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“Zaria?” Nyx’s voice carried through the door, and my stomach churned.
I didn’t want to see him, but at the same time, I glanced around my unfamiliar new space and felt relieved I had some company. Reluctantly, I went to answer.
Nyx was leaning on the doorframe.
I took him in, shirt stretched tightly across his broad chest, muscles bulging in his folded arms. I lifted my gaze and found him smirking. His intense jade eyes seemed to glow with amusement.
With just his look alone, I knew. I was broadcasting again, and he was enjoying it. My blood boiled, but before I could speak, Nyx held up his hands.
“Let me help you with that,” he said with a warmth I hadn’t heard from him before. He pushed off the frame and squeezed past me into my rooms without an invitation.
I stood agape and watched him take in the sparse space. I didn’t like the way it felt to be so exposed. I had nothing. I was used to having very little, but we all had very little back home. This felt different. From what I saw today, the fae of this place had plenty, but I truly had nothing except what Kol had given me, and none of that felt like mine. I was alone in this, and anger rose in me again.
“What is it you think you can help me with?” I demanded.
He turned to face me. “With keeping your thoughts under control, Sol.” He skimmed a finger over the stack of notebooks on the small desk.
That took me by surprise. I wouldn’t think he would want to help with that when he seemed to enjoy it so much.
“You really doubt I would help?” he asked, and a look of hurt flickered across his face.
My lips parted to reply, but I honestly didn’t know how to. Yes, I did doubt it. How could I not? But then that connection between us seemed to want to correct my assumption.
“Sol, after I searched for you relentlessly for most of my life, and never gave up on finding you, why would I abandon you now that I’ve found you?”
He looked so serious, and it softened him, but I had to protect myself. “But you did.”
“I deserve that, I suppose.” He shook his head. “I had an early meeting. I wanted to help you get settled in, but when I went to the healer’s wing, I found that Kol had beaten me to the job. I would have taken you to get the things you needed, but I’m glad you had some time with him.”
I smiled, recalling the day. Despite my circumstances, Kol had made it a day I could remember fondly. “He was very kind.”
“He’s like that,” Nyx agreed. “Did he get you flying leathers?”
I nodded, shame heating my cheeks when I thought of the bill for all the things he insisted I needed.
Nyx huffed a laugh, and I stiffened. I was doing it again.
“Think of it like a river.”
I frowned.
“Your thoughts, Sol. Think of them like flowing water. Right now, they are a raging river flowing unchecked. You need to build a dam so you can keep them contained, then learn how to open the dam enough to let a small stream flow out when you want it to.”
“And how do I do that?” I asked skeptically.
“Visualize it,” he said simply. He gestured me closer to him as he perched on the desk, and I stepped toward him, drawn into his space by that thread. “Close your eyes,” he all but whispered.
I complied, questioning my sanity for trusting him even as I did as he said.
“It’s good that you question whether you should trust me.”
My eyes snapped open.
He reached out and took my hand in his. “You can trust me, of course, and you know that from our bond, but it’s good that you question and don’t do it blindly.”
I tried to snatch my hand back, but he held tighter. “Why should I trust you? You just showed me you are still stealing my thoughts, and that’s the least of my reasons to never trust you.”
“I’m not stealing them, and I’m about to show you how to stop them from being thrown in my direction. Now, close your eyes and picture the river.”
