Page 65 of For the Ghastly and Beautiful

Chapter19

Talodus

DAY FORTY-FIVE

I’m eager to spend the day teaching Ada about her element. Leaving her room was more difficult than I was intending when I initiated this kiss, though. Her legs locking around my waist nearly undo my resolve.

As I tease her through the thin material under her uniform, I trail my power along her spine. She moans against my mouth while I manipulate the water in her body, stirring her into the frenzy of a forced orgasm.

I walk out of her room and down the stairs of the palace before I put her down. Because we need to go, not stay in her bed. She blows her hair from her face as she gives me a flustered look.

“No.” I shake my head before she can argue. “We’re going to the shore to train by the ocean today. When we’re done, we can pick up where we left off.”

She’s quiet until we’re well beyond the stone wall, then she side-eyes me curiously.

“How did you know?”

I smirk. “Know what?”

“What I wanted. You knew as soon as you came into my room.”

“I heard your heartbeat speed up and felt the water in your body heat.” I run my knuckles over her arm, teasing her again. “Your facial expressions don’t usually belay what you want, but your body does.”

When we get to the secluded beach between the twin boulders, she glances across the surface of the ocean, searching for the krakens. She calls Indigo and Jade to attention with a short whistle. Two sets of eerie, glowing eyes lift above the water.

“She’s grown more than I was expecting,” Ada comments.

“You’ve seen nothing but her eyes.”

“There isn’t much difference between hers and Jade’s. The last time I saw Indigo, she was small enough to carry.”

She frowns, shaking her head as the krakens sink under the surface, staying out of the midday sun.

“They want to play.”

“We’ll have time.”

Ada pulls her hair up, twisting the length until it’s tucked in a tight knot. “What are we doing?”

“Stretch first. Then we’ll work on hand-to-hand combat before we move to the first lessons of power control,” I say as she swings at me. I catch her arm, dragging her closer. “You’re supposed to stretch first.”

“No one is going to stop their attack to let the opponent stretch first,” she snarks, her fist connecting with my ribs. “Plus, I warmed up before you came to get me, and we just walked well over a mile.”

I narrow my gaze as I struggle with my smile. She moves to strike again, and I sweep her feet, catching her before she hits the sand.

“You’re feeling confident,” I acknowledge.

“I’ve trained with Rin some between our sessions.” She shrugs. “You hold back so you don’t hurt me. I wanted to see how much I can take.”

“I’ll move a little faster today,” I tell her, smirking at her annoyance.

That’s an emotion I don’t see directed at me very often, but instead of responding, she lunges forward. I have held back so I don’t hurt her. That won’t help her learn, though.

She gives as good as she gets.

And she doesn’t stay down long.

Fighting with her suddenly reminds me of fighting with Isolde. The queen appears to be more of a mental opponent than physical. It’s all for show. She’s a savage warrior, and cunning in her attack patterns.