+Chapter 27+

Mari kept her gaze outside the window, as someone who had never gotten the opportunity to travel before, she drank in the sights around them.

Much like King Lucien’s palace, King Kade’s home was built away from the rest of the city, she supposed it was done that way for the sake of security.

The woods around King Kade’s palace were private property so it would basically just be the both of them on acres and acres of forestry. But King Kade still made the effort to drive a long distance away from the palace so that some stranger didn’t randomly stumble onto them.

The seat belt came in handy when King Kade swerved off the road into the forest on the side, driving on uneven and rocky ground. He drove inside a bit and then parked the truck.

Mari opened her door as well as started to get down from the lifted truck, only to lose her balance on the uneven ground.

She couldn’t say how King Kade had moved so fast if she was asked but he caught her waist and righted her without a word, the unexpected contact making Mari’s heart rate spike.

She mumbled a thanks for a lack of words to say, standing sheepishly to the side while waiting for King Kade to take the lead.

Mari had been to the woods in and around Wintree but there wasn’t such uneven terrain over there, not to talk of the outcropping of rocks all around them. The land of Wolfden looked as dangerous and wild as their King.

They walked a short distance from the truck, the tall robust evergreen trees parting to reveal a level open clearing. It was surrounded on all sides like some kind of secret hideout, it was no coincidence that King Kade had brought them here on accident, he already knew this place well.

“I come here to train alone, we should be completely undisturbed here.” King Kade answered her unasked questions, pacing the length of the space.

It would explain why the ground of the open space was just straight-up dirt, and there were no grasses growing in the circular space. It made Mari wonder how long King Kade had been coming here.

The trees encircling the space however were unhurt, moss covered stones on the ground and little wild flowers grew in between the huge trees, it was a really scenic place.

Her airy thoughts were shattered by King Kade stopping right in front of her, his broad torso blocking her line of vision. Mari had to lean back slightly to make eye contact with him.

“First will start with your witch fire so we’ll see what we’re working with but you also need to get fit too,” He said, his black eyes roving over her body. “We can’t have you passing out from exhaustion mid-battle.”

Mari looked guilty although in the life she lived before everything turned upside down two days ago, she didn’t need to be fit enough to be engaging in any battles. She nodded regardless, she was doing this for her survival after all.

Kade took several steps back, finding the witch’s little gestures cute. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.”

Mari nodded again and then held out her hands as far as they would go, her nose and her brows squished in concentration.

Kade watched her with another small smile on his face, instinctively taking a step closer when she closed her eyes tightly and hunched her shoulders like it would help the fire come out of her hands faster.

Mari gasped and straightened up, opening her eyes and glancing down at her open palms. “Huh? That didn’t work,” She muttered like she had been expecting otherwise.

Kade huffed out a breath, “No shit,” He muttered, absently walking another step closer like Marion merely existing was enough to pull him in like a magnet. He forced himself to walk to the edge of the clearing to pick up a sturdy branch.

Mari looked at him questioningly as he approached her with a stick in hand. Was it supposed to work like kindling or something? Because she had no idea how a random branch was supposed to help her-

“Maybe you need to be in danger,” He said thoughtfully.

Mari’s expression fell, “Wha-” She barely got her words out because King Kade immediately chucked the branch at her, the sharp edge pointing directly at her like some medieval spear.

She reacted without thinking, she put her arms out protectively while cringing and hiding her face, bracing for the impact. The branch never hit her though, instead, she heard a loud whooshing sound and King Kade cursing.

Kade had been half expecting a response because both times he had seen her use witch fire, it had been when she was in danger, but he didn’t expect it to be on this scale. A literal wall of red flames had shot out of Mari’s hands, sending the branch careening skywards.

When Mari straightened up again, she saw that her palms were still on fire, and in her excitement, she pumped a fist in the air. “I did it!”

Kade’s eyes widened as he stared at the spot directly above Marion’s head, she had literally sent a ball of fire into the sky with that fist pump. Were all witches powers this volatile? Or was it because she was half werewolf?

He winced when the fire dropped to the ground with the sound of a small explosion, a hole forming on the previously level ground.

Mari clutched her offending hands to herself with a grimace, “I’m sorry!”

“I’m not sure you want to have your flaming hands so close to your clothes, you might be fireproof but your clothes aren’t.” He cautioned her, going over to the hole to inspect it.

The ball of fire had acted differently from the wall of fire that she had sent up the first time, he wondered if it had something to do with the density of the flames.

Mari put out her hands again with a nervous chuckle, standing very awkwardly. “Right.”

“Why don’t you try putting it out?” He said calmly, making mental notes while he gave her orders.