Asher walked me to the training room that morning but after that he had to go, sent out with the rest of the elite guards to comb the woods around the pass. I was nervous and distracted through the lesson with Juku, and he noticed.

“Little distracted there, Jess?”

I looked up to find him studying me with hard blue eyes, feeling self conscious. “Yeah. I guess I am.”  The fire wasn’t going to come right now, and I put my hands down, giving up trying to summon it. There was no way I was going to be able to find that “still small space” he kept talking about.

Juku sat down on the side of the cement circle we were practicing in. “What’s up?”

I shrugged, not sure if I wanted to unload all my worries on him. He might act sympathetic, but there was something hard about Juku, something that made me think he might just pretend to care. “It’s nothing.”

“Obviously it isn’t nothing.” His eyes crinkled at the corners, making his face look softer. “Something’s on your mind.”

“I’m just worried about the soldiers out there” I admitted, “and wondering if the rebels are still around.”

Juku raised his eyebrows at me. “One soldier in particular?”

Color instantly flooded my cheeks and I hated myself for it. “What do you mean?”

He smirked. “Well, I can’t see you really stressing over a bunch of elite soldiers you don’t know. So it makes sense it would be about Asher.”

“Well, if he gets hurt it’s kind of on me.” I finally gave in and sat down beside him. “I think I’m scared of him getting hurt because the rebels are going after me.”

Juku crossed his arms over his broad chest, expression thoughtful. “You think they’re still in the area, don’t you?”

Of course I’d been considering it, thinking about it over and over. But hearing him say it made me realize how true it was. Yes. Somehow I knew they were still here. My mother, Kari, was the leader, and there was no way she'd given up and run away. They were out there somewhere. Waiting to make their move.

“Yeah, I guess I do,” I muttered. “I’m pretty sure Kari wouldn’t give up that easily.”

“You mean she won’t give you up that easily.”

I blinked at him. He made it sound like it was a good thing. Like she was after me because she really cared or something. “Give up on me? You mean give up on using me.”

“You are an incredibly powerful weapon.” Juku leaned towards me, eyes sparkling. “Its kinda hot actually.”

I could feel myself flushing again, not sure if I wanted to smack him or not. “I’m not a weapon. I’m a person.”

“Yes, but you also have incredible power.” Juku grinned. “You’re a person with incredible power. That’s why both sides want you so bad.”

I frowned at him. “I don’t think that’s why I’m here. They said I’m allowed to leave whenever I want, after you train me…” I trailed off at the look on his face. “What?”

“Nothing. I didn’t say anything.” He kept his arms folded.

“You had a look on your face.” I mimicked his position, folding my arms over my chest and glaring at him. “just spit it out.”

“They’d be very stupid to let you go. You think they don’t know that?”

“They’re not like that,” I protested.

Juku glanced around him, like he was concerned someone would hear him. “You seriously think that? You think they’d let you go? What if the rebels got you?” He glanced down at the floor, hesitated. “I…this is hard for me to say…but, I’m kind of worried about you.”

“Really.” I studied his face, critical. “Why are you here than, if you think the King and Queen are bad too?”

He waved on hand at me. “Woah. I didn’t say they were bad, but they’re not stupid. They’d be stupid to let you get into their someone else's hands. With your link, all anyone has to do to double their powers…is touch you.”

I stiffened as Juku brushed one finger over my forearm. It wasn’t like the last couple times we’d shared the fire. This time I could feel him push his consciousness forward, making contact with mine, and he flooded through me. His power was my power, and it felt different than mine.

Juku was all hot passion and headstrong recklessness. I could feel his spirit, uncontrollable. Hard. Ruthless even…and I knew that if I wanted to, I could combine our powers and the world would burn.

No. I jerked back, ripping my arm out of his grasp. Juku’s blue eyes glittered with lust. Not for me,   but for the power we’d just felt. He leaned forward again, eager, and I shot to my feet.

“You didn’t have any right…” my voice trembled, “you can’t just…”

“Jess…” he looked wounded, like I was the one hurting him, and it made me even angrier.

“You’re the same as my mother,” I snarled. “You’re just interested in the link, whatever you can get from me.”

“No, Jess, that’s not…”

“I don’t want to hear it.” I whirled around, heading for the door. Halfway there I realized that people were staring at me, and it made me walk even faster. Juku called after me, but I didn’t look back. My face was burning as the door slammed shut behind me.

Storming down the hallway was all well and good, but two minutes later I found myself at the high arching doors to the library instead of my room, where I’d intended to go.

“Crap,” I muttered, and then jumped when someone hissed my name.

Cordy was crouched near one of the bookshelves, gesturing furiously at me to come over. I quirked an eyebrow at her, and she put a finger to her lips.

