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Kallie sighed, annoyed that the queen had forced Graeson of all people to accompany her since she couldn't use her gift on him. And the golden warmth that had soared through her vanished. "So, can I know more about your gift then?"
Graeson laughed as his gaze trailed over her. "If I have to wait to get what I want, you have to wait too."
Kallie didn't bother to hide her frustration. At this point, the secrecy felt silly. But instead of pushing the topic, she stood and as she headed to the tent, she looked over her shoulder. “Fine. I’m going to bed."
Graeson's light laughter followed Kallie into the tent. After closing the tent flap, she took off her shoes, then claimed the left side of the makeshift bed made of two blankets. Since Graeson had insisted on packing light, they would have to share the small space. Kallie lay down, pulling the top blanket over her. She wiggled against the ground, forming a small divot in the shape of her body.
She had dreaded sleeping on the ground again, believing sleep would be hard to come by again and terrified of the nightmares that would follow. But once she found a comfortable spot on the ground, the exhaustion from the day hit her as she nestled into Graeson's shirt. And soon enough, the sweet darkness of sleep took over.
* * *
The soundof the tent flapping in the wind stirred Kallie from her sleep. Blinking her eyes open to the darkness of the night, the glow from the fire outside was no longer present and she could barely make out Graeson's silhouette. She didn't know how far off dawn was, but she wanted as much sleep as she could get. However, despite her efforts to fall back asleep, she couldn't help but track Graeson as he moved through the tent.
He shuffled over to the pile of blankets, his footsteps quiet. He moved slowly so as not to wake her. Before he laid down, she felt a light weight fall across her body. His cloak, which smelled of smoked cedar, lay over her as an extra layer of warmth. His hand lingered on her side and she could feel his thumb lightly moving back and forth over the fabric. And that small gesture made her stomach flutter and a faint smile graced her lips in the darkness while a tinge of guilt coated her throat.
“Soon.” The word was almost inaudible on Graeson’s tongue.
Soon?
She didn't know what he meant, but the promise behind that single word caused her cheeks to blush involuntarily. And Kallie was once again thankful for the darkness hiding it from him.
As she pretended to be asleep, she decided she would not think about it. So as he laid down beside her and rested his arm near her, for that moment she let herself enjoy the warmth it provided.
Whether she liked it or not, this man might just be her undoing.
Chapter27
"Again,"Esmeray ordered from her desk, head propped on her hands as she observed Kallie from across the room.
Kallie rubbed her face. They had been practicing for an hour now to see how far Kallie could stretch her gift. While her gift had become stronger since they visited the Whispering Springs two weeks ago, the queen's long practice sessions were exhausting. From dawn to dusk, they practiced leaving Kallie little time to do anything else. She had barely explored the palace even, something she was meaning to do since she had arrived. Beyond the study, the kitchens, the dining room, and her room, she knew little of the palace. She needed to stretch her legs and her mind needed to rest, but the queen was insistent.
Esmeray wanted Kallie to master her gift. And since she believed Kallie was behind on her training due to the time away from the island, Esmeray had forced Kallie to start practicing using her gift once Kallie had returned to the palace. And Kallie couldn't help but recall the training sessions with Domitius. The long hours spent sweating in the dark corners of the palace, his stern wordsto keep going, and the fire behind those words.
However, after the constant use of her gift, Kallie feared the headache to come. Some days she was lucky and it never did, but other days she suffered greatly.
She took a deep breath and focused her attention on Terin, who had volunteered to be her practice doll. And several commands later, Kallie was starting to see the aftermath of constant manipulation. His gaze dragged, his reaction time slowed, and her concern grew.
Kallie flicked her eyes to Fynn who stood a few feet behind Terin with his back against the wall. His eyes met hers and she pleaded, begging him this once to read her mind.
Please. Webothneed a break.
Having read her mind, he rolled his eyes and sighed, pushing himself off the wall with his foot. "Mother, do you think it would be a good idea to give them a break? Terin looks like he's going to start drooling soon."
Terin's gaze was still hazy, her previous command binding him to his seat. Kallie didn't know if he was acting to sell it or if he was truly about to keel over.
"Fynn, she needs to practice. You know better than anyone how important these lessons are," Esmeray said, unmoving from her position.
Fynn gripped Terin's shoulders, giving him a small shake. "Mother." His voice was stern, kingly even.
Esmeray sighed. She returned her gaze to Kallie and pointed a firm finger. "Fine, but tomorrow we will test your ability to control two minds at once."
Kallie gave a curt nod, stretching her hands above her head as she stood.
Fynn stepped up next to her. "Want to blow off some steam, sister? We have a lot of years of fights to make up for.”
Kallie laughed. She didn't know if she would get used to people calling hersister, but she didn’t hate it. And so when a toothy smile pushed its way to her face, she let it.
As Fynn and Kallie began walking toward the door of the study, Kallie stopped in her tracks. "Wait. I need to release him." She ran to Terin, pressing her hand to his knee and releasing him from her command. During one training session a week ago, she had learned that after she had given a command to someone, she could take it back. All she needed to do was touch them with the intent of releasing them from her manipulation.
