Magic Secret (Half-Blood Academy #2) - Meg Xuemei X Page 0,9
of leaving them sent a sharp wave of pang to my gut, so I remained glued to where I stood instead of making my way to the exit.
“It’s not safe to leave the door open,” I admonished. “You said this building was warded, Héctor, so how could Axel destroy your door?”
Axel gave me a look. “I didn’t do it alone. Zak played a big part in blowing it up, too.”
“It’s warded against demons,” Héctor said, “not against my rude cousins. But I assure you, lamb, I’ll add ancient spells to fend off unwelcome demigods.”
He turned to Zak and Axel with a growl. “Fix your mess. My lamb doesn’t feel safe with the door hanging open like that.”
Zak stalked toward the entrance with a nod. “Rosebud’s safety is the priority.”
Lightning flew out of him and lifted the toppled door, shoving it back into its former place. Just like that, he fixed it.
My jaw dropped.
I’d thought his lightning had only one purpose: to strike down his foes or anyone who irritated him.
There was so much I needed to learn about the demigods and their powers. Just then, my stomach grumbled, reminding me how hungry I was.
“Cookie is starved,” Axel said, stretching a hand toward me. “Let’s get you something to eat.”
He didn’t wait for me to place a hand in his, but quickly took mine and led me toward the dining table, as if he was the one who had prepared all the food for me.
Héctor gritted his teeth, clearly not happy his cousin was taking credit.
He strode on my other side and held my elbow since that hand still gripped the towel.
“Let’s get you properly dressed, lamb,” he said.
“Okay,” I said and swept a glance at all three demigods. “I’d appreciate if you’d stop calling me Lamb, Cookie, or Rosebud. I have an image to keep in this hazardous world. I’d like to give people a tougher impression. An inaccurate pet name won’t help build me up, just damage my public image. You may all call me Marigold. But if you really feel the need to call me something else fondly, you can pick a name between Icy Steel, Silent Blade, or Iron Dagger.”
“You’re none of those cold, hard things,” Zak said in disapproval. “You’re my rose, my rosebud.”
Why did I even bother trying to communicate with them? From day one I’d learned it was impossible to argue with any of the demigods. It didn’t even matter if he was an asshole or not.
“Hands off, Axel,” Héctor warned. “I need to get my lamb dressed.”
See, why did I bother correcting them about pet names? The demigods weren’t accustomed to taking advice from anyone.
I had a very bad feeling that they’d all already become set in their ways before I was even born, except for Axel. But he was just as hopeless as the rest of them.
Axel reluctantly released my hand. He hadn’t been this clingy last time. Seeing me beaten to within an inch of my life and then disappear must have snapped something in him. He looked terrified of losing me.
Zak was less hard-assed as well.
“Aren’t you going to snap your fingers and dress me now, Héctor?” I asked.
“We’ll do it the traditional way,” he said, scooping me up and carrying me toward his upstairs bedroom. “I’m a man who holds to tradition.”
“I don’t even know what traditions are anymore,” I murmured. “We live in the age of the Great Merge, don’t we?”
He gave me a chastening look. “But it doesn’t mean we have to lose ourselves.”
“What are your traditions then?” I asked curiously.
“When it comes to you, it’s about respecting women and cherishing them by doing things like opening doors and pulling up a chair.”
I grinned. “I have no issue with you keeping those traditions.”
“Respecting and cherishing women is my forte,” Axel said, following us up the stairs.
Zak pulled him back.
“Let Héctor have some time with her,” the sky demigod said. “He’s earned it.”
“I won’t let him have her all to himself,” Axel said in a hard, unforgiving voice. “That asshole is a fucking schemer.”
“If it hadn’t been for Héctor, the demons would have gotten her before we found her,” Zak said. “And we’d have lost her forever.”
I peered a question at Héctor. How had Zak known about me encountering demons?
“The four of us don’t get along,” Héctor said. “All demigods are notoriously territorial. It’s our nature. Zak is our arbiter. He opens part of his mind to us, and in return, he can get into our minds to