Okay. I made my way over quietly as I could, grateful for the distraction. Cordy grinned at me, mouthing look over there. She was peering through a gap in the bookshelves at the tables in the middle of the library.

Kloe was sitting on the edge of the table, beside a very solemn looking Erik. The blonde frost soldier’s lips were drawn in a thin line, and he was clearly attempting to read the text book propped up in front of him. Kloe was twirling her hair around one finger, and talking nonstop.

Cordy snickered. “She’s been trying to flirt with him for like, ten minutes now. I think his head is going to explode at some point.”

Erik’s face looked calm, but his fingertips on the edge of the text book were white. I sort of hoped he would snap and bop her over the head or something.

“You okay?” Cordy whispered. “You looked upset when you first came in.”

The anger bubbled up in my stomach again. Just remembering how it had felt, how intimate it had been, was enough to make my cheeks hot again. “It’s nothing…Juku pissed me off, that’s all.”

“Hardly surprising.” Cordy edged one of the books aside in order to get a clearer view.

“Not a fan?”

“I trust him about as far as I can throw him, and he’s too bulky to throw at all.”

I snorted. “So, you think he’s a bad guy?”

“I dunno. I know he’s a sleaze. Did he try to pick you up?”

“Something like that,” I muttered.

Cordy and I both jumped when a deep voice behind us said, “You girls are hiding in the mystery section. Kind of ironic…”

Asher was leaning in the doorway. He still had his jacket on, and his sword slung over his back. He grinned at us. “You’re both weird, you know that?”

Cordy and I stood up straight, both of us trying to act casual, like we hadn’t just been skulking around behind stacks of books.

“Hey.” I stuck my hands in my pockets, looking him over. Even though I had been totally distracted by Juku I was still relieved to see him back safely. “How did the hunt go, find anyone?”

He shook his head, and my heart sank. It would have been better if they found someone, at least that way I would know I was right. It would satisfy that nagging feeling.

“What?” Asher looked concerned.

“It’s just…it doesn’t seem right. I don’t think they’d give up that easily.”

Her frowned. “Well we combed the countryside thoroughly, and the trackers reported nothing.”

Cordy patted my shoulder. “You’re just worried. You don’t have to be worried. You’re safe here with us. Kloe would just annoy them to death if they came anywhere near here.”

I snickered. “I think Erik would be dead by now if that were the case.”

“Hey look, I’ve got to run up to my room and clean up before dinner.” Asher nudged me. “Walk with me?”

Cordy edged back towards the bookshelf. “See you guys later. I have spying to do.”

“Alright, you have fun.” I followed Asher out, glancing back once to see Kloe was now bending down and pretending to look at Erik’s book, giving him a fateful of cleavage, and Erik’s face looked like a storm cloud.

“I think we’ll miss the explosion,” I said, regretfully.

Asher laughed. “Don’t worry, drama follows her wherever she goes, you’ll see more explosions later.”

I watched Asher hang up his sword on the wall and shrug out of his jacket. “So,” he said,” I heard you shouted at Juku today.”

I was sure my ears were starting to turn pink. “Wow, word gets around fast.”

Asher’s voice was flat now. “What did he do?”

I hesitated, and his frown grew deeper. “Jess?”

“He…it’s fine. It was nothing. The link…” I wished we weren’t talking about this.

Asher’s voice was dangerous when he finally spoke, “he touched the link, without asking.” Then he paused, “I guess…I guess I didn’t ask either.”

“This was different,” I said hastily. “He was pushy about it. It was…intrusive.” That was putting it mildly even, but Asher had turned, and now he began pacing back and forth, muttering angrily. “I should kill him. I should offer to fight him…”

“It’s not that big of a deal,” I muttered. “It isn’t like he groped me or anything.”

“It’s almost like that,” Asher sputtered angrily.“When you and I linked it was…it…” his cheeks flushed suddenly.

He was adorable. I stepped forward impulsively and grabbed his hand. “It was intimate.”

“It was amazing.” Asher laced his fingers with mine, pulling me closer. He traced his thumb along my jaw and under my chin, tipping my head back so my lips met his. A thrill went through me as he kissed me softly, and then abruptly it was over. He pulled back, leaving me slightly dazed.

Asher placed one hand on the heart, staring into the fire. He looked confused. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” I couldn’t help feeling frustrated. Why couldn’t he just pull me against him and kiss me like he had last time?

“You’ve just had that jerk push himself on you. I shouldn’t be doing the same thing.” He looked up and caught me glaring at him, and his expression changed to surprise. “What?”

I couldn’t handle this. “Just do it.”

“Do what?”

“Kiss me like you actually mean it!”

He looked surprised. Then a mischievous grin spread across his face. “Is that a challenge?”