Meta Gods War 3 by B. Miles (the ebook reader txt) 📕

“Theus is smart,” Cam said, trying to ignore her discomfort, but he couldn’t help smiling a little. “Smarter than I am at any rate. I think he can pick it up if he just would apply himself.”

“He’s trying,” she said. “I caught him sitting alone in the woods earlier this morning. Just sitting there, eyes closed. I thought he was dead for a second.”

“Meditating,” Cam said. “Learning to control your thoughts and mind is a big part of magic.”

“I’d be terrible at it,” she said, picking at the grass.

“Yeah?”

“I have a temper,” she said, like it was obvious. “Always did. When I was a little girl, I’d beat the crap out of the boys. And the boys I couldn’t beat up, I’d try anyway, and come home with slit lips and black eyes. One day my mother got sick of it and sent me off to train in spear and shield with the rest of the village boys. They weren’t happy about it at first, but…” She trailed off.

“But you stuck around.”

“Yeah,” she said. “I figured, one day they’d all be bigger, stronger, and better trained. At least I could train and learn how to fight them if I had to.”

“Why did you think you had to fight off all the village boys?” Cam asked.

She picked up some grass and let it blow away.

“My father was a drunk,” she said. “Most of the time, he took his frustrations out in the field. But sometimes he’d come home, exhausted and angry at his life, and take it out on my mother.”

“One of those,” Cam said. “I knew men like that in our village.”

“They’re everywhere,” Brice said. “My mother didn’t take it, though. She’d fight back, scream at him, once I saw her beat him over the head with a huge stick that she used for stirring. It only pissed him off more and made him hit her harder, but she never gave up.”

“What happened?” Cam asked. “The village had to have put a stop to it, right?”

“There was talk of that,” Brice said. “But one day he got drunk and fell off a roof. Broke both his legs, never could walk right again. Couldn’t beat my mother anymore.”

“Lucky her,” Cam said, his voice soft.

“I grew up thinking I had to fight boys if I wanted to be safe,” Brice said. “I guess that’s why I am the way I am.”

“You’re strong,” Cam said. “You’re a leader.”

“My situation forced me to be strong,” she said. “If my father didn’t beat my mother like that, I don’t know what I would’ve become.”

“Probably what you are,” Cam said. “Just would’ve taken a different path.”

“Maybe.” She leaned forward and hugged her knees to her chest. “I wonder about that sometimes. I wrap myself in armor and throw myself into danger, and sometimes I think I’m doing it because I don’t know anything better.”

“You’re doing it because you’re brave.” Cam tilted his head and studied Brice for a long moment. “But if you want another way, there might be one.”

She looked back at him. “Yeah?”

“Magic,” he said.

She laughed. “I don’t know magic,” she said.

“I could teach you just like I’m teaching Theus,” Cam said. “Sirrin said any Human can learn. If you really wanted it, I could teach you.”

“No,” she said, smiling and shaking her head. “No, I think I’m stuck on my path. Sword, shield, and armor’s the way for me.”

“Think about it,” he said. “You’d be pretty scary out there.”

“I’m sure I would be.” Her smile faded. “But no, thanks. I don’t think it’s perfect, but I think I’m right where I belong.”

Cam nodded and let out a breath. “This whole war’s bringing out the worst and the best in people,” he said. “It shines a light on who you are.”

“Do you think it’s doing it to you, too?”

He nodded. “I think so.”

“And do you like what you see?”

Cam laughed gently and climbed to his feet. He clutched his father’s sword and stared off across the field toward a grouping of trees.

“Not even a little bit,” he said, and began to walk back toward camp.

Brice stayed behind in the clearing.

23

Cam pressed his face into Key’s hair and breathed her smell deep. The shadows in his tent were deep and he could still feel her body vibrating on top of him.

She smiled and shifted slightly. The blanket fell to reveal her shoulder, which was covered in bruises. Cam kissed it, pulled the blanket away, and rolled her onto her back.

“Coming in for another taste already?” she asked with a wicked little smile.

“I was thinking about it.” He kissed her lips then moved down to her jaw. It was bruised and yellow. He kissed her neck, then her collar bone, before running a tongue around her hard, pink nipple. More bruises scattered down her ribs and disappeared down beneath the blanket.

“You’re too much,” she said and stretched. Cam grinned and kissed the bruises along her ribs, making sure to be careful.

“You got these looked at, right?” he asked.

“Of course.” She reached down and ruffled his hair. “But thanks for being so worried.”

Cam grunted and palmed her breast. He squeezed harder than normal and made her gasp. He grinned, bit her lip.

“Not that concerned,” he said. “Don’t worry.”

Key hit him in the chest with a grin and shoved him off. She came at him, straddling his hips, and grabbed his wrists. He let her pin him down as she arched her back and made her body long, pressing her breasts against his chest.

“If you wanted to be a little rough, all you had to do was ask,” she said.

“Don’t tempt me,” he said. “You don’t need any more bruises.”

“Bruises heal.”

“True enough.” He pulled a hand away from her grasp and slapped her ass hard.

She laughed and bit his lip, but before he could spank her again, there were shouts from outside his tent.

Key wiggled her hips along his shaft and he felt it stir beneath her warm, wet spot. He grunted and was about to