Path Of The Broken

6. Ilarith-4

Jess walked into the wide-open sitting area where she knew Damien was. She could feel his burning, bright presence. It wasn’t like he was trying to hide. Lessons didn’t happen at the same time or even every day. She’d learned to seek Damien out when she thought she was ready for another lesson and, depending on what he had in mind, the sitting room was one room those practice sessions occurred in.

She stopped in the archway, shocked. She’d been so involved in her own thoughts she hadn’t realised that Damien had company. Both Damien and his companion turned to gaze at her. Only years of training stopped her from gasping as the elegant woman dropped the barriers she’d been holding around herself. Her power flared, almost blinding in Jess’s mind's eye, before she shielded again. This woman, like Damien could hide what she was, giving off nothing to show that she was anything but human. The woman assessed her in return and Jess wondered what she saw. Unlike other women who had assessed her most of her life, at least this one wasn’t showing the spike of jealousy. Jess smiled; she was powerful, self-assured and beautiful. Jess had a feeling that if the pair of them had walked into the ballroom at home together, the collective ladies of the court would have been murderous.

“Sorry to intrude, Damien. I was preoccupied and didn’t sense you had company.” Jess smiled and, bowing her head, turned to withdraw, only to halt at the low voice rippling with amusement.

“No need to leave, Jess. Please come in. This is Isabella.” Damien smiled and gestured to his companion.

Jess had to admit that if Isabella and Damien currently slept together, she might just be a little jealous. It was obvious the pair had a history together, potentially a very long history given that Isabella was an Elder. Her display of power and ability to conceal it gave that away. Neither Jess nor Damien had tried to rekindle the time they’d spent together. He was the Elder, the Master, and she the Trainee he had taken into his care. Anything they had shared previous to that had been pushed aside, as it should. It was confusing enough going through transition without getting tied up in knots for all the wrong reasons when he remonstrated her for the smallest infractions. If they’d been sleeping together, those tense, sometimes fiery moments would on occasion quite literally get all mixed up and messy. As it was, she could distance herself from that and understood it was for her own good. Damien was teaching her the control she needed.

Jess shook herself and, utilising years of training at the royal court, she walked forward and paused before her mentor and his friend.

“Nice to meet you, Isabella. I hope you will show me that shielding trick one day.” Jess compressed her lips and mock-glared at Damien. “He won’t show me such things.”

Isabella’s startled laughter rang out. “If you do not work it out for yourself and this one does not instruct you, I promise I will show you.” Isabella threw a glance at Damien, her amusement clear. “You have your work cut out for you.”

“Oh, just you wait, you might wish to trade one day.” Damien’s blue eyes glittered in challenge and amusement.

The exchange left Jess confused, but she knew better than to ask. This was another thing she was destined not to know or understand, at least for now. Damien kept his own counsel, and it seemed Isabella was just as circumspect.

Isabella grinned impudently, dimples showing in her cheeks. “Possibly, from what I’ve sensed, I think this will be a challenging task you have asked of me. Yet there is need. I will leave you to your protégé.” Isabella stepped forward and, to Jess’s shock, hugged her. “Take care, Jess. Follow Damien’s instructions no matter how infuriating he can be. He will teach you to be the best you can be. I will be away for some time, yet you have my signature now, so call if you need. I will come when I can.”

Isabella stepped back and exchanged a look with Damien. They were talking to each other. It impressed Jess no end since she couldn’t hear a word of the exchange. Then, with the only warning being the sudden draw of power from the veil, Isabella faded from view, drawing her shield around her. Again Jess was suitably impressed, since even though she tried, she couldn’t follow Isabella’s trail though the veil. It disappointed her a little since she was intrigued regarding where the woman was going and what she was doing. Still, she guessed she would find out—eventually.

Finally she turned her gaze back to Damien, who looked at her impassively, with only a hint of a smile on his lips.

“I guess teaching me how to shield like Isabella did is out of the question?” Jess grinned, knowing the answer before he spoke.

“I’m not sure you are ready for that. How about we go to the training area outside and we work on your defensive shielding? If you can master that, then soon we will learn the offensive techniques.” Damien held his hand out to her.

Pausing only to wonder what and where the outside training area was, Jess grinned and took his hand. The veil wrapped around them and he pulled her through.