didn’t take long for Nifar to pair him up with a spadroon, a light sword with a straight blade for a cut and thrust style of fighting.
Nura did not move from the ground, which AJ had expected. He chose to let it go for the moment, something to be addressed later, and stopped Nifar before he could go to speak with her. The elf nodded.
Finally everyone was equipped with their weapons. Nifar backed away, sending the two assistants with the rest of the weapons to take them back to his forge. Then he folded himself down into the grass to watch what he knew was coming.
AJ let go of Brian’s hand and stepped forward. “When we head to Nellador, you all know that there will be war there. It’s going to be inevitable. The evil that is there has had time to prepare and build troops. To subjugate the beings that live there and to build up followers. If any of you hope to have a chance of surviving this, you need to know how to fight. So, while we wait for the full moon and the opening of the portal, you are going to undergo training. We can’t make perfect fighters out of you by the time we’re there, but we can give you the basics that may help you to survive. War will sharpen your skills fast enough.”
He pulled his scimitars from over his shoulders, one held in each hand. “Brian and I will test what skills you do have with weapons first, then in hand to hand combat. After that, I and my Uncle will test your magical abilities. Today will be about assessing your levels for all of this and building a training plan for you from there. I warn you, it will not be easy.” He looked from one to the other. “You’ll find your strength tested to it’s limit over and over. But we have no time to take it easy. If we take it easy, you may die.”
With one sword he separated the them into two groups. Ubayy, Donnelly, and Tao he kept by him. Crisanto and Bayani he sent to Brian. Nura he left in the grass for the time being. She would be dealt with differently; he already had a plan in mind.
While Brian started his work, AJ looked at his group. “Donnelly, you first.” He called out. The others moved to the side, allowing AJ and Donnelly to face one another. AJ walked him through holding his sword, how to best set a grip and how to make his stance. Then he showed him a few basic forms. The man did well, sweating a little and fumbling some, but he was determined and seemed to learn from his mistakes quickly.
Next was Ubayy. That went about how AJ expected it. The man had potential in him but he was mostly bluster, wanting to attack all out once he was shown how to move. He didn’t like being told when he did something wrong and tended to get too angry. If he couldn’t get past that, he’d be difficult. But the short time was enough for AJ to assess his skills.
He’d saved Tao for last for a reason. A smile lit his face. He saw that Brian, Bayani and Crisanto were done with their testing and were standing on the sidelines.
“Clear back!” AJ warned everyone. Elves had gathered again, watching them. They always gathered when anything was being done in training; they enjoyed watching. Ignoring them, AJ dropped down into a fighters stance, his body loose and at ease. “Take it light first.” He warned Tao. “I want to start small and up the skill level as I assess your ability.”
So started a very enjoyable fight. The two sparred lightly first, doing as AJ said and stepping it up more and more as she showed her talent. She was very good. Good enough that he knew he’d use her as an instructor. She had good form and a quick arm, easily transferring from left to right when needed.
By the time they were done she was sweating lightly but her breathing was even and she was smiling. AJ backed off, making a gesture of respect toward her skill before sheathing his weapons. She repeated the gesture, holding her sword at ease at her side.
“You’re talented, TaoNǚshì. You have a few things I could teach you, but mostly you’ll just need to spar some each day and keep your skill strong. It was a pleasure to spar with you.”
“The pleasure is mine, Sifu.” She used the word for Teacher/Master in martial arts. The honorific made AJ smile and bow his head to her.
Next AJ moved to the physical sparring. Here, he wanted them to go one on one before the crowd. But first and foremost he had a plan to implement. In this he hoped that he might finally be able to get the bad blood between Brian and Donnelly out in the open.
With that in mind, he called those two out to the center, trying to shield that single thought from Brian. When they were together, he stepped back and trusted his partner to start this as he saw fit. Brian brought Donnelly to him and showed him a few things, such as blocks and kicks, then he moved back a step and said “Try to take me down.”
AJ grinned when he saw the eagerness light Donnelly’s gaze. He wasted no time in barreling over toward Brian, wanting to knock him down or something of the like. Brian easily blocked it. So it went, the two working together, Donnelly trying to attack Brian and failing every time. But finally Donnelly managed to tackle him. The two hit the ground, wrestling with one another, rolling sideways, each trying to pin the other.
Their anger was obvious. All around them voices cheered, calling out advice and laughing. Because he was watching, and paying attention to the bond, AJ felt the shift from practice fighting to real fighting. He saw Donnelly’s fist connect with Brian’s eye and heard a gasp from the crowd. Then Brian’s fist hit Donnelly in the stomach, taking his breath from him. Oh, that was going to piss him off! AJ chuckled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anger ran like lava through Brian. This man had been pissing him off from the very first moment and now they had the excuse to take it out on one another. He dodged one of Donnelly’s punches and struck out with a kick, knocking him back a few feet. “Come on, is that all you’ve got?”
“What the fuck is your problem?” Donnelly spat, wiping a hand over his mouth. He rose up into a crouch, his face furious. “You’ve been a shit from the start!”
“I’ve been a shit?” Brian swore. He darted forward, slamming his shoulder into Donnelly and lifting him, throwing him backwards over his shoulder.
Donnelly was on his feet quickly, leaping at Brian. The two hit the ground. When Brian yet again flung him backwards, Donnelly’s control visibly snapped. He tried to use earth to rise up and grip Brian’s feet to the ground.
In that instant Brian felt a shield snap over them. He didn’t pause to wonder why it was there, only to thank everything that AJ had done it. Then he broke the earth at his feet and wove air, blowing Donnelly back. “You have been nothing but ungrateful since we first met you!” Brian yelled at him over the roar of the wind.
When Donnelly flung more magic at him, Brian severed it without a thought. Then, when he was close, he dropped the wind and dove for the man. With his strength and speed, it took him no time at all to pin Donnelly face first on the ground. HE knelt on the man’s back, one hand fisted in his hair, before bending down to hiss in his ear.
“You have been warned time and time again about your temper with us. Your insolent attitude. Then, just when I think that maybe you might be understanding, you pull this stunt today. You put all of us in danger!” Brian bent lower, twisting Donnelly’s face so he could look into his eyes. “Even more than that, you did the one thing you were warned not to. You put the song of my heart in danger. I could kill you for that with but a thought.”
“He’s fine!” Donnelly gasped out. “I didn’t mean for anything to happen. But everyone’s fine!”
Disgusted, Brian rose to his feet. Before Donnelly could rise as well, Brian wrapped him in air and lifted him. Then he turned him so that they were face to face, Donnelly cocooned in air from shoulders to toes. “Let me make one thing clear to you, Donnelly.” Brian felt his fury burning inside and tried to keep it under control. “If you ever do anything to danger him again, you will answer to me. This is your last warning. He is the song of my heart, my bond mate, my other half of myself. But more than that, he is the trulion and your only salvation for this war. Harm him, and I will make you live to regret it. And trust me, I can guarantee you live for a long, long time. Are we clear on this?”
“I understand.” Donnelly glowered at him. “Just one last thing, oh great and powerful baka.”
“What?”
Furious, Donnelly spat at him. “Fuck you.”
For a moment Brian simply stared at him, amazed at his audacity. Then he gathered the air about him and flung Donnelly straight off the cliff’s edge into the ocean before releasing him. He watched as the man hit the water, sinking for a moment, then bobbing back to the surface, cursing loudly.
Still vibrating with his anger, Brian looked at the others, who were all watching him. “Lessons are over.” That said, he took off to the forest before his anger could consume him anymore.