I took Sebastian's hands in mine, knowing the contact would make this at least a little bit easier. I shivered at the connection, but focused on what I needed to do.
The waves of the ocean pooled in my mind, the feel of them flowing over my skin as I dived beneath the surface. Delani laughed by my side as we swam. My mother stroked my hair, whispering my nickname to me as I dozed off. My star. My star.
I created visions in my brain of the things that usually calmed my thoughts enough to release my powers, but none of them worked.
The king cleared his throat.
My breathing shook. I was about to blow this.
Sebastian squeezed my hand lightly, either encouraging me to start, or in acknowledgement of my doubt.
You got this, he mouthed to me.
I breathed in deeply, and thought of the one thing that never failed to calm me—even when I was in the midst of a mega argument with that person.
Closing my eyes, I relived the first time I saw Sebastian at the Jewel-Light Ceremony, and how he quite literally stole my breath. I recreated the feel of his arms around me when he first embraced me. I thought of the soft plushness of his lips against mine when we kissed.
I may have still been hurt and angry, but I missed him.
The softness of Sebastian’s voice cracked through the barrier of my mind. “Ready?”
Nodding hesitantly, I blew out a breath and released the compulsion onto him. “Cover this floor in ice.”
The temperature of the room dropped as soon as the command left the confines of my mind. Sebastian released me, using his diamond to harness the magic I’d requested from him.
My eyes flinched open at the sound of ice crackling beneath my feet. Shards of frosted glass pooled from his fingertips as Sebastian formed a crystalline sheath over the marble tiles.
I held my concentration on the command, and he was about halfway done when I started to feel lightheaded. Sweat dripped from my forehead as an influx of nausea came and went. I clenched my fists, trying to disregard the sickness that threatened to break my control. I fought through the pain, rolling over my memories of Sebastian again and again until I felt my magic halt with the commencement of his powers.
I opened my eyes slowly, my lashes wiping away the darkness that clouded my vision. A translucent blanket of ice stood firm under my feet, shining so clearly that I could see my reflection. I smiled at my success.
Sebastian studied me intently, waiting for me to show any signs of collapsing. The all too familiar twinge in my skull appeared, and I knew that if I didn't get out of here soon, I risked showing the king how much the command took out of me.
“Amazing,” King Hawthorne said in awe as he inspected the frozen floor of his study. He came towards me, close enough that I could smell the fear mongering on his breath. “If you continue training as you are, soon you will be the most powerful mortal in the world. The things you will be able to do to others, will make you unstoppable.”
With a sudden shift in disposition, he stepped back and clasped his hands together. “That's all for today. You both may be excused.”
Relief washed over me, and I had never moved as quickly as I did then. I burst through the doors and into the corridor which luckily, was empty. Sebastian followed me out of the study, making a point to close the door tightly behind him.
My vision blurred again with my sudden movement. I stumbled to the nearest wall and pushed my temple against it, using the stone to try and block out the agony that was cracking my skull.
Firm pressure from Sebastian's palm rubbed my back. I wanted to push him away, but had no extra energy to waste. My stomach was in shambles, and I needed to find a washroom before I created a mess in this hallway.
Just when I thought I was getting some control back, my head sent a shooting pain down my nerves and my eyesight tunneled. I began to waver in and out of consciousness.
Sebastian's voice said my name, but I was not lucid enough to respond. My body shook with fragility. I was close to blacking out when I recognized the feel of his arms as they wrapped around me, unsticking me from the wall and pulling me upright.
He supported most of my weight as he rushed us through the hallway. We stopped in an abandoned corridor away from the study, though I was too senseless to make out exactly where we were.
My head bobbed as Sebastian helped lower me to the ground. I struggled to stay awake, my surroundings fading from my view. Was he talking to me? I couldn't make out the words. Why was he speaking so softly?
Everything was so dark. Black like the night, aside from two twinkling, cerulean stars that shone right into my eyes, trying to rope me back in.
There they went, flickering away with the rest of the world.
I came jolting back when something bone-chilling grazed my clammy skin. My eyes snapped open and I lifted my heavy head to meet Sebastian’s gaze latched on to me.
His hand was pressed against my forehead, the other resting on my shoulder, preventing me from toppling over. I shivered as he pulled his hand from my temple and flashed me his palm, coated in a thick layer of ice.
