Page 78 of Awakened and Betrayed
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.”
“Again!” Bastien demands of his brother and Valen complies, repeating the poem over and over again until I also have it memorized and join in on the poetic chant.
Slowly Bastien’s grip around my waist softens, and I can feel the taut muscles in his back start to loosen. Valen gives me a huge smile, and I’m filled with tender affection for how relieved he is.
“Whose poem is that?” I ask, unable quash my curiosity.
I would have never pegged either of them as poetry buffs.
“It’s by William Ernest Henley. It’s called Invictus. Silva didn’t know any lullabies or nursery rhymes, but he knew poems. At night when we were young, we would fall asleep to him reading or reciting things to us. This one was always one of our favorites. It just became a thing we did for each other when we were scared or struggling with something; we’d pick out a favorite and recite it until the other felt better.”
Valen flashes me a shy grin and then looks down at Bastien when he grunts and starts to sit up. They make eye contact, and I watch as an unspoken conversation happens between them, it’s filled with worry and reassurance and love. It’s like I can physically see the unique and incredible connection they have as they communicate and reassure each other, without ever saying a single word.
Bastien turns to me. I’m not sure what I’m expecting to see in his eyes, but the awe I find there is not it. He pounces on me, and my surprised squeak gets lost against Bastien’s lips when they crash into mine. He follows me back down to the mat and kisses me so thoroughly that I stop questioning why he’s kissing me and just go with it. He pulls away, and his hazel eyes bounce between my light green ones.
“Holy shit, you are fucking powerful! I mean, I knew, I thought I did anyway, but not really. Now that I can feel it here...” He rubs the runes in between his pecs. “I could have never comprehended thatthiswas what was in store for us. Thank you, Bruiser, thank you for choosing me...us.”
He gestures towards Valen who’s just grinning at us, not at all phased by our naked display. He slaps Bastien’s ass hard and gives me a wink.
“You need to go eat, Bas; you’ll need the calories right away just like Ryker and Knox did. I see that look in your eye, and no, I don’t mean eat Vinna.”
Bastien laughs and gives me a peck. He climbs off me and stands up offering me a hand while he rubs his ass cheek with the other. He teeters slightly, and both Valen and I rush up to make sure he doesn’t fall over.
“Fuck, head rush.”
I pick up his sweat pants and help him step into them while Valen holds him steady. I pull on my clothes and look up to find both of them watching me; heat banked in their eyes. I point to Bastien.
“You go eat and then rest, you’ll be shaky the rest of the night, but we’ll start training tomorrow. And you…” I point to Valen. “I need your help coming up with a training schedule. I need to know what you guys have learned in your paladin training, and we need to combine that with what I know, and how I use my magic.”
They both smile and salute me at exactly the same time. Valen helps a slightly trembling Bastien out the door, and I shamelessly watch their asses as they leave. Three down, two to go.
39
“Motherfucker!” Bastien shouts.
He snatches his hand out of his pocket and glares at the throwing knife he currently holds in his hand. Everyone in the car tries to keep from snickering, but Knox and Valen are close to losing their battle. Ever since Bastien woke up this morning spooning a long sword, he’s been having trouble accidentally calling his weapons, and the rest of the guys are having trouble not giving him shit about it.
“I’m just reaching for my phone,magic, I’m not calling any weapons for fuck’s sake,” he argues with the new power now flowing through him.
He glares at the small dagger in his hand before letting it fall towards the ground and watching it disappear. He throws a glare around the car daring anyone to have a go at him, and that’s what ultimately tips me over the edge. I burst out into a fit of laughter. He looks at me, his features incredulous, but it just makes me laugh harder.
I howl out my amusement, and it becomes contagious throughout the vehicle, not even Bastien can keep from letting some chuckles escape. It’s exactly what we need to help break up some of the tension that’s been mounting ever since I announced that we’re going to train at Enoch’s house this morning. No one seems happy, but after explaining about Enoch’s training ring and the plan Valen and I came up with, there wasn’t much they could argue with.
I’d prefer to leave Enoch and his coven out of it. I’m still not sure how things stand with them, and their connection to the elders is not ideal either, but the guys and I need help. I’m struggling with trying to explain how Sentinel magic works well enough that they can work to master it, and I’m in serious need of training on all aspects of magic in general. My time with Kallan, Nash, Enoch, and Becket was filled with all sorts of craziness and uncertainty, but one thing we did well together...was train.
When I spoke to Enoch yesterday, he seemed surprised to hear from me, but willing to get back to work. I haven’t talked to anyone else in his coven, but I’m hoping they all feel the same way. The last thing we need today is drama, or a bunch of hotheads and egos clashing, when three of my guys have spazzy Sentinel magic and no idea what they’re capable of. I’m also oddly nervous of what Enoch and the others are going to say when some of the guys show up with a matching set of my runes all over their bodies.
Enoch and his dad know what I am, but I don’t know if they know the ins and outs of being a Sentinel and what all it entails, or how much Enoch has shared with the rest of his coven. Some of them seemed pretty pissed that he had been keeping secrets, and if I were them, I would have demanded to know everything before even considering forgiving him for keeping shit from me. He’s lucky I’m not in his coven, I’d have probably stabbed him.
I reach over and pull Bastien’s finger from his mouth. I heal the small cut on the pad of his finger and then kiss the spot where the cut disappeared from. I give him a sweet smile, and he pulls me in towards him and places a gentle peck on my lips. He nuzzles my nose with his own, but the opening of Enoch’s gates pulls us back into reality. He huffs out a deep breath, and I sneak another kiss.
“You’ll get it. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since you got your runes and you’re doing better than I ever did; I stabbed myself for weeks. My magic still does shit I had no idea it could do, so cut yourself some slack.”
He smiles against my lips. “Thanks, Bruiser, I just can’t lose this bet with Knox.”
