This poor girl was utterly f*cked.

And so not my problem.

Then why are you trying to teach her? some unhelpful voice in the back of my mind asked.

I shoved it away. I wasn’t helping her, just providing some guidance to get her started.

Aflora glowered at me, her blue eyes glittering in a way that reminded me of sex.

Hot.

Passionate.

Fierce.

Sex.

The kind of f*ck I enjoyed.

Not. Happening.

Except I always did favor the forbidden. And nothing could be more forbidden than the female sitting across from me. With her full, pouty mouth, delicate jaw, slender throat, and, mmm, that body. She might be wrapped up in a cloak right now, but I’d already noticed her ample assets—pert tits, slender waist, and a heart-shaped ass.

I wasn’t blind.

Aflora was a stunning woman. And strictly off-limits for a myriad of reasons.

Which only made her more appealing.

“Tareero Tamida sandwich,” she said suddenly, her tone underlined in power.

My lips parted as a giant, wrap-like green blob appeared, its front end landing between us as it stretched across the entire length of the very long table and down onto the floor.

Aflora’s narrowed eyes quickly widened. “Oh… wand.”

Yeah. Wand.

But I wasn’t so much worried about the still-growing sandwich as I was concerned about the pale shock spreading across her cheeks. “Aflora—”

She began to tremble, her cerulean irises rolling into the back of her head as the energy wilted from her small frame.

Shit.

I jumped out of my chair and across the table—and the ever-growing monstrosity on top of it—and landed at her side in time to catch her before she went down.

“Qalto,” I snapped, my spell overpowering hers and dissolving the green atrocity into dust.

Aflora moaned, her consciousness fighting for life as her body gave out completely.

“This is why I recommend you eat our food,” I informed her softly. “Magic requires strength, and strength comes from proper nutrition.”

If she heard me, she didn’t reply.

With a sigh, I lifted her into my arms. “I guess we’ll continue this lesson later.”

Whenever she woke up.