“Nikolas always did take this vocation very seriously.”
“I’d say. He got so mad one time when I got hurt by a crocotta that he went into some kind of rage. At least that’s what Chris called it.”
Desmund’s eye widened. “A rage? Is that so?”
“Yes,” I said with a moan. “How am I supposed to train with someone like that?”
He was quiet for a long moment, and his next words surprised me. “I think you just have to trust that Tristan knows what he is doing.”
“How can you say that? Tristan knows how I feel about Nikolas, and I bet he knows what Nikolas thinks of me, too.”
“I’m sure he does.” He stood and held his arm out like a gentleman. I took his arm, and he led me to the top of the stairs. “As much as I enjoy your delightful company, you need to get your rest for tomorrow.”
“You know, this is so not what I signed up for.”
Desmund laughed softly. “If I know my old friend Nikolas, you are not what he was expecting either.”
“Gosh, thanks for the pep talk, Desmund.”
His eyes flashed with amusement as he turned away. “Anytime, little one.”
Chapter 8
“IS IT TRUE? Are you really going to train with Nikolas?”
I quit pushing my scrambled eggs around and looked up at Olivia as she slid her breakfast tray onto the table. A few feet behind her, Jordan followed with her own tray. Just a few days ago, I was eating alone. I wasn’t sure how I felt about my new popularity, especially since all anyone wanted to talk about around here was how awesome Nikolas was.
“Yes.”
Olivia gave a very un-warrior-like squeal that made me wince.
“Do you have to do that?” snapped Jordan. She obviously wasn’t a morning person.
“How the hell did you swing that?” Olivia went on, ignoring Jordan. “No one trains with Nikolas. What I wouldn’t give . . . ”
I gave up pretending to eat and pushed my plate away. “You know, just because he’s like some kind of warrior god around here doesn’t mean he’s all sunshine and roses to be around. If you think training with him will be easy or fun, you are delusional and welcome to take my place.”
“And deprive us all of the enjoyment of watching you and Nikolas?” drawled a familiar male voice.
I smiled up at Chris, whom I had not seen since my first day here. The blond warrior was the kind of gorgeous that made women forget their names, and he was a lot more easygoing than Nikolas. “Hello, Dimples. Shouldn’t you be out breaking hearts or something?”
Chris grinned and the dimples I’d nicknamed him for appeared. I heard Olivia let out a soft sigh. “You and Nikolas training together – I wouldn’t miss that for the world. And this time when you tell him to kiss your behind, I won’t intervene.”
“I thought you were supposed to be the nice one.”
Laughing, he turned away. “I’ll be seeing you . . . if you two don’t kill each other.”
Olivia stared after him with cow eyes. “Okay, Sara, what is your secret?”
“My secret?”
“You’re training with Nikolas and flirting with Chris?”
“I was not flirting with Chris. We’re friends, sort of.”
“If you say so. Any more super-hot guys you have stashed away that we don’t know about?”
I decided not to mention Desmund who could probably fit into Olivia’s “hot” category even if he was just a little insane. “The girls back home think my friend, Roland, is pretty hot, but I don’t think he’s your type.”
“Why, is he gay?”
“Nope, werewolf,” I smothered a laugh at her look of mingled disbelief and distaste, which to her credit, she tried to hide.
Jordan leaned over to nudge Olivia with her shoulder. “It’s that whole waif look she has going on. Men can’t resist it.”
“I am not a waif,” I shot back. “I can take care of myself.”
Jordan chuckled. “I didn’t say you were a waif; I said you look like one. Did you happen to notice that you’re way shorter than everyone else here?”
I had noticed that fact soon after I arrived. Mohiri men were all over six feet tall, and the women were close to six. At five-five, I definitely stood out. I supposed I had my Fae heritage to thank for that. Aine was around my height and build. But being shorter did not make me weaker, and I said as much to Jordan.
“You won’t hear me argue with you.” She toyed with her pancakes and gave me a sly grin to let me know she had been trying to get a rise out of me. “So, do you know what kind of training you’ll be doing with Nikolas?”