“I’ll add it to your growing list of victories.”
“You better.” With a final knowing smirk, he headed back toward the house, gathering his tangled yarn as he went.
I crossed the field, my breath catching as I saw her. She sat in the grass, wearing a dress that seemed designed specifically to drive me mad. The slits along both sides revealed far too much leg for my sanity, and the way the silk clung to her curves made my fingers itch to touch. But it was the Remnants that held my attention. They settled around her like living smoke, reaching out before snapping back, more erratic than I’d ever seen them.
Her lips moved constantly, whispering words I couldn’t quite catch as she fought for control. My power recognized hers, reaching out instinctively before I reined it in. This wasn’t about what I wanted. This was about helping her find her way through the chaos.
“Practicing?” I asked, keeping my voice deliberately casual as I settled into the grass beside her.
“Something like that.” Her eyes met mine, and the storm of emotions I saw there made my chest ache. “Did Archer send you to check on me?”
“I’m perfectly capable of being nosy on my own.”
That earned me a ghost of a smile as I remembered her searching through the study the first night we stayed together.
“True.”
I watched as she struggled to contain another wave of shadows, her fingers curling into fists in her lap. The dress slipped, revealing more of her thigh and I forced my gaze away. Now was not the time.
“You know… there are better ways to train.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Oh? Please enlighten me with your ancient wisdom.”
I let my power flare, just enough to make her Remnants stir in response. “Sometimes the best way to learn control is to lose it first.”
“You have no idea how to lose control, Reverius Hawthorne Noctus and don’t you dare try to convince me otherwise.”
“Will you show me? What they’re saying in there?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Try me.”
Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw past her carefully constructed walls to the fear beneath. Then she closed her eyes and nodded. I caressed her memories just enough to see the last few moments. The Remnants surged forward, carrying whispers of destruction and chaos. I caught fragments of voices—Winter’s cold fury, Sylvie’s seductive promises of power, and beneath it all, Paesha’s own desperate attempt to hold on to herself. But Levanya was there too. A cool presence in her mind, as she’d always been in life. The queen that’d lost everything.
I stepped away from her mind and reached for her, my power wrapping around hers like a shield. “Push back,” I commanded. “They’re yours to control, not the other way around.”
“I can’t?—”
“You can.” I moved closer, close enough to feel the heat of her skin. “You’re stronger than they are. Show them.”
She shifted in the grass, refusing to look at me as the Remnants twisted around her. Every line of her body radiated tension as she fought for control.
“Push back,” I commanded again, letting my power brush against hers. “You’re stronger than this.”
“Stop telling me what to do.”
“Then stop acting like you need to be told.” I moved closer, deliberately invading her space. “Stop pretending you’re some helpless mortal who can’t handle her own power.”
The Remnants surged at my words, feeding off her rising anger. Good. Let her get mad. Let her feel something other than defeat.
“You have no idea what this is like,” she snapped, finally meeting my gaze. “To have them screaming in your head constantly. To feel them tearing at your mind?—”
“Then show me.” I pushed harder, my power tangling with her shadows. I couldn’t handle the thought of fighting with her, but I’d fucking fight with them, if that was what she needed. “Stop hiding behind excuses and show me what you’re really battling.”
She shot to her feet. “You want to see? Fine. You want to know what they’re saying?” Her voice rose with each word. “They want me to tear everything apart. To burn it all down. To destroy every pretty little piece of control you think you have.”
“So do it.” I stood, matching her fury with calm certainty. “Stop holding back. Stop being so damn afraid of your power. Don’t sit in the godsdamn prison they’ve locked you into.”
