4. Catriona

4

CATRIONA

I stare at my reflection in the mirror in my room of the guild dormitory, tempted to punch it.

You married Felix , she practically screams at me.

Giddy euphoria keeps bubbling up out of nowhere, making me question my sanity. Even now, my reflection's scowl turns into a bubbly grin.

I press my hand to my heated forehead, my eyes catching on the gold band on my finger. We purchased the rings at the court, as they're necessary for the ceremony. With a wink, Felix bought the gold instead of silver, saying we were going to "do this right."

As if anything is right about this situation. If Arthur finds out, I'll likely be removed from the guild. Why did I go along with this?

But I know. Of course, I know.

It's because he's Felix. Curse of my existence. Obsession of my heart.

I still remember the first day I laid eyes on him when I was a recruit. I lied to get into the guild, claiming I was eighteen instead of sixteen. At the time, I was sparring against Oscar, a brute of a trainee with fifty pounds on me.

I was winning. Oscar was breathless. Sweat rolled down his gargantuan forehead. He was as strong as an ox, but I was quick.

Arthur was watching us, and I was showing off. And then Felix walked into the practice arena with his handsome face, sparkling eyes, long legs, and tousled hair.

While I was distracted, Oscar laid me out flat. The big oaf then leaned over me, spewing apologies, twisting the wooden staff in his hand. " I'm so sorry, Cat. Are you all right? Can you move? I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. "

I thought he was going to cry.

Arthur appeared above me as I fought to catch my breath.

" I didn't mean to hit her so hard, Lord Cunningham. She's wicked fast, and I ? — "

" Are you all right, Miss Mason? " the guild president asked.

" I'm fine, " I lied, my shoulder in agony where the idiot pegged me.

And then another face appeared over me, this one angelic…until he grinned.

" That was an epic crash, " Felix said.

" Why don't you take Miss Mason to the infirmary, Felix? " Arthur suggested.

" Should I do it? " Oscar offered, the big man's hands fluttering at his waist. " I should take her. I'm so sorry, Cat. So sorry. "

I forced myself to sit, pressing one hand against the mat. My other arm was useless, the pain in my shoulder still intense.

Before I could make sense of the situation, I was being scooped off the ground. On instinct, my good arm went around Felix's neck. The other one draped across my stomach limply.

" It was her shoulder, not her legs, " Arthur said wryly.

Felix flashed me a grin, and from entirely too close. " No reason to risk it. "

He'd disarmed me. Completely. Easily. I smiled at him like a fool. It was the first time that wretched giddiness made an appearance.

" I'm Felix, " he said once we were alone in the hall.

" Catriona ."

" You're the daintiest hunter I've ever seen. "

" I don't usually lose ."

" I believe you ."

We entered the infirmary. It was empty, the nurse and doctor both gone. He laid me on a bed and took the chair by my head.

Resting his elbows on his thighs, he leaned forward. " How old are you? "

" Eighteen ," I lied.

He laughed. " You're not. I'm seventeen, and you aren't older than me. "

I glanced around, wanting to share a secret with him—wanting something connecting us. In a whisper, I admitted, " I'm sixteen, but you can't tell anyone. "

You had to be seventeen to join the guild. Those were the rules.

He grinned, pleased to be correct.

" Are you an apprentice? " I asked. He was too young to be a journeyman, and he wasn't a trainee. " I haven't seen you before. "

" I'm Arthur's son. "

And that's the moment I knew I was in trouble.

"Cat?" Felix calls through the door, pulling me from my memories. "Are you all packed?"

I swing the door open. "Just about."

He crosses his arms and leans a shoulder against the doorframe. "What do you think about nunchucks?"

"What about them?"

"Do you think I should bring mine?"

" Why do you have—" I cut myself off, holding up my hand, needing to stop before this conversation can progress any further. "No."

For some reason, my response amuses him. "You sure?"

"Positive."

He captures my hand while it's in the air, looking at my ring. When I don't immediately yank my hand away, he rotates the band as if intrigued by its existence. "Have you gotten used to it yet?"

"Gotten used to what?"

Why does this feel so intimate? He's only touching my finger.

"The ring. What it symbolizes." He drops my hand and looks at his own golden band. "It feels strange to be married, doesn't it?"

"If it bothers you, take it off."

He smirks to himself. "It makes you nervous, doesn't it?"

"Why would it make me nervous?"

"You're responsible for me." He looks up, his eyes laughing. "For a little while, I'm your problem."

"You've been my problem since you walked into my training room eighteen months ago."

Oh, and what a day that was. I hadn't seen him for years. He'd left Staulus, traveling like a vagabond, breaking my pathetic heart even though I barely knew him. We'd only had a handful of conversations prior to that, including the one on the day we met.

I didn't truly get to know Felix until I was his guild superior. He came back into my life, more handsome than I remembered, with the body of a man.

And he didn't want to be there. I found myself in the middle of a quiet war he and Arthur waged against each other.

He's the most infuriating trainee I've ever been saddled with. My starry-eyed image of him tarnished, but the attraction remained and grew. There's not a day that's gone by that I haven't imagined him shoving me against a wall during one of our training sessions and kissing me with wild abandon. I want it. I want him.

And Felix is right. These foolish rings aren't helping.

"I have a theory," he says.

"Go away so I can finish packing."

"I think you're pleased I was assigned to you."

