stone-coloured pants. “She’s gone back to her cottage.”
“Why? I thought you were going to ask her to breakfast.”
“I didn’t get around to it. I was too busy getting up from the ground where she tossed me.”
“What are you talking about?”
He reluctantly explained.
She sighed. “Cuinn, you need to get a grip on yourself.”
“Me? I’m the one she pushed over.” But he avoided her eyes as he said it.
“You grabbed her. That’s both inappropriate and out of character. What’s going on with you? I thought you’d feel a bit more stable after a good night’s sleep, but you still seem all over the place. What happened to the new plan of getting to know her?”
“I’d say I got to know a different side of her, that’s for sure.” He shrugged.
“Of course she’d react like that. She’s a Manipura energetic. And remember what happened to her parents.”
Cuinn’s body felt heavy, and he sat down at the table with a thud. Tierra shook her head and poured him a cup of tea.
“Do you think that me grabbing her reminded her of her parents?” he asked, the weariness seeping deep into his bones.
“There’s a chance. Plus, she only came out of her training a month ago. There’s a lot of fire there. And you say she was playing with her element when you went out? If she was deep in fire, then it’s no wonder it turned to anger when you touched her—you were lucky she had such strong self-control.”
When any energetic used their element, the qualities of that energy were likely to be more potent within them. Manipura was dominant, proud, and controlling. There was a reason why Manipura was the energy of the Warriors of the energetics race. He rubbed the heel of his hand on the table, using the smooth wood to ground himself. He was reasonably sure he could have controlled her if she’d attacked him. Assuming he’d been conscious. Mentally, she was no match for him. Physically, he was no match for her.
“I have to apologise again, don’t I?” Cuinn kept his gaze on the table, misery in his voice.
“Yes. But this time I’ll facilitate it. She’ll never trust you if you behave like this. Cuinn, words are your gift. I’m not sure why this situation is making you lose your balance like this, but you’ve got to focus. Maybe you should go up to your room and meditate for a while? Find your centre? I’ll talk to Blaize. Come back down for lunch and be prepared to grovel.”
He grimaced. “I told you all I couldn’t be a Maven again. Looks as if I was right.”
“Don’t be silly.” Tierra’s voice was brisk. “You just need to get over these initial … bumps in the road, and you’ll be fine.”
“Bumps? They feel like mountains to me.”
Chapter 14
When Cuinn came back down to the kitchen a few hours later, he felt refreshed and considerably calmer.
Tierra and Blaize sat at the table, Blaize leaning her head in her hands and Tierra with a hand placed comfortingly on the other woman’s shoulder.
Cuinn winced.
The two women looked up at him as he stood in the doorframe. There was a moment of silence and then Tierra twitched an encouraging eyebrow.
“Hi.” Cuinn, for all his power with language, was feeling a bit lost. This was a different type of woman than he’d been used to—more volatile than the steady and peaceable Tierra. There had been no fire in either his own parents or Adam and Tierra’s parents, so it was an element he wasn’t used to. Perhaps he could appeal to her underdeveloped Ajna instead.
“Blaize, I apologise for my behaviour.” His tone was formal, clipped.
Her eyes were a bright, hard jade and he had to steel himself not to flinch under their stare. He had no desire to end up on the floor again. But, he reminded himself, she was both fire and mind. He needed to engage with the latter.
"Let me give you some background." He talked her through his most recent prophecy image, and why he’d reacted as he had. With Tierra's
“Why? I thought you were going to ask her to breakfast.”
“I didn’t get around to it. I was too busy getting up from the ground where she tossed me.”
“What are you talking about?”
He reluctantly explained.
She sighed. “Cuinn, you need to get a grip on yourself.”
“Me? I’m the one she pushed over.” But he avoided her eyes as he said it.
“You grabbed her. That’s both inappropriate and out of character. What’s going on with you? I thought you’d feel a bit more stable after a good night’s sleep, but you still seem all over the place. What happened to the new plan of getting to know her?”
“I’d say I got to know a different side of her, that’s for sure.” He shrugged.
“Of course she’d react like that. She’s a Manipura energetic. And remember what happened to her parents.”
Cuinn’s body felt heavy, and he sat down at the table with a thud. Tierra shook her head and poured him a cup of tea.
“Do you think that me grabbing her reminded her of her parents?” he asked, the weariness seeping deep into his bones.
“There’s a chance. Plus, she only came out of her training a month ago. There’s a lot of fire there. And you say she was playing with her element when you went out? If she was deep in fire, then it’s no wonder it turned to anger when you touched her—you were lucky she had such strong self-control.”
When any energetic used their element, the qualities of that energy were likely to be more potent within them. Manipura was dominant, proud, and controlling. There was a reason why Manipura was the energy of the Warriors of the energetics race. He rubbed the heel of his hand on the table, using the smooth wood to ground himself. He was reasonably sure he could have controlled her if she’d attacked him. Assuming he’d been conscious. Mentally, she was no match for him. Physically, he was no match for her.
“I have to apologise again, don’t I?” Cuinn kept his gaze on the table, misery in his voice.
“Yes. But this time I’ll facilitate it. She’ll never trust you if you behave like this. Cuinn, words are your gift. I’m not sure why this situation is making you lose your balance like this, but you’ve got to focus. Maybe you should go up to your room and meditate for a while? Find your centre? I’ll talk to Blaize. Come back down for lunch and be prepared to grovel.”
He grimaced. “I told you all I couldn’t be a Maven again. Looks as if I was right.”
“Don’t be silly.” Tierra’s voice was brisk. “You just need to get over these initial … bumps in the road, and you’ll be fine.”
“Bumps? They feel like mountains to me.”
Chapter 14
When Cuinn came back down to the kitchen a few hours later, he felt refreshed and considerably calmer.
Tierra and Blaize sat at the table, Blaize leaning her head in her hands and Tierra with a hand placed comfortingly on the other woman’s shoulder.
Cuinn winced.
The two women looked up at him as he stood in the doorframe. There was a moment of silence and then Tierra twitched an encouraging eyebrow.
“Hi.” Cuinn, for all his power with language, was feeling a bit lost. This was a different type of woman than he’d been used to—more volatile than the steady and peaceable Tierra. There had been no fire in either his own parents or Adam and Tierra’s parents, so it was an element he wasn’t used to. Perhaps he could appeal to her underdeveloped Ajna instead.
“Blaize, I apologise for my behaviour.” His tone was formal, clipped.
Her eyes were a bright, hard jade and he had to steel himself not to flinch under their stare. He had no desire to end up on the floor again. But, he reminded himself, she was both fire and mind. He needed to engage with the latter.
"Let me give you some background." He talked her through his most recent prophecy image, and why he’d reacted as he had. With Tierra's
Similar Books
