“Rani, don’t!” Ezra shouted.
But he got to me too late. Shards of ice appeared out of nowhere. Thousands, millions, of tiny slivers hung suspended around Cova, their little points resting against his skin. If he moved, if he swallowed, they would slice him to ribbons. His eyes widened, but he didn’t take back his words.
Ezra eased his way beside me in slow, calculated movements. He was in no danger from the ice, that was his domain, and I was pretty sure my magick wouldn’t hurt him. He wasn’t the one who pissed me off.
“You need to get control back,” he warned, his breath a pant near my ear. “Quickly.”
“Who says I’m not in control?”
He snorted, and some of my rage loosened. “You are a badass, aterrifyingbadass, and I will admit that every day for the rest of your life. But this wasn’t intentional, it was a loss of control, and if you don’t rein it in…”
A part of me didn’t want to listen. I was tired of my feelings and boundaries being overlooked because someone else thought they knew what was best for me. Cova didn’t think I had it in me. He thought I was only good for parlor tricks and refused to listen when every single part of me fought against going near that beach.
If I could cut him, just a little, maybe he’d pay attention next time.
“Rani,” Ezra warned.
“Fuckingfine,” I grumbled, releasing the tenuous hold on my magick. No one needed to know how close I was to completely losing it.
Ezra definitely didn’t need to know; his head was big enough already without me telling him he was right. But from the arrogant look in his eye, he knew it anyway.
I spun around and stomped back toward the house without another word.
I slammed the refrigerator door harder than I needed to and leaned against the counter to sip my bottle of water. Using magick was exhausting, and using it likethatwas enough to have me shaking where I stood. I knew I’d have to spend another evening in the bathtub recharging, but this would do for now.
A warm pulse in the center of my chest warned me a second before the back door creaked open. Both Ezra and Cova stormed in, the latter having gone back to his usual emotionless state, despite the faint scratch marks along his neck.
I hid my smirk behind another sip of water. Perhaps he would finally stop underestimating me.
“So, training is moving right along, I see.” Ezra’s attempt at a joke fell flat in the tension-fueled silence.
Cova and I locked glares and held them, each daring the other to admit that things weren’t going according to plan. Their plan, obviously. Not mine. I was living each day as it came, exploring my magick in whatever way felt natural while still staying within my boundaries.
“Things are going great,” I said, with only a half-fake smile.
Right at the same time, Cova grumbled, “She’s impossible.”
I rolled my eyes. I may be stubborn, but I was probably the best damn student he’d ever had. How many new sirens did he know that could freeze the atmosphere like I did out there? By the shock in his eyes, I was willing to bet that it wasn’t many.
“She refuses to listen to anything I suggest—”
“That’s because it's not asuggestion, you tyrant.”
“—and I’m unsure how she expects to be trained if she won’t even try—”
“I am trying!”
“Bullshit!”
Ezra’s head whipped back and forth, his expression alternating between outright amusement and serious consideration of our bickering. I didn’t see what the damn point was. It’s not like I was trying to go for the Olympic medal in being the best siren. I only needed to learn how to access and control my magick so I could function like a normal person and go home.
Cova looked to Ezra, but pointed his finger at me. “She does the bare minimum, and sometimes not even that. I can’t get her into the ocean to save her life.Which is what I’m trying to do!” He was glaring back at me now.
I ignored his outburst, and the obvious satisfaction it gave Ezra, and simply lifted a brow. I wasn’t going to explain my trauma to a man unwilling to even acknowledge it.
“I don’t know what the big deal is,” I said, slamming my half-empty bottle on the counter. “I can access my magick and am learning how to control it. I can spin water, even raise it up in little balls. I can push half the pool in one direction while keeping the other half still. Which is fucking hard, by the way. And, hello, did anyone see what I just did out there? The whole turning air into ice thing? I think I’m doing just fine.”
Cova scoffed, but Ezra lifted a hand and stopped whatever he was about to say. I felt his gaze as he took me in; his stare missed nothing. Not the way my chest rose and fell as I caught my breath, or the way my hand still trembled slightly. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for him to tell me to be a good girl and listen to my teacher.
