focused on Bradan’s and Vivien’s linked hands. He
lifted his gaze to meet Bradan’s, although no recognizable emotion pierced
through them.
“That’s the thing,” Bradan said,
looking back at Vivien. “You two can hurt each other. And there’s no
doubt that he will hurt you. But you can’t shed blood, can’t leave a mark on
each other’s body, and can’t inflict any damage that might cause death. If
either of you died after the duel from injuries sustained during your fight,
the survivor would lose the duel.”
Vivien nodded, her lips twisting
into a wry grin.
“Yeah, I remember reading that. I
don’t think I want to try that road to win. But then how do I win?”
“By being smart. By trapping him,
and making him forget that anything you channel with the Quickening, he can
unravel with enough strength of will. And by remembering that you can unravel
anything he weaves.”
Bradan kept his voice smooth and
confident, but the tiny hint of worry he felt didn’t solely come from the bond.
He wouldn’t dream of mentioning it aloud, and it was unneeded anyway because
Vivien was well aware of it, but the fact remained that Rhuinn had used the
Quickening all of his life while she was new to channeling. She’d made great
progress in very little time, but there was no denying that Rhuinn had the
advantage. And maybe they could use that against him.
“He’ll think he’s already won,” he
said, wrapping his other hand over hers. “He’ll think you’re a novice, and
don’t know what you’re doing. He’ll be overconfident. And you’ll use that to
beat him.”
The moment he saw the gleam of
relief in her eyes, he realized how much she’d needed to hear those very words.
But whether needed or not, they were only words, and what Vivien needed most
was practice. He started to say so but trailed off when he realized, yet again,
the truth of his new condition: he couldn’t channel. He couldn’t train Vivien,
at least not by practicing dueling with her.
“Something wrong?” Vivien asked
when he’d been silent too long.
Her expression conveyed her worry
and matched the concern filtering through the bond. Very careful not to glance
at Aedan, Bradan forced a smile to his lips and stood, squeezing Vivien’s hand
once before he released it.
“Nothing,” he said. “Everything’s
fine. I’m trying to think of what would be the best way for you to train. I
think…” He licked his lips. “Maybe we could start by having you practice
channeling even when you’re being distracted.”
A tiny smile brightened her face
as she looked up at him.
“And how do you suggest
distracting me?” she asked in a low, teasing voice.
Bradan would have given anything
at that moment for them to be alone—for Aedan’s presence not to be necessary.
But even moments after feeding, he could recognize the already-familiar
stirrings of hunger inside him.
They weren’t so strong that he
couldn’t ignore them, and with any luck Aedan wouldn’t even pick up on them
through the bond. But the truth was there, whether Bradan liked it or not: he
craved blood. And not just any blood, either, but the hot blood he could hear
pumping through Vivien’s veins. He wasn’t even sure if it was her blood he
wanted or simply her; in his mind, the distinction seemed to have become
tenuous.
He didn’t intend to do anything
about it, of course, but Aedan’s warning hovered in his mind, coloring
everything. Better that he was there and kept a close eye on Bradan. Better
that neither of them trusted Bradan completely, especially since Vivien did.
In the end, he couldn’t think of a
better distraction than talking to her while she channeled, asking her
questions about the classes they’d followed back in the Otherworld and
demanding that she answer without ever stopping what she was doing. It was
training; at this point, anything that forced her to channel and keep her focus
despite distractions was good training. Still, Bradan
lifted his gaze to meet Bradan’s, although no recognizable emotion pierced
through them.
“That’s the thing,” Bradan said,
looking back at Vivien. “You two can hurt each other. And there’s no
doubt that he will hurt you. But you can’t shed blood, can’t leave a mark on
each other’s body, and can’t inflict any damage that might cause death. If
either of you died after the duel from injuries sustained during your fight,
the survivor would lose the duel.”
Vivien nodded, her lips twisting
into a wry grin.
“Yeah, I remember reading that. I
don’t think I want to try that road to win. But then how do I win?”
“By being smart. By trapping him,
and making him forget that anything you channel with the Quickening, he can
unravel with enough strength of will. And by remembering that you can unravel
anything he weaves.”
Bradan kept his voice smooth and
confident, but the tiny hint of worry he felt didn’t solely come from the bond.
He wouldn’t dream of mentioning it aloud, and it was unneeded anyway because
Vivien was well aware of it, but the fact remained that Rhuinn had used the
Quickening all of his life while she was new to channeling. She’d made great
progress in very little time, but there was no denying that Rhuinn had the
advantage. And maybe they could use that against him.
“He’ll think he’s already won,” he
said, wrapping his other hand over hers. “He’ll think you’re a novice, and
don’t know what you’re doing. He’ll be overconfident. And you’ll use that to
beat him.”
The moment he saw the gleam of
relief in her eyes, he realized how much she’d needed to hear those very words.
But whether needed or not, they were only words, and what Vivien needed most
was practice. He started to say so but trailed off when he realized, yet again,
the truth of his new condition: he couldn’t channel. He couldn’t train Vivien,
at least not by practicing dueling with her.
“Something wrong?” Vivien asked
when he’d been silent too long.
Her expression conveyed her worry
and matched the concern filtering through the bond. Very careful not to glance
at Aedan, Bradan forced a smile to his lips and stood, squeezing Vivien’s hand
once before he released it.
“Nothing,” he said. “Everything’s
fine. I’m trying to think of what would be the best way for you to train. I
think…” He licked his lips. “Maybe we could start by having you practice
channeling even when you’re being distracted.”
A tiny smile brightened her face
as she looked up at him.
“And how do you suggest
distracting me?” she asked in a low, teasing voice.
Bradan would have given anything
at that moment for them to be alone—for Aedan’s presence not to be necessary.
But even moments after feeding, he could recognize the already-familiar
stirrings of hunger inside him.
They weren’t so strong that he
couldn’t ignore them, and with any luck Aedan wouldn’t even pick up on them
through the bond. But the truth was there, whether Bradan liked it or not: he
craved blood. And not just any blood, either, but the hot blood he could hear
pumping through Vivien’s veins. He wasn’t even sure if it was her blood he
wanted or simply her; in his mind, the distinction seemed to have become
tenuous.
He didn’t intend to do anything
about it, of course, but Aedan’s warning hovered in his mind, coloring
everything. Better that he was there and kept a close eye on Bradan. Better
that neither of them trusted Bradan completely, especially since Vivien did.
In the end, he couldn’t think of a
better distraction than talking to her while she channeled, asking her
questions about the classes they’d followed back in the Otherworld and
demanding that she answer without ever stopping what she was doing. It was
training; at this point, anything that forced her to channel and keep her focus
despite distractions was good training. Still, Bradan
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