Thanks for
your concern.
Without giving Fiona a chance to keep her there with
another list of magical tasks to complete, Laurell stalked
toward the main house in search of some food to satisfy her
sudden and ravenous hunger. Damn the yearning.
Axiom stepped from the shower, skin dripping with moisture and hot from the heated spray. He slung a towel around
his waist, knotting it loosely on one hip, and glanced in the
mirror. His eyes still flashed with their usual silver gleam.
He'd known they would, but was still reassured. Last night's
battle had shaken him more than he wanted to admit. The
long rest, however, had restored his energy. He felt strong
again, renewed.
A knock sounded at his door, and Laurell entered the
cabin without waiting for his response. She stood with
hands on hips, eyes narrowed.
"You appear upset," Axiom said.
Laurell made a harrumphing sound in the back of her
throat. "Do I?"
Axiom nodded.
"Well, maybe that's because you haven't been telling me
the truth. One thing I can't stand is being lied to," Laurell
exclaimed.
Axiom frowned. "I have told you no lies."
"Lies by omission are still lies," she insisted. "First, you
tell me that once I learn to ward, I can control the yearning. All the while, you have the ability to bust through my
ward whenever the mood strikes you."
"I never said I did not have the ability to break your ward,"
Axiom remarked, confused. Was this what she was upset about? Warding? "I apologize if I did not sufficiently explain
the mechanics of the warding. Rest assured that although I
can break past your wards, I will only do so when absolutely
necessary. It causes an energy depletion best avoided." He
reached out one hand to touch her shoulder and offer reassurance. She backed away from him. His jaw clenched. He
disliked when she withdrew from him.
"Oh no, you don't. You won't get out of this argument by
distracting me with the yearning." Laurell's eyes raked his
body, and her face flushed as she noticed his state of undress. Her eyes shot back to his face. For some reason the
fact that his near nakedness unnerved her pleased him.
Axiom sighed. "I do not understand the need for an argument. Let us sit and discuss this so we may move forward
with the mission unencumbered by mistrust." He sat on the
bed and patted the spot next to him.
Laurell did not budge from her place in the center of the
room. "Not a chance," she muttered. "Explain about the
witch thing."
"Which witch thing?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.
She frowned. "Don't get cute with me. Why didn't you
tell me about my bloodline? It might have been helpful for
me to know my family is full of witches and that, supposedly, I'm one too."
Axiom knew he must tread lightly. How to tell her the
truth without upsetting her further? During the time he
had studied Laurell from the Light Realm, he had often
witnessed her silent pain over her severed relationship with
her mother. He had no wish to increase the rift between
them, but he could not evade Laurell's questions and hope
to gain her trust. It was necessary, if they were to succeed in
their mission.
"Your Liaison had asked for the right to provide that in formation to you. The Council agreed it would be best that
she explain," he ventured.
At the mention of her mother, Laurell's spine stiffened.
"My mother was supposed to tell me about this? Why? Because she failed to do so when she was alive? What is this
about, anyway? Mother unburdening her guilty conscience
or us saving the world? Why are the gods allowing her to
run the show?"
Axiom ignored Laurell's words. "How exactly did you
learn of your magical background?" he asked. Axiom had
not broken his agreement to allow the Liaison to tell Laurell she was a witch. Who had?
"Reese," she admitted. "And my grandmother's Book of
Shadows."
Axiom raised his eyebrows. Fiona had assured him the
coven understood the Council's instructions. As for the Book
of
your concern.
Without giving Fiona a chance to keep her there with
another list of magical tasks to complete, Laurell stalked
toward the main house in search of some food to satisfy her
sudden and ravenous hunger. Damn the yearning.
Axiom stepped from the shower, skin dripping with moisture and hot from the heated spray. He slung a towel around
his waist, knotting it loosely on one hip, and glanced in the
mirror. His eyes still flashed with their usual silver gleam.
He'd known they would, but was still reassured. Last night's
battle had shaken him more than he wanted to admit. The
long rest, however, had restored his energy. He felt strong
again, renewed.
A knock sounded at his door, and Laurell entered the
cabin without waiting for his response. She stood with
hands on hips, eyes narrowed.
"You appear upset," Axiom said.
Laurell made a harrumphing sound in the back of her
throat. "Do I?"
Axiom nodded.
"Well, maybe that's because you haven't been telling me
the truth. One thing I can't stand is being lied to," Laurell
exclaimed.
Axiom frowned. "I have told you no lies."
"Lies by omission are still lies," she insisted. "First, you
tell me that once I learn to ward, I can control the yearning. All the while, you have the ability to bust through my
ward whenever the mood strikes you."
"I never said I did not have the ability to break your ward,"
Axiom remarked, confused. Was this what she was upset about? Warding? "I apologize if I did not sufficiently explain
the mechanics of the warding. Rest assured that although I
can break past your wards, I will only do so when absolutely
necessary. It causes an energy depletion best avoided." He
reached out one hand to touch her shoulder and offer reassurance. She backed away from him. His jaw clenched. He
disliked when she withdrew from him.
"Oh no, you don't. You won't get out of this argument by
distracting me with the yearning." Laurell's eyes raked his
body, and her face flushed as she noticed his state of undress. Her eyes shot back to his face. For some reason the
fact that his near nakedness unnerved her pleased him.
Axiom sighed. "I do not understand the need for an argument. Let us sit and discuss this so we may move forward
with the mission unencumbered by mistrust." He sat on the
bed and patted the spot next to him.
Laurell did not budge from her place in the center of the
room. "Not a chance," she muttered. "Explain about the
witch thing."
"Which witch thing?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.
She frowned. "Don't get cute with me. Why didn't you
tell me about my bloodline? It might have been helpful for
me to know my family is full of witches and that, supposedly, I'm one too."
Axiom knew he must tread lightly. How to tell her the
truth without upsetting her further? During the time he
had studied Laurell from the Light Realm, he had often
witnessed her silent pain over her severed relationship with
her mother. He had no wish to increase the rift between
them, but he could not evade Laurell's questions and hope
to gain her trust. It was necessary, if they were to succeed in
their mission.
"Your Liaison had asked for the right to provide that in formation to you. The Council agreed it would be best that
she explain," he ventured.
At the mention of her mother, Laurell's spine stiffened.
"My mother was supposed to tell me about this? Why? Because she failed to do so when she was alive? What is this
about, anyway? Mother unburdening her guilty conscience
or us saving the world? Why are the gods allowing her to
run the show?"
Axiom ignored Laurell's words. "How exactly did you
learn of your magical background?" he asked. Axiom had
not broken his agreement to allow the Liaison to tell Laurell she was a witch. Who had?
"Reese," she admitted. "And my grandmother's Book of
Shadows."
Axiom raised his eyebrows. Fiona had assured him the
coven understood the Council's instructions. As for the Book
of
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