“I don’t know what you mean.”

Naomi flashed her pretty white teeth at her; they sparkled like polished marble. “You like him.” She nudged Sera. “Admit it.”

“I do not ‘like’ the dragon,” Sera replied, trying to keep her face perfectly neutral.

“So that’s why you kissed him? Because you don’t like him?”

“He kissed me.”

Naomi’s grin widened. “And you liked it.”

“He’s a good kisser.” Sera tried for a nonchalant shrug, but it came out stiff. After three weeks of torturous training, her body was screaming for a massage.

“I know all about what happened. All about how you saved Kai.” Naomi began to pace around the locker room in hyper, prancing steps. “You two shared an amazing adventure. Adventures like that bring people closer together. You like him. And he likes you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be training you so hard.”

“I’ll try to remember that the next time he blasts me onto my back.”

Naomi snickered.

“Seriously?” Sera asked her. “You’re going to turn that into something dirty?”

“Sorry.” Naomi’s hand disappeared into her locker, then she pulled out a magazine. “Do you know what this is?”

“Mages Illustrated,” Sera read the magazine title off the cover.

“Not just any Mages Illustrated,” Naomi said. “This is the Mages Illustrated with Kai on the cover. Topless.”

Sera took a closer look at the man flexing his muscles on the cover and nearly snorted. That was Kai all right. And he looked like he really needed to kill something. Like the photographer. Or the person who had made off with his shirt.

“That’s the dragon all right,” Sera said.

“He’s one gorgeous man.” Naomi slid her finger down the magazine cover, tracing Kai’s contours.

“Shall I leave you alone with him?”

“No.” Naomi took one final, longing look at the magazine, then pushed it into Sera’s hands. “Does he often go around with his shirt off?”

“Uh, no.” She rolled her eyes for effect.

“Oh, come on.” Naomi wrapped her arm around Sera, drawing her in closer. “It’s just us girls here. You can tell me how you feel about Kai.”

“He’s arrogant and controlling. And his car looks like a tank,” she added.

“Is that a bad thing?”

“It’s a…thing,” Sera finished eloquently.

“His magic is off the charts.”

“That’s probably what’s responsible for those arrogant and controlling qualities I mentioned. Kai is an alpha male. With a capital A.”

“You say that like it’s a four-letter word.”

“Yep.”

Naomi snickered. “So, he’s arrogant, controlling, and alpha. And?”

“And he’s a good kisser. That might make up for two of the three. But not all three.”

Naomi’s merriment melted and she said seriously, “You’re so in over your head, girl.”

“I know.” Sera sighed. “But I have more important things to worry about right now. I have to train for the Magic Games, then survive those Games. And all the while in between training and not having my mind cracked open like an egg, I need to figure out what some naughty vampires are up to at the Games. But at this very moment, I need your help, Naomi.” She handed the magazine back to her.

Naomi shook her head. “Keep it,” she said with a smile. “You never know when you might need it.”

Sera didn’t think that was likely. She couldn’t do anything remotely useful with a magazine. Sure, maybe she could roll it up and smack people with it, but she had fists that could do that just as well. And when those failed, she had her knives.

But Naomi didn’t look like she was going to take no for an answer, so Sera tucked the magazine into her locker and shut it. She didn’t have time to argue—not when her life depended on training for the Magic Games.

CHAPTER SIX

Centaur Storm

“HOW ABOUT THIS one?” Naomi asked, holding up a hanger.

Sera cringed at the tiny whisper of a black dress hanging from it. “Are you sure you didn’t pick up a swimsuit by mistake?”

“This is the twenty-third outfit you’ve shot down.” Naomi expelled a heavy sigh and put the hanger back on the rack. “You need to stop being so picky.”

“Trove is the picky one,” Sera mumbled, skimming through another rack.

They’d been shopping for nearly half an hour, which was half an hour too long. Every floor of Macy’s was flooded with Sunday shoppers. Rushing, aggressive, shoving Sunday shoppers. Sera would have preferred monsters. You were at least allowed to poke monsters with your sword when they acted rude.

One of the floors was dedicated to the Rich Witch brand. That’s where Naomi had dragged her. She’d described the brand as ‘trashy chic’. Looking around at the offerings on the rack, Sera had to agree.

“How is Trove being picky by expecting their clientele to wear clean clothes that aren’t torn?” Naomi asked.

“I can’t even make it two hours without having to fight off a monster or mage or some other supernatural crazy. Clothes get torn. And dirty. I can’t go shopping for new clothes every two hours.”

“You’re making this entirely too complicated,” Naomi said.