The shift in my warrior horse’s countenance since her wings emerged was impossible to ignore. Like she claimed some stifled destiny. Stretching my arm up to weave my fingers through her mane, I swore I’d find them, too.
“So,” Jez began, and from the way Erista rolled her eyes at the too-casual tone of her voice, I knew I wouldn’t like what she asked next, “do you want to work with our magic?”
I stared out over the pool. “Now?”
Ever persistent, Jezebel crawled into my line of sight. “We know what happened in the catacombs. How it became…destructive and burnt those corpses to their bones.”
“Fucking Vincienzo,” I simmered. I’d given Jezebel the overview—told everyone what they needed to know. Apparently, based on the concern widening her tawny eyes, Tol told her how scared it made me. “He should keep his mouth shut.”
“He won’t ever do that where your safety is involved,” she retorted.
I gave her an admonishing glare. “My safety is not the issue here.” It was everyone else’s.
“We don’t know that, Ophelia,” Erista said softly. Dammit she was always hard to argue with, her words coming across as understanding and empathetic no matter how little she said. A part of me wondered what her Soulguider magic derived of the future that she couldn’t share and how it shaped her opinions.
Jezebel placed a hand on my arm, asking, “Are you scared because of what happened at the inn? With me?”
Had Sapphire stepped closer to me, too? Her wing cocooned us from the world, forcing me to talk to my sister. I glared up at my pegasus.
And though it twisted my insides, as I met those crystal blue eyes, I admitted, “Yes.”
“Ophelia,” she began.
I cut her off. “It singed those corpses to ash. What if that had beenyou?” I shook my head. “I don’t ever want to use it again if I don’t have to.”
“None of that was your fault.”
“That’s even worse!” I pushed to my feet. “That means I can’t control it.”
“It means you need to train it,” Jez said, following me. Erista remained on the bank, allowing us to argue. “We both do. And I know it’s scary, but I don’t think running is our answer.”
It wasn’t. I’d never been one to run from power. But this wasn’t a title or a sword, this was beyond any conceivable realm. Any territory we’d encountered.
It was another seed planted within me that I was afraid was only there touseme.
“You’ve been spirit-speaking for years, though, Jez. You have a familiarity I’m still learning.”
Her eyes widened as she nodded, as if that was the point. “Then let’s learn.”
“Why don’t you?” I threw at her.
“My magic requires death, Ophelia!”
“And mine seems to cause it!”
“Not always,” she challenged. “There are two sides to all of it. A balance.” As she said it, she called up the silver-blue light. It pulsed around her for a moment, seemingly useless, and faded back into her frame.
“How am I even supposed to train Angellight?” I sighed, throwing my arms out. “There are no Angels here. They abandoned us. They abandonedme.” The back of my eyes stung, and I didn’t fight it. The caving in of my chest, the jilted hurt, seared my words. “They cast the curse and then theyleft me to fight it.To figure out what the fuck I’m supposed to do.”
“Figure it out!” she yelled. “Damien said to use the Angellight.”
“No,” I growled.
“Do it.” She took a step forward, and something buzzed beneath my skin.
“No,” I asserted with the command of the Revered, but it was pushing,pushing.
“Jez…” Erista said softly.
