Chapter 38

For the next few days, we frolicked in the forest, hunted, foraged, swam in the river and made love under the stars and in the shade of the twisted pines. Periodically, Liam would try to speak with Dax, but though he said he could feel a difference, he still wasn’t able to.

Whenever we found ourselves idling, I asked Liam questions about court protocols; how to address different members of the court, what might be expected of me as the bride of the crown prince, how to address ministers and magistrates of various ranks, who to bow to and who not to bow to. Every answer he gave me spawned a dozen more questions, but I was determined to memorize it all.

I expected a backlash against him for having a foreign bride once it became known that Liam and I were bound, as much from his political enemies as his father, but there was nothing I could do about that aside from trying to give them less fuel for the fire by following their customs and being as proper and correct in front of them as possible.

As an Astmenai, I viewed all of these things as rather silly affectations, but as a crown prince of a nation steeped in these so-called traditions, Liam was bound by them and I would not add to his troubles if I could avoid it, so I continued to query him whenever possible.

And when I wasn’t asking him about court life, he was asking me to tell him about my life in Astmenai. He seemed genuinely interested, and though it pained me at times, I told him of the forests and mountains and rivers and of the bears and caribou and lynx. I told him of learning how to spear salmon that were so abundant during spawning season, a blind man could have caught them with bare hands. I told him how we cured hides to make leathers and blankets and yurt coverings and how I struggled to learn how to use a bow and arrow.

I also spent a fair bit of time practicing with the silver hair sticks that Liam had given to me, throwing them at logs that Liam dragged into the clearing for me so that I would not harm the trees that surrounded us.

I also practiced as we traipsed through the woods, shifting from wolf to human and flinging the sticks at dead trees or logs. In the beginning, I frequently missed my targets. Throwing as I moved through my various forms was far more difficult than from a standstill, but soon, I reclaimed my former skill level and my aim was true every time, which pleased me to no end.

On the afternoon of the third day, as we were running through the forest in a race to see who could locate a boar first, I'ikki spoke to me with such joy and pride that our feet faltered and we came to a stop under a red maple tree.

We are stronger than ever, packmate. Our mate will no longer be able to compel us with will alone.

What do you mean, little sister?

Our mate compelled us the night we met, stopped us from killing our prey. That will no longer be possible.

How do you know?

Her voice was nonchalant but confident. One knows these things. Our power has surpassed our mate’s.

It was true that I had felt our power increasing steadily ever since leaving the citadel, but what I'ikki was saying shocked me to the core. Liam was an Adept, which is how he stopped us from killing Jerrek Pirz with only the power of his voice and will. To say that we were no longer under his sway meant… what? That we were also Adept certainly, but that we were stronger than the second-in-command of the Zanskan Kin seemed too outrageous for belief.

We howled, calling for Liam-Dax. After a moment or two, the great black wolf came trotting up to us and we both shifted so that I could tell him of the conversation with I'ikki.

Liam’s eyebrows went up in surprise when I told him that she claimed we had surpassed his own power level. “That would certainly be remarkable, but I wouldn’t be surprised, wife. I was barely able to compel you that night and you nearly broke free. Considering you had been without your wolf for years until just minutes before we met, it’s certainly feasible that your power is greater than my own.”

I gave him a curious glance. “That doesn’t concern you? You are the crown prince. That any Kin would be more powerful than you aside from Tae Beun would certainly create problems for you, wouldn’t it?”

He smiled and shrugged, his massive shoulders moving like mountains in an earthquake. “I am proud that you have such great strength.”

His words surprised me, though upon reflection they shouldn’t have. Liam wasn’t arrogant like other nobles and he didn’t have a fragile ego.

“Besides,” he added, “what is mine is yours and what is yours is mine. Our strength combined makes us formidable.”

I had spoken of him being as powerful as possible when we had to stand before his father, but it had never occurred to me that I was a factor in that equation.

“Liam, try to compel me. Tell me to walk to that rock over there.” I pointed at a small boulder several hundred feet away.

He obliged, putting power into his voice. “Xia Wind Song, walk that way and place your hand upon the boulder that lies beneath the crooked pine tree.”

Without thought, my legs started moving and I took several steps in that direction before I’d even had time to think about it. With a force of will, I resisted and while I did slow down, I didn’t stop entirely.

Gritting my teeth, I tried again. Sweat popped out on my brow as I put more effort into it and my heart thudded hard in my chest as if I were running a marathon. I was in mid-step when my foot stopped. I placed it back on the ground and before I could tell Liam to try it again, he lifted his hand and, as on the night when I’d tried to tear Jerrek’s throat out, the power rippled the air around his hand and his voice fairly boomed as he once more commanded me to touch the boulder.

As before, my feet walked without my command. I strained to resist, every muscle in my body trembling with the exertion. It took a couple of seconds, but I succeeded again, my feet becoming still on the forest floor. After holding myself in place for a few seconds, Liam released his power and I stood with my hands on my hips, panting for breath.

One told you so.

I couldn’t help but grin at I'ikki’s smug tone, but I was far from satisfied. Now that I knew it could be done, I planned on refining the technique until I had full mastery of it.

I pushed my sweaty locks away from my face and braced myself. “Again,” was all I said, but Liam took my meaning.

We repeated the compelling over and over as the sun moved across the sky. After perhaps the dozenth time, I fell to my knees in exhaustion. When I tried to rise, I toppled over, unable to stop the trembling of my muscles. I stared up at the sky between the leaves of the canopy, my breathing hard and painful in my chest.

Then Liam was there, lifting me up in his arms and cradling me against his chest. He took me back to our clearing by the river and laid me in the shade and blotted the sweat from my skin with a washcloth he dipped in the river water. It felt so nice, so cool, and then my eyes slipped closed as Liam gently admonished me for overdoing it.