Well, I haven’t had time to meet all the Marked Ones since.
“Same.” Soren stuffs his hands in the pockets of his trousers and tilts his head. “Skyler mentioned you were hoping we’d help you.”
“Yes, that’s right.” Even though I asked for this meeting, I can’t help but feel nervous. “I saw the way the two of you fought the king’s soldiers as if your magic was an extension of yourlimbs. I was wondering if you could show me how our power works.”
With a lot of focus or high emotion, I’m able to draw on my flames, but I want to learn more control. Right now, my magic feels like an unpredictable force—one I want to tame. When I explained what I was looking for, Skyler suggested we come here. The building is isolated enough that if something goes wrong, no one else should get hurt.
I can feel the weight of eyes on me, and I look up to find Gabriel studying me. His posture is relaxed, and his gaze gleams with a mixture of approval and pride. No one has ever looked at me like that before—like I’m his whole world.
I slide my hand into his, letting his touch ground me before I turn back to the brothers. “So, what do you say? Will you teach me how to use my magic? How to control it?”
Soren and Jasper glance at each other, seeming to communicate silently as only those who have known each other for a long time can do. Jasper lifts a brow, and Soren blows out a breath.
He turns to me. “We’ll do it.”
“We’d be happy to,” his brother adds. “Besides, a friend of Sky’s is a friend of ours.”
My chest warms, and I grin, thanking them.
Soren inclines his head. “I’d ask to see your Mark to make sure everything’s in order, but obviously that’s unnecessary.”
“It’s not really discreet, is it?” I rub my forehead with my free hand. “Sometimes, I feel like this is the bane of my existence. Where are yours?” My lips slant into a frown. “Unless... Is that allowed? Can I ask? I haven’t been around many Gi... Blessed in my life.”
It no longer feels right to use the termGivenfor people like me. Not only because of what I now know about our history, but also because the term is linked to all the lies that have beenspread. The murders that have been perpetrated to enhance the king’s power.
No, the more space I can put between myself and that word, the better.
“You can ask. It’s a personal choice if someone wants to share their Mark, but the request isn’t rude.” Jasper tugs up the right corner of his tunic, revealing a dark blue swirl on his hip. “This is mine.”
Soren lowers his shirt collar, wordlessly revealing an orange flame etched upon his collarbone.
“Nice,” I say, unsure about how to appropriately react to other peoples’ Marks. “Easy to hide.”
I wish mine was so conveniently located.
The brothers chuckle, and Jasper nods. “Yeah. Now, about this training. I assume we should start with the basics?”
“Absolutely. I want to learn as much as I can.”
“Great.” Soren takes the empty chair and gestures to the bench. “Take a seat, then. Class is in session.”
38
DEATH COMES AT A PRICE
GABRIEL
I’m standing at the base of another mountain, this one not covered by snow but by sprawling fields of poppies, and my heart sinks. The season has changed, but everything else about this scene remains the same. I’ve lived it dozens of times in my nightmares over the past few months.
Wren is standing beside me, clutching a dagger. The blue sky is cloudless, and the suns mercilessly beat down on us. There is a dark speck in the sky, growing bigger with each flap of its wings.
I know how this will play out. No matter how many times I’ve tried changing the narrative, the result is always the same: Wren is taken, and it’s as painful as if my heart were ripped out of my chest.
Still, I will not let her go without a fight. Even though my sword has proven useless against the dragon thus far, I draw it.
Time is anomalous in this dreamscape. It moves slowly, and yet everything seems to blur together. I pull Wren in for a punishing, bruising kiss, hoping she can feel all the words that I don’t have time to convey. That she knows how much she means to me.
The dragon flies closer, and at the first glimpse of its rider, shivers cascade down my back. The king’s crown glints in the sunlight, and his eyes are brimming with rage. He speaks, likely demanding Wren be returned to him, but I don’t hear his words.
