Serenity

Chapter 6

Julian

I watched as Tami entered the lounge room. Something in her manner had me sitting up straighter and glancing around for hidden enemies. The fire in her eyes told me she expected a fight, but the slight slump in her stance spoke more of a defeated warrior.

Not for the first time, I regretted my actions after she turned seventeen. I wanted to haul her into my arms and tell her... Tell her what? That I loved her? That I was an idiot, and that I was more sorry than I could say? Yeah, right... Like she would ever believe that. I'd thought I was doing the right thing. That staying away would give her a chance to grow up without me getting in her way. But if I was honest with myself, I was a big chicken. Since she turned eighteen, the prospect of facing Tami scared the hell out of me. What if she's not my mate? I'm not sure I could handle it if that happened.

"Everything okay, Tami?"

Tami gave a weak smile to Marie and nodded. She turned to me, and a frown creased her brow. I'd never understood the impulse of mated males to smooth the brow of their mates. Until now. If it were possible to ease her mind with such a simple action, I would. "Julian, I've asked Nan to come here. She'll arrive tomorrow evening."

"Okay. We'll find room for her. Why did you ask her to come, though?"

"I need to work on my magic, and she's the only one I trust."

"But you hate training with her."

Tami nodded and lifted her shoulders in an action meant to look nonchalant, but failed. "I do. Nan can be a slave driver when she's in trainer mode. But she's the best. Nan pushes me harder than most because she knows I have the potential to rival her in terms of power."

"I thought you said that she had taught you everything you know." Marie glared at Tami as if she suspected there was something she wasn't being told.

"That was until that chasm. Besides that, I need help to refine my combat skills. If I want to use my abilities in a fight, then I need to control them better. I can't risk hurting someone because I can't control my magic."

"What chasm? Tami?" For once, the grapevine had failed me. This was the first time I heard about Tami opening a chasm. I had heard stories of powerful druids moving earth, but I never thought for a moment that Tami could do that.

Tami's eyes widened as she realised what she had let slip. Marie gave her a pointed glare, then sighed as she nodded. "A month ago, when Tami was in North Queensland, she lost control of her emotions and opened a chasm right in front of Dieter. He got out of the way, but several of the people with him fell into it. No one got hurt beyond a few scrapes and bruises. But it was enough to scare her."

"Kelly phoned her mother, and she helped me regain control. But it could have been so much worse."

"You got lucky." Marie wasn't wrong. If the chasm had been deep, people falling into it could have received serious injuries.

"So what happens next?"

I ran my eyes over both women. I didn't appreciate the exhaustion that I saw lurking in Tami's eyes or the mild defeat I saw in Marie's. Both women needed some decent food and sleep, and I needed answers. "For now, you ladies will have breakfast and then sleep for several hours. While you're sleeping, I want to go through everything you've found over the last two weeks."

Tami started to argue, but stopped when I raised my hand. "Don't even bother. I can guess what you will say. But it will be easier for us to help you if I know what you do, so there aren't any surprises waiting for me." I tilted my head and gave a lop-sided smile. The slight upward tug on a corner of her mouth told me it still had an effect. "Besides, a fresh set of eyes might spot something you hadn't considered before now."