"Your theory is ridiculous." I nudge him toward the door, but he holds his ground.

"You looked devastated when Father announced my training was finished."

"I was horrified he was sending you after a werewolf when you still can't hit the practice target with a pistol."

"A lot of people can't do that. That center dot is awfully small."

"The target , Felix. Not the bullseye."

He grins. "I'll get it eventually."

"If you're bored, go practice now."

Finally— finally —he ambles back into the hall. "I'll let you finish packing."

"Good, thank you." I make shooing motions with my hands.

Chuckling, he finally walks away.

I stare after him for a few seconds, my heart twinging, wondering how I'm going to live with that man.

Felix and I pause outside Greg's arena, trying to make sense of the cow grazing in a new paddock out front. She's reddish brown and plump, with big eyes and a soft white muzzle.

If a cow can be pretty, she's the loveliest I've ever seen.

We're just outside the city at the Cunningham's estate, on a piece of land that houses both the guild's stable and Greg's accommodations. Not every monster-hunting guild has a dragon, but we do. We might be the only one, actually. Greg is one of GHOST's best-kept secrets.

"Why haven't you eaten your cow yet, Greg?" I call, knowing he'll hear me even though we aren't inside yet. "It's been months since Benjamin gave her to you."

" I've decided to keep her," the dragon answers, speaking directly in my head.

"Keep her?" I step through the massive double doors that Greg's attendants have opened for him. He's not a prisoner of the guild—he can come and go as he pleases. The dragon lives like a king.

" I've never had a pet. "

Felix follows me into the indoor arena, perfectly at ease with the dragon. He's known him longer than any of us. While the rest of the hunters met Greg when they joined the guild, Felix grew up with him. "And you decided on a cow?"

We walk down five flights of stairs, sinking deeper into the earth. The roof is open, letting sunlight flood the sandy floor below us. Greg's pile of golden coins glistens in the light, all mounded up on the far end.

He's not on it.

Torches line the perimeter of the circular space, ready for nightfall. But that's it—there are no other homey touches. He used to have an enormous leather ball he'd nose around, but the dragon claimed he was too old for games five years ago.

" I was saving her for my hatch day—which you both forgot about—but she looked at me with trusting eyes, and I lost my appetite ."

"What does Benjamin think about it?" I ask.

" He says the guild cannot be responsible for her keep, so he's deducting a portion of my monthly pay for her care. He's just being petty, if you ask me ."

Greg doesn't spend his wages. He sleeps on them.

There's a lot of money stashed here, just waiting to be pilfered. But you would have to be brave to steal from a dragon.

Deciding we've learned enough about Greg's cow, I say, "We're going on a job, and I would like to recruit you."

" Where are you going? "

"Braunwin."

" Is it far? "

I peer around the empty arena. "Where are you?"

" On my rock. "

"You could have told us before we came in here."

We climb the stairs, emerging into the sunshine once more. It doesn't slip my notice that Felix isn't even winded—strange considering how exhausted he pretended to be when Arthur last watched him train.

I walk across the pasture, spotting the dragon on the large, flat monolith he's claimed as his own. He's sunning like a lizard, his tail draped over the ledge. As we approach, he stretches his massive wings, rolls onto his back, and lies with his legs and belly in the air.

"Why does it matter if it's far?" I ask him.

" Gretchen visits me on Thursdays. "

"You'll see her when you get back."

" She's painting a portrait of me. I must sit for it. "

I don't know what to say because Gretchen is only five years old.

Her father, Sterling, has taken his place as the head of House Renward, but they're at the guild more often than not. They're close to Tansy, one of the assistant cooks, and Elizabeth, Benjamin's wife. I suspect Sterling would like to train to be a hunter, but he's never approached Arthur or Benjamin as far as I know. Since he's raising Gretchen alone, I don't know if he ever will.

"Tell her you have a job," I say. "She'll understand."

The dragon huffs.

"You have a pet now," Felix reminds him. "You have to work to pay for her care."

That seems to get through to him.

" All right, " Greg says with a grand sigh, wisping flames into the air as he exhales. " I'll go with you—after Thursday. You'll have to manage without me until then ."

"That's acceptable," I say.

" What's our monster? "

"Werewolf."

" I hate werewolves ," the dragon whines.

"Why?" Felix asks, voicing my curiosity aloud. I'm not sure what difference it makes when Greg is in the air ninety percent of the time.

" They smell bad—like mangy dogs. Not at all appetizing. "

"You're not supposed to eat spirit monsters," I remind him. "They make you sick."

He huffs, not bothering to answer. Then he stretches, first his legs and then his wings, and sits up.

" I don't like Arthur sending you after werewolves, Cat ," the dragon says, finally flying down to greet us properly.

He's massive, and his black scales gleam like obsidian in the sunlight. One of his fangs is as long as my forearm.

"You know I've specialized in them," I tell him.

" It's cruel ."

I glance at Felix, not wanting to have this conversation right now, and stroke Greg's cheek. "They're a monster like any other. Someone has to kill them. It might as well be me." I sense Felix's eyes on me, but I ignore his attention. "We have a train to catch. We'll see you on Friday, all right? Contact us when you arrive, and don't get too close to the village."

" Safe travels ."

And with that, Felix and I leave the pasture, and eventually, Valette, boarding the train that will take us to our first stop on our journey to Braunwin.