His dull gaze caught mine, but a hint of a smile lingered. “And you saved me…so now we’re even.”
It was so good to see him smile.
“Do you want me to send Cora back in?”
He winced and his eyebrow raised. “No…she’ll just…chastise…me some…more.”
I stifled my laughter. “She despises me.”
“No…she’s just…overprotective. There’s no way…she can…hate you. Not if…she gets to…know you like…I do.” His breath grew heavier.
“Please rest. You can tell me I’m insufferable when you’re better.”
He smirked and his eyes closed.
Chapter 12
Time slipped away quickly until I lost all sense of it. The Heart was vast, but my fears kept me close to the castle. Lioran asked for me daily. He slept through most of my visits. I sat with him still, watching his chest rise and fall.
Gratitude overwhelmed me. The healer’s magic gave him a second chance. Without it, he could have died.
Magic hummed in my veins—it called to me, but I couldn’t respond. The book remained tucked away. I couldn’t bear its answers.
I admired the dazzling sunlight that reflected off the stream as it wound through the Heart. A small waterfall trickled into the stream at the backside of the castle. Its song lulled me into a rare moment of calm.
“Lioran wants me to train you.” Cora’s sharp tone cut through the silence. “To help you channel your magic.”
Apparently, he hadn’t been awake long enough to see how much she loathed me.
“I have no interest in tapping into my magic again,” I said. “I’ve destroyed enough already.”
She watched me carefully.
“What do you want from me, Cora? Do you want me to stay away from him? To leave?” We both knew there was nowhere I could go.
“You wouldn’t be here unless he trusted you.” Cora’s shoulders settled as her breath escaped her lips. “I don’t want you to go. Seeing him there…like that, it broke me.”
“And you blame me?”
“No.” Her voice softened.
“I would never have crossed the divide knowing that it would lead to all of this. Every day I see him lying there?—”
“Every day?” she repeated, as if she didn’t know.
Had I said too much? My shoulders rounded as I looked back at the waterfall.
“I will train you, because your magic is a gift. It may be essential to the balance of the lands.” She tucked loose, red waves behind her ears.
“I can’t control it—I caused so much destruction in Evyn.” My eyes flooded. I steadied my breath, wishing the tears wouldn’t fall.
“Until you learn to control it, it will test you in ways you can't imagine. Ways none of us can stop.” The lull of the waterfall crept back into my head. The sound steadied me.
Deep down, I knew she was right. I wouldn’t be able to ignore my magic forever, but the thought of facing it again was too much to bear.
“We will start tomorrow.” Her voice softened.
I hadn’t even accepted, but it didn’t matter. She had already decided. My chest tightened as I reluctantly nodded.
