tent. “Get dressed.”
Brea stumbled into the larger tent, grasping for her anger and the magic that normally came with it, but it was gone. And just when she really wanted to use it.
“Stupid handsome blond jerk-face.” Brea let out a string of curses that would have gotten her grounded at home.
“I heard that,” Lochlan called just outside the tent.
Brea stuck her head through the flaps. “I meant for you to!” She called him a few more names.
“Lady Brea!” Finn sounded shocked. “I’ve never heard a noble woman curse like that.”
“You meant to call me handsome, Lady Brea?” Lochlan and a few of his soldiers laughed.
Brea shoved her arms through the soft tunic Neeve had made for her, grateful someone took the time to wash her things after her trip through the swamp. Slipping on her leggings and shoving her feet into her boots, Brea stomped through the tent flaps.
“Let’s get one thing straight, Lochlan. Stay away from me. Don’t talk to me. Don’t even look at me.”
“If you’ll be quiet, you’ve got yourself a deal, my Lady.” Lochlan smirked up at her from where he lounged in the shade.
“Hungry?” Finn offered her a bowl of stew and a chunk of dry bread.
“Starving.” Brea accepted the meal and returned to the tent.
“It’s going to be hot in there, Brea,” Lochlan called. “I’d hate for you to have to take another bath.”
Brea kicked the tent flaps aside and sat down under the shade beside Finn. “What did I just say?” She shot a glare at Lochlan before she turned away, determined to pretend he didn’t exist.
Brea could feel Lochlan moving around the tent in the early hours just before dawn. She hadn’t slept at all in the muggy hot space. Rolling over to face him, she regretted it instantly. Naked once again with his back to her, beads of water rolled down his lean body after a dip in the lake.
“Jeeze, Loch, put some clothes on.” She rolled away.
“That is what I’m doing.” She heard the rustle of his clothes as he dressed. “Most ladies find my form appealing. Do you not?”
“Does it matter?”
“Not at all. I am simply trying to understand your odd human behavior.”
“I am seventeen years old, Lochlan. In the human world you could get arrested for exposing yourself to someone my age.”
“I am only a few years older than you.” He sounded like he didn’t think any of this was odd.
“You’ll have to excuse me if I find it odd to wake up to a naked fae butt in my face first thing in the morning.”
“But you will be of age soon. How does a few weeks make a difference in your world?”
“It just does. And how do you know I’m almost eighteen?” She had no idea what the date was, and with the weird fae calendar added into the mix, she didn’t know when her birthday was, only that it was soon.
Lochlan crouched beside her bedroll, still shirtless, his long blond hair dripping from his early morning swim, but at least he’d put on pants. “Your magic is erratic, yes?”
Brea nodded. If you could call absent erratic, then hers was a mess.
“All fae magic is tied to our emotions. Surely my brother taught you that much?”
“Yes. He was going to help me learn how to control my Fargelsi magic.” Brea sat up, clutching her blanket to her chest. “But we never got around to it.”
“There is a reason I goaded you all day yesterday, Brea. You magic has slipped out of your reach since your difficult journey through the Vatlands. You don’t know how to use your magic, much less control it. I was trying to push it out of you through your temper, but that isn’t working. When you come of age, it will return in full force, but you need to be prepared to deal with it when that happens. The last time the magic built up within you, you knocked yourself out. You can’t let that happen again.”
“Then what do I do?”
“I will help you.” Lochlan stood up, reaching for his shirt. “Get dressed and eat something. We leave in an hour.”
“Seriously? We’re doing this again?” Brea stared up as Lochlan mounted on his horse, reaching down to lift her up.
“Seriously.” The muscle in his jaw ticked.
“You’ve still got me on your leash, so just let me ride my own horse. It’s not like I can go anywhere.” She fumbled with the rope around her waist, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Get on the damn horse,