Free Destiny Divided by Leia Shaw

omnipotence.
    She didn’t dare mention this to James though. Each time she proved more powerful than the last, his face grew strained with concern. Afraid he would report her to the Counsel, she figured it was best to tread carefully. Though Maddox had assured her he wouldn’t, she didn’t survive the last twenty-five years by trusting just anyone.
    James had proven his word on one account. He’d produced a cookie after yesterday’s training session. And not just any cookie. James had sent Maddox to the best bakery in town and he’d returned with the largest, softest, most delicious cookie she’d ever tasted.
    For dramatic effect, s he’d made a big showing of eating it too. And to her surprise, James had bit his lip to keep from laughing.
    He’d said to Maddox, “ Frenhines theatr , is she not?”
    She’d looked to Maddox for translation. “A Welsh term. Literally, ‘queen theatre.’ But the American equivalent, I think, is ‘drama queen.’”
    “Better than Flying Fists,” she’d said with a chuckle. “That’s what my last foster home called me.”
    She’d spent the next hour relaying tales of how often her temper had gotten her in trouble as a child, and how her foster sister, Erin, had talked her out of it.
    Her mouth twisted into a smile , remembering the carefree laughs of the previous night. For that short time, there had been no Sorcerers Counsel, no out-of-control magic, no Dark King or Underworld creatures. No homelessness. No hunger. Just light-hearted conversation, good-natured joking, and peace. And for the first time, in the last few years at least, Sage had felt like she belonged.
    After dressing in a pair of faded jeans, a black tank top and a hoodie, she combed through her wet hair. A minute later, she opened the bathroom door and walked straight into James’ muscled chest.
    H e looked down at her, his eyes blazing. “You’ve been lying to me.”
    She bl inked. “Undoubtedly. But can you tell me more specifically what you’re referring to?”
    “Everything.”
    “That’s not very specific.” She tried to step around him but his body took up the most of the hallway and he wasn’t budging.
    “Let’s start with your name,” he said.
    She tried to side-step him again but he put an arm out to bloc k her.
    She sighed. “Sage is –”
    “Your middle name,” he answered for her .
    “ If you already know it then why are you cornering me like this?”
    He flinch ed back with a look of surprise. “I’m not cornering you.”
    “ Look,” she said jabbing a finger at his chest. “I’m perfectly willing to talk about this with you, but can you please be a little bit civilized? No stomping around or tying me up.”
    He stepped aside and gestured to the kitchen.
    She sat down on a stool at the counter. Trepidation filled her. How much did he know? How much did she want him to know?
    James stood across from her with his arms folded in an intimidating stance. At least he wasn’t stomping around.
    “What do you want to know?” she asked. Maybe it was time to come clean.
    “Everything .”
    “Again, not very specific.”
    “Let’s start with what I just learned via extensive background check then you can fill in anything I’ve missed.”
    She nodded . This way she could continue to keep what he didn’t know hidden.
    “I already know you falsified documents to change your name and get a job at the school.”
    “I had to. I have a –”
    “Crim inal record. I know that, too.”
    His disappointed tone hit a nerve. “One little grand theft auto conviction when I was fifteen and everyone gets all pissy.”
    Not to mention a few petty thefts after she ’d turned seventeen. Those pesky ones had stayed on her record, making it a bitch to get a job. Hence why she’d changed her middle name to her first and made up a last name.
    He stared at her, brows raised as if waiting for an explanation. She didn’t have one. She wasn’t going to apologize for doing what she had to do to