“Are there words I’m supposed to speak?” I ask, looking to Taavi for help. “Hand gestures? Help a girl out here.”
“I know as much about being a wizard as you do,” Taavi says, sounding resigned, like he wishes he could help, but doesn’t exactly know how to go about doing it. “Your power comes from the inside; it’s up to you to direct it.”
Looking back at the creek, I wish I’d left my clothes on until after I fiddled around with magic I don’t understand.
“This is fascinating,” Stryker says, making me jump as he appears from behind the large trunk of a tree. Taavi snarls at him, taking several menacing steps forward. “You really have no idea what you’re doing, do you?”
“Does the word privacy mean anything to you?!” I choke out, snatching the gingham dress and tearing it over my head. The gingham fabric flutters into place as Stryker approaches, lifting a single tattooed finger in the air, and then swirling it in a gentle circle.
The water in front of me bubbles and begins to steam, the pleasant warmth teasing my toes as I take an experimental step forward. Oh my god, that feels good.
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t tear your throat out and drink your blood?” Taavi snarls as Stryker takes a seat on a rock, turning away from the water to, presumably, give me a chance to bathe.
“Last night, with Isaac, you mimicked me when you cast. I assumed—as did he, I’m sure—that you were making a statement on my behalf. But really, you know nothing about your own magic. If Isaac had pushed, he might’ve seen that. He might’ve killed you.”
“Thank you for the warm water, but can you fuck all the way off, so I can rinse?”
Stryker glances back, and smiles at me, ignoring Taavi’s twisted snarl.
“Are there no wizards in Kansas then?”
“None,” I say, looking at Taavi again. “But I know how to light a match, so whatever the hell it is you’re thinking right now, forget it.”
Stryker cringes again, but manages to keep a smile on his face.
“Actually, I have an idea.” He stands up from his spot on the rock and moves over to stand beside Taavi. “You don’t know how to be a proper wizard, and I just so happen to be a proper wizard.”
“Watch yourself,” Taavi snarls, his ears taut with tension as he studies Stryker with a wary expression.
“It’s a simple trade: I teach you to be a wizard, so you don’t end up dead at Dorothy’s feet. And you two help me extricate Court from the faerie queen’s grip. It’s on your way to the City of Emeralds, after all.”
“You just said it yourself: I’m not a proper wizard. What the hell do you expect me to do to help you?”
“By the time we reach the faerie queen’s domain, you’ll know a thing or two.” Stryker looks over at Taavi for a moment before turning back to me, gold eyes sparkling with mischief. “And you can lend me the use of your guardian. That should do it. As powerful as you are, a few basic techniques should serve us well.”
“You’re asking for yet more of us?” Taavi asks, getting up in Stryker’s face. “After we saved your life, and then saved your life a second time, putting as at the mercy of the C.R.O.W.S. Surely, you could teach Oz out of simple gratitude.”
“I could, but that would imply that I wasn’t desperate for your assistance. And I am. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get Court back.” Stryker swipes his palms down the front of his jacket and gives me a scorching smile. “Consider my proposal while you bathe. Both of my proposals, actually. We should make a child while we’re in one another’s company. I’d give you half of my magic to keep the baby for myself.”
“You’re fucking insane! Get the hell out of here.” I throw a rock at him, but he ducks out of the way, and smirks before disappearing into the trees. “Keep the baby for himself?” I mumble, shaking my head with disbelief. “What the fuck is wrong with this place?”
“Wizards often come together to make children. It’s rarely done out of love,” Taavi says with a small sigh. He sounds tired, but when I look at him, he’s as stoic and immovable as ever. “There are rules. Men must give half their magic to keep a firstborn. Women must give up a fifth, or offer up a second child and take only a fraction of their consort’s power.”
“That’s … interesting,” I hedge, pulling off my dress and diving into the water with a sigh, before Stryker comes back. I have a feeling that he wouldn’t be quite so polite about my nakedness. “Haven’t these people ever heard of co-parenting?”
