When Becca smirked at her, Lexi realized she’d given the woman what she wanted by reacting in such a way. Lexi reined in her temper as she tried to assume an air of indifference once more.
It was a lot harder to do so this time as the woman was far too close for her liking. She suspected the woman was trying to get her to lash out. It would give Becca an excuse to come after Lexi with every bit of the power she possessed.
Lexi was far more confident in her ability to run, punch, and kick after her training with Brokk; she wasn’t confident in her ability to withstand a fireball to the face. Turning, she compelled herself to walk away when what she really wanted was to launch herself at Becca and claw the eyes out of her pretty little head.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Becca said as she trailed Lexi.
Lexi didn’t bother to respond, and she didn’t look back, but Becca’s steps continued to trail her down the hall.
“Listen, whore—”
This time when Becca grabbed her, Lexi’s temper unraveled, and before she could stop herself, she spun and stomped on the woman’s foot.
“Ow!” Becca blurted.
When she lifted her leg in response to the stomping, Lexi delivered a solid blow to her solar plexus. The impact caused the air to erupt out of Becca, and she staggered back.
Her hands flew to her chest as she wheezed for air. Lexi wasn’t sure who was more astounded by the punch, her or Becca, but she had to admit it felt great.
“I told you not to touch me,” Lexi snarled.
Becca’s breathing started to return to normal, and the flames along the walls sputtered. When Becca lowered her hands, the air crackled as her power seeped out around her.
Chapter Fifty
Lexi braced herself as the woman advanced on her. She couldn’t fight Becca’s powers, but if she could keep the woman from unleashing her abilities, she might have a chance at fending her off.
Lexi was about to rush at her when a door swung open and crashed into Becca’s face. The flames stopped dancing, and the friction in the air released. A bubble of laughter rose in Lexi’s throat as the door slammed shut again.
Once closed, Lexi could see Becca standing there with her hands covering her face. Blood poured down and dripped onto the ground.
She couldn’t see most of Becca’s face, but the shock in her eyes was evident. Lexi gawked at the door; she was fairly certain that when she tried that door, it wouldn’t open.
“You bitch!” Becca spat in a nasally tone.
Lexi couldn’t stop herself from laughing. She probably shouldn’t find such amusement in what happened; the palace might smack her for laughing, but she couldn’t help it. Even if it delivered a door to her face next, she loved this place.
“I didn’t open the door,” Lexi said in between her laughter.
“Who’s back there?” Becca demanded.
Her blood-coated fingers slipped on the surface of the knob as she tried to yank it open, but the door didn’t budge. It was one of the sealed rooms.
Lexi was still marveling over that when Becca spun on her. The blood spilling from her nose dripped off her upper lip to splatter the floor.
“You bitch!” Becca spat as she advanced on Lexi.
Refusing to back away, Lexi planted her feet apart as she tried to figure out how to deflect Becca’s powers while beating her ugly. When the flames in the torches danced higher, Lexi couldn’t stop herself from glancing at them.
Keep your attention on your enemy!
Brokk had drilled that into her head, and she was already screwing up. Refusing to be distracted by Becca’s abilities again, she focused on the woman. The hatred oozing from the woman was so thick it crept like insidious, poisonous spiders over her skin.
“I’m going to make you pay,” Becca promised.
Lexi suspected she was more interested in making her pay for being with Cole than for punching her. When Becca’s hands rose at her side, the flames shot higher. Their heat warmed Lexi’s cheeks as a breeze flowed down the hall. The breeze went from gently blowing Lexi’s hair back to causing it to whip around her as her clothes plastered to her body.
Standing on her toes, Lexi prepared herself to attack, and as Becca was about to unleash her power, she released a front kick that would have caught Becca in the throat. However, the dark fae was too fast and dodged in time to avoid it.
When Becca recovered, a burst of fire shot at Lexi. Throwing up her arms, she lurched back in time to avoid being charbroiled.
Becca planted her feet and lifted her hands at her sides. Lexi prepared to charge and tackle her when all the doors in the hallway swung open. The blast of air they created caused the flames to waver and distracted Becca. She glanced warily at the doors as they shut before flying open and slamming closed once more.
The cacophony of their closing rebounded down the hallway. The following hush was somehow as unnerving as the simultaneous opening and closing of all the doors.
It was like a poltergeist haunted this place, but Lexi thought that was too easy an explanation for what was happening. It was impossible, but she swore rage vibrated the walls. And apparently the doors in this place opened in and out.
Is the palace alive in some strange, inexplicable way? Or if it’s not alive, is it aware?
It was completely insane and improbable, but she couldn’t shake the notion it might be true. Then Becca’s eyes returned to her, and her power swelled once more.
She was beginning to loathe this bitch, but she had to give Becca credit. She was brave, considering it seemed like the palace was trying to kill her or maybe both of them.
When the flames rose higher again, Lexi heard something that made her blood run cold.
Chapter Fifty-One
“If you unleash that fire, I’ll rip you to pieces and set each of those pieces ablaze,” Cole growled.
When Lexi’s gaze darted around the hall and Becca froze before turning to search for him, he realized he’d drawn the shadows around him without any plan to do so. As he stepped forward, he released the shadows, and they returned to where they belonged.
Lexi gasped, and Becca stumbled away when he appeared only a few feet away from her. He made sure Lexi was uninjured before focusing on Becca’s blood-streaked face.
“I’d suggest you get out of here,” Cole snarled.
Becca nearly collided with Lexi as she reeled backward.
“Don’t touch her!” Cole commanded.
Becca came to an abrupt stop and slunk to the side before regaining her composure and throwing her shoulders back. She wiped away the blood trickling from her nose and flung the drops onto the floor. Somehow, she managed to look dignified while doing it.
“I caught your whore going through the rooms,” Becca said.
“Watch. What. You. Say,” Cole bit out. “I won’t have you talking about her like that.”
Becca seemed not to hear him as she continued like he hadn’t spoken. “She was in the moon room.”
“I granted her permission to explore.”
“Outsiders should not have free access to our world and our secrets.”
“This palace is perfectly capable of guarding its secrets, and it is my home, not yours. Now, get out of here before I throw you in the dungeon.”