40. Fersen

Chapter 40

Fersen

N erves ate away at Fersen as he waited for Vanra to arrive. He had never trained anyone before, so he worried he would mess things up somehow. At least he could draw solace from the fact that Vanra was so kind-hearted.

The human mage arrived with a smile and a wave. "How are you?"

"Very well, thank you."

"Thanks for agreeing to train with me today. I'll do my best not to disappoint you."

Fersen smiled to put Vanra at ease. "I don't think that's possible. I'm more worried about letting you down because I've never trained anyone before."

"We'll figure it out together. I'm at least excited to spend some more time with you!"

The unicorn shifter appreciated Vanra's optimism. "Jaega suggested I work with you on developing offensive magic. Is that something you're comfortable with?"

"I don't have a lot of experience with it, but I'll give it my best."

A wooden rabbit doll appeared in midair. Fersen gestured at it. "Can I see how you purify that?"

"Do you want me to do it with a weapon or my protective shield?"

"Let's start with your shield." Fersen made the rabbit approach Vanra. When it drew close to his protective shield, it disintegrated upon contact. Another one appeared in its place. "Very good. Now, instead of projecting your power into a bubble around you, I want you to focus it into the palm of your right hand."

Vanra did as instructed, gathering his aura into a ball of lavender smoke in his hand. "Like this?"

"Yes, excellent work. Now, I want you to throw it at the next rabbit dummy. Imagine pushing it through the dummy to make it disappear."

Vanra took a deep breath before he lobbed the ball of his aura energy at the wooden rabbit. It grazed an ear off but failed to destroy the entire doll. He scowled in annoyance before refocusing his aura energy into his hand once more.

It took four tries, but Vanra obliterated the rabbit. He gave a victory cheer. "Finally! Ugh, I really thought my aim had been getting better than that."

"Don't be discouraged when this is still a new technique to you. It's different from shooting an arrow, which is more precise." Fersen called his powers into both of his hands to show what he wanted Vanra to do next. "Try it with both hands this time."

Two more rabbit dolls floating side by side appeared. Vanra could take the right one out, but he only grazed the left. When he tried again, he destroyed the left one, but the right remained. It took him several more tries before he could destroy them both at the same time.

The human mage's progress impressed Fersen. "Jaega's correct. You really are a quick study."

Vanra blushed at the praise. "Thanks."

"Now that you can do them both, I'm going to move them farther apart. Let's see how far you can project."

For the next hour, they worked together on increasing the distance each time Vanra successfully destroyed the two dolls. Even with the dolls on opposite sides of the room, Vanra purified them both after getting a better handle on the technique.

Fersen summoned a third doll in the middle of the other two. He was about to give instructions when Vanra suddenly moved to stand between him and the door. Before Fersen could ask what the human was doing, Mitsuki appeared with a malevolent energy that made the unicorn shifter instinctively shrink back. He had done his best to avoid his mate's oldest nephew, who had hated him from hello. But for once, Mitsuki wasn't aiming his ire at Fersen. It was all on Vanra.

Mitsuki sneered at the human. "How cute. Are you seriously delusional enough to think you can defend him against the likes of me?"

There was a tremble of fear in Vanra's voice, but he stood his ground. "We can leave if you want to use the training hall."

"No, I think not." Mitsuki summoned black fire into his hand. "If you wish to continue this farce of training, it is time you practiced on something other than a defenseless dummy."

Vanra projected a protection shield around himself and Fersen, which held, even as it was engulfed by black fire. It brought back horrible memories of how Fersen's home in Morven had been burned by the terrible men who had done unspeakable things to him before he met his mate.

Vanra sent a burst of purifying energy to douse the black flames. "Why do you keep doing this? I've done nothing to you!" Vanra protested. He kept the protective shield active around himself and Fersen.

"You exist and bring shame upon our clan. That is harm enough." Mitsuki summoned more fire into his hand, ready to attack them again.

He didn't get the chance. In the blink of an eye, Jaega had Mitsuki pinned against the wall. His eyes glowed bright orange as his dragon took full control. " Give us one reason not to kill you for your foolishness."

"Father would never allow you to kill the sole heir to the throne."

"You have three other siblings who are better suited to rule than you. That is not enough reason to stay our hand when you threaten our mate and Vanra."

Mitsuki refused to back down. "Looks like the whore has tempted you as?—"

Jaega backhanded Mitsuki before he could finish his sentence. "If you continue to disrespect Vanra, I will personally see to it that you are banished or worse."

"It is shameful how everyone has rolled onto their backs for that disgusting worm," Mitsuki spat. He tried to free himself, but Jaega slammed him back against the wall. "Beat me all you want. It does not change that human filth sullying our clan's good name."

"The only one who does that is you ." Jaega threw him aside into a heap on the floor. "Do not test our patience, nephew. We promise you will not live to regret it."

Mitsuki coughed as he recovered his breath. He stood up with an arrogant set in his shoulders. "You misunderstand. I was merely helping them with training."

"No, we understand perfectly. Stay away from our mate and Vanra, or we will not stay our hand next time, consequences be damned."

Mitsuki stormed out without another word.

Jaega hurried to his mate's side. He embraced Fersen before cupping his cheeks in his hands as he looked down at him with worry. His dragon was still in full control. "Please tell us you are unharmed. We came as soon as we noticed his presence near you."

Fersen covered Jaega's hands with his own. "I'm okay. Vanra protected me from Mitsuki's wrath. Thank you for coming to our defense."

"You should have summoned me through our bond."

"It all happened so fast I barely had time to think, let alone reach out to you." Fersen sent reassuring vibes through their bond. "All that matters is that you were here in time."

Jaega rested his forehead against his mate's for a moment before turning to Vanra. "It seems we owe you another debt of gratitude for protecting our beloved mate."

Vanra waved his hands in front of him. "Not at all! I'm sorry Mitsuki's hatred of me put Fersen in that position. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to him because of me."

Jaega gathered Vanra into a tight hug. He returned to normal when he stepped back. "You did well, Vanra. I am proud of how you defended yourself and my mate. I will speak to my brother about Mitsuki' s egregious behavior. He cannot continue like this unchecked."

"Perhaps that's enough training for today," Fersen said.

Jaega nodded in agreement. "Very well. I will escort you both to your rooms before I return to the barracks."

"Actually, could we go to the library instead?" Fersen asked. "I would feel safer there when I know Mitsuki would never dare go in there. And it would give me the chance to catch up with Kisano."

"That sounds like a great idea," Vanra agreed. "But what makes you think Mitsuki won't harass us there? It seems there are no limits to what he'll do."

"Fersen is right. Kizoshi put the fear of death in Mitsuki if he ever stepped foot in the library again. It is the one place in this castle he dares not go. He will not risk her finishing what she started."

Vanra's eyebrows furrowed with confusion. "What does that mean?"

"Kizoshi apparently caught him bullying Kisano by destroying one of his books, and she almost killed him for it."

"Healers were called because he would have died otherwise," Jaega added. "Kizoshi would gladly finish him. There is no love lost between them."

Vanra blanched at the thought. "Everything I hear about her makes me more terrified of her."

"While she is as ferocious as her mother and father combined, you have nothing to fear from her," Jaega assured him as they began walking to the library. "Both of her favorite brothers are fond of you, so she will be, too."

Jaega took Fersen's hand in his as they walked. It never ceased to make him feel the warm glow of love that echoed between them through their bond.