He’s not wrong. “The Nira’th Darin have grown more organised,” I confirm, naming the rebellion movement.
“Any sightings or word on Kyros Valen?” Father asks, his eyes unreadable, but I know he’s taking in every word.
I gesture to Mathis. “Captain Corvane?”
Mathis takes a step forward. “No word of Nira’th Darin’s leader for a few weeks now, Your Majesty. Last we heard, he was seen crossing the Khandyrr border.”
“Probably shoring up support in the coastal town,” I add.
“Who do we have down there?” my father probes.
“I can send Yosef,” Mathis suggests.
I nod. That’s a good idea.
The memory of my recent conversation with Astoris echoes in my mind: “Solstice is looking like the opportune time for the rebels to hit the capital.” Four months. We have a lot to prepare for.
The council members nod slowly as I repeat the action plan for the coming weeks, the tension in the room eased and now replaced by quiet resolve.
Mathis steps back as I retake my seat, and my father clears his throat.
“Now that we have that settled, there’s another assignment we need to discuss for our crown prince.”
I bite back a sigh. What the fuck now?
I can’t helpbut feel a surge of pride as I watch Eira during our next session. She’s standing in the centre of the clearing, her eyes closed, her posture relaxed but focused. There’s a calmness about her that wasn’t there before, a quiet confidence that tells me she’s starting to understand the power she holds. The way the morning light catches the streaks of blue in her hair cascading down her back, the way her lips curve slightly as she concentrates is such a perfect combination of godsdammned adorable and alluring, I have to look away. She is naturally beautiful in a way that drives me to the point of distraction, and I have to remind myself to focus on the task at hand.
“Are you ready?” I ask, my voice breaking the stillness after the ten minutes we’d agreed to work on just breathing before every training session. She opens her eyes and nods, a determined glint in her gaze that makes my chest tighten. “Ready,” she says, her voice steady.
The urge to reach out, to brush a stray lock of hair from her face, is almost overwhelming, but I keep my hands at my sides. “I want you to form an orb like yesterday, but this time, I want you to shape it into something else—a blade, a shard. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just sharp and precise.”
She nods, closing her eyes again as she focuses on the stream of magic within her. I watch as she breathes deeply, her hands relaxing at her sides. There’s a brief moment of tension in her brow, but it smooths out as she finds that calm centre we worked on yesterday. I can’t help but notice the delicate curve of her neck, the way her lashes flutter slightly as she concentrates. I seriously need to pull my shit together before I drag herto the closest private corner of this fucking castle and bury my face between her legs, inhale in her scent until I get drunk on that sweet nectar flowing from her core.
Blinking away my carnal thoughts, I focus my attention back on her. Slowly, I see the magic begin to gather in her hand, forming a small, shimmering orb of water. It’s beautiful, but it’s just the beginning. “That’s it. You’ve got it. Now, shape it,” I say quietly, stepping closer, my voice barely above a whisper. I’m so close now that I can feel the magic radiating from her skin in ripples of heat, and I wonder if she feels it too.Focus,Rylan. “So, the mistake a lot of water wielders make is that when they think of water shaping, they think of it as making a knife made of water. The trick is imagining the purpose of the object, its intent, and simply using water as the medium to create it. Give it function rather than just form. That way your creation will be imbued with the essence of the object and not just the physical shape.”
Her brow furrows slightly, and I can see the concentration etched on her face. The orb begins to elongate, the edges sharpening as she pulls the magic into a narrow, blade-like shape. It’s a delicate process, one that requires a careful balance of control and intent, but she’s handling it well.
“Good,” I murmur, leaning in just a bit closer, my breath stirring the hair near her ear. I catch a hint of her scent—light and floral—and it sends a jolt of pure heat through me. I force myself to focus. “Keep going. Don’t rush it. Let it take the form you want, but don’t force it. Imbue it with life.”
She nods slightly, her breathing steady as she continues to shape the blade. The water shifts and flows, responding to her will with a fluid grace that’s mesmerising to watch. Slowly, the blade takes form, sharp and sleek, its edges glinting in the morning light.
“There,” I say softly, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “You’ve got it.”
She opens her eyes and looks at the blade in her hand, a mix of awe and satisfaction in her gaze. The water blade gleams in the sunlight, its form sharp and precise, a testament to her growing mastery. I should step back, put some distance between us, but I don’t. I’m drawn in, closer than I should be, and when she looks up at me, our eyes meet, and the air between us seems to thicken.
“I did it,” she breathes, her voice filled with a mix of pride and disbelief.
“You did,” I agree, my own pride swelling in my chest, unable to ignore the way her lips part slightly as she catches her breath, the way her eyes shine with excitement. “Gods, your intelligence is remarkable. You…pick things up so quickly. Like you innately understand everything I’m saying.”
“Truly?” she asks, her teal eyes like vast oceans on a sunny day, all sparkle and shine.
“Truly.”
She lets out a sound of pure happiness. Fuck. I bet the sounds I could make her elicit from those pink lips just as she comes from my mouth on her would be fucking delicious.
“I guess that means I’m officially dangerous now,” she says with a playful grin, completely oblivious to the thoughts running rampant in my head as she twists her wrist and the blade twirls in her hand.
“Ha. You didn’t need a knife to cause me damage,”I say cryptically, running a hand through my hair. “But let’s keep the deadly sharp objects away from your mentor, shall we?” I conjure a water stick and jab the tip of her knife away from me.
