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“This isn’t a good idea,” I said with less conviction than I wanted. “I told you I’m not going to run. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I’m exhausted.” I weakly attempted to pull free of his hold. “This has nothing to do with you running,” he replied mid-yawn, not giving me an inch of leeway. “It’s going to be cool out here in the open. Just relax. It’s not a long-term commitment. We’re staying warm out in the woods at night. That’s all it is.” I hated to admit it, but he made sense. I stopped struggling and forced myself to lie back against him. “You say that, but people grow attached rather quickly,” I grumbled. “And what part bothers you more—the possibility I’ll become hopelessly addicted to your sweet charms or the other way around?” His ability to zero in on my precise fear unsettled me, but there was no way I was going to tell him how right he’d been. “My concern is all on your behalf, Rin Tin Tin. The last thing I need to deal with is overgrown puppy love.” I forced playful bravado into my voice to conceal my unease. Knight may have been teasing, but his question struck closer to home than he realized. Love inevitably led to loss, and I’d had enough loss in my life to last a thousand lifetimes. “IF YOU DON’T REMEMBER your life before the Red Caps, and you didn’t have your powers during your captivity, does that mean you don’t remember what your powers are?” The thought occurred to me as I listened to the forest come alive in the minutes before dawn. I stayed there longer than I should have, enjoying the sounds of nature and the heat of Knight’s warm body at my back. When he began to stir, I forced myself to sit up and prepare for the day. “That’s exactly what it means.” His voice was coarse with sleep as he stretched out along the forest floor. My eyes wandered to his long, lean body as the muscles flexed and elongated. “I think it might be best to have a refresher course on using your magic before we head out for the day.” “I was thinking the same. Give me a minute to get going, and we can get started.” Once he dusted off most of the leaves and dirt from our bed and relieved himself behind a nearby bush, I handed him the canteen. “Here, start with this.” He removed the lid and took a long drink. “I didn’t mean drink it. Use the water to see if it’s your element.” He lifted an impatient brow at me, then poured some water onto his palm. “Are you always this demanding in the mornings?” “Are you always so grumpy in the mornings?” Knight released a long sigh and dropped his eyes to stare intently at the small pool of water on his hand. “Nope. Not a water elemental.” He shook out his hand, wiping the excess moisture on his pants. “Air?” He closed his eyes and held out his hands, but nothing happened. “Nope.” “Earth?” He bent down and dug his fingers into the soft soil. The ground stayed perfectly motionless, but Knight’s eyes began to glow as he stared at a pile of leaves. The dry debris burst into flames. “Fire,” he breathed. “I can feel each of the flames like they’re a part of me.” Goose bumps danced down the length of my arms. “Not many have that power.” My lips pulled back in an excited grin. “This is phenomenal news. What can you do with it?” The flames were suddenly extinguished, leaving only ash and wafting gray smoke. Knight opened his hand where a glowing ball of fire formed, then flung the orb at a nearby tree, where it disintegrated upon impact. “I may not have remembered my powers, but my body knows. It’s like the muscle memory is all there; the magic feels second nature.” When he opened his hand this time, twin flames began to dance around each other on his palm. The image was mesmerizing, and I had to force my eyes away. “Alright, pyro boy. What else can you do?” A brilliant smile spread across his face like a child at Christmas. It was charming and endearing and made me want to wrap him in my arms. Instead, I wove my fingers together and forced my feet to stay exactly where they were. Knight practiced casting an energy shield and tracing without the use of the enchantment Merlin had given him. I adamantly refused to allow him to practice mental suggestion on me. He would have to practice that skill on an unsuspecting human when he was back on Earth. Seeing him explore his powers when they had been dormant for so long made my chest hum with the unmistakable feeling of happiness. I had only been without my powers for a month, and I missed them dearly. I couldn’t fathom being powerless for centuries. Knight sauntered over, flames extending up off each of his fingertips. “I have to say, I was a little worried my magic might not come back after being gone for so long. I had a lot of time to adjust to the idea, so I would have been able to handle it, but it still haunted me.” “I had wondered the same,” I admitted. “I knew a certain amount of my Fae traits still existed because I remained immortal, but there was always this uncertainty lingering over me. I think Merlin’s enchantment helped keep my powers alive. I may not have been able to use them, but I think the spell was like a lifeline, providing enough charge to keep my magic from fading entirely.” “Of all the people to come across, you’re pretty lucky he’s the one who found you.” Knight closed his fist, dousing the flames. “I’m well aware. I owe him everything, which is why this little escapade was such a betrayal and why those cuffs will remain exactly where they are. It’s not like I could get them off anyway. My magic won’t work on the iron. Fortunately, that’s no longer an issue. I can protect you from anything that comes our way.” “Yeah, yeah.” I rolled my eyes with a sigh. “We better get moving.” As much as I wanted those damn cuffs off, I understood the issues. Having my magic would have been helpful, but it was minor in comparison to getting the cauldron. As long as I got that, nothing else mattered.
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