I jerked my head up, meeting his gaze.
“Haunted or empowered?”
He gave me a small, knowing smile. “It’s a battle every day. But I’ve been winning more.”
Alexei released me and patted Ronen on the back. “He’s come a long way under my tutelage. Was a stubborn little bastard at some points, but we got through it once he finally started to listen to me. Now we’re the best of buds,” he joked, but I could tell Alexei was proud of Ronen.
“Okay,MasterAlexei,” I teased. “So if you helped the big, bad general, how are you going to help me?”
Alexei beamed, and Ronen shook his head, that slight smile still there, tugging at my chest.
“Well, beautiful”—he knocked my chin up—“what’s the best way to overcome fear?”
I refrained from rolling my eyes, but couldn’t keep the deadpan out of my expression. “To face it.”
He turned my face toward Oliver. “Exactly.”
Chapter
Thirty-Three
LUCILLE
“Wait a minute now. I didnotvolunteer for this!” Oliver exclaimed.
Alexei shrugged. “Ronen and I both agreed this would be the safest and fastest way to solve Lucille’s issue. Plus, she trusts you the most. You have a chance to ease her suffering. Don’t you want to help with that?”
“Throughmoresuffering?” Oliver ran his hands through his moppy hair.
“She either suffers now with all of us in a controlled area or she suffers later and hurts herself or others,” Ronen asserted. “We never said this would be easy.”
“Lucy,” Oliver pleaded.
I worried my lip. I didn’t want to force Oliver into something he didn’t want to do, nor did I want to relive my fears. But what otherchoice did we have? He’d been so close to using it on Ni, and I knew this scenario was different. But we could get through this together.
I walked up to him and grabbed his shaking hands. I was sure his were as clammy as mine beneath the leather. “I’ll be brave for you, if you can be brave for me.”
He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. “You’re sure about this?”
“Just think of it as a sneak peek into my mental diary,” I teased, forcing a smile. But I could see my fear reflected in his eyes. I wasn’t sure about this. He knew it. My hands shook as badly as his. This would be extremely hard on both of us.
He touched my cheek and nodded solemnly. “I’ll be brave for you, if you can be brave for me.”
A lump formed in my throat. He truly was my best friend. Blinking away the tears in my eyes, I twisted toward Ronen and Alexei. “So, how do we do this?”
Ronen stepped up beside me, his shadows circling his palms. Alexei moved to position himself next to Oliver, and Rune placed herself on the other side.
“Focus on your Glory. Thoughts, feelings, memories. I don’t care, just concentrate on that. Then, Oliver, you’ll touch her with your power. Hit her with a hard punch of it. Better get the worst one done first,” Alexei instructed.
Oliver dropped his head back to the gray, dull sky, clutching his head. “Sounds like a blast.”
“Ronen will be on standby with his powers in case your flames get out of control while you’re reliving your fears,” Alexei said to me. “And I’ll be extra protection for Oliver—plus your amazing cheerleader.”
“You’ll make sure we’re safe?” I asked, needing Ronen’s confirmation.
“Always, Hellion. Face your scars and focus on your Glory.”
“This is going to be taxing on both of you. We’re going to be at this all day.” Alexei gestured to a wicker basket left near the edge of the black trees and snowy clearing. “Rune brought us some of Dorus’s food when you want to take a break.”
