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“How does that make you feel?” Zane asks, running his palm over my thigh, and I turn to look at him.
“I don’t know,” I answer truthfully. “In Shadowmoor, there was no one with this level of magic, not even close. People could barely get by with mundane stuff, never mind…” I wave my hand around, trying to explain, and he nods in understanding. “It’s not something I grew up around. Mama didn’t really use her magic around me at home, and I don’t really remember it from when I was a child. I’ve never met a necromancer. I know it’s against the law to resurrect anyone, and I know I’ve already freaking done that,” I ramble, my emotions clouding my thoughts. “I feel like I’m sinking and it’s frustrating as hell and not who I am at all.”
His hand tightens on my thigh, grounding me without words as he lifts his other hand to my cheek. “I’ll never let you sink, Dove. Not alone, at least. And not because of something as incredible as this.”
“Incredible?” My eyebrows pinch closer together, and he looks at me like I’m crazy.
“You heard me, Raven Hendrix. I wouldn't go all crazy over a girl, give her the housemate handbook and fall fucking hard for her if she wasn't incredible. Magic or not, you’re everything. But I’m not shocked to learn that you’re a badass fucking necromancer, just like you’re a queen at everything else.”
My cheeks feel like they’re on fire, his words mirroring my own earlier, and the steel in his gaze shows me the truth I didn’t realize I needed.
“He’s right, Raven. I know necromancers are usually frowned upon, and what you were able to do, shit, we’ll be eternally grateful for. If there’s any doubt in your mind about our willingness to stay, I’ll eradicate it right fucking now,” Creed chimes in. Zane drops his hand from my face so I can look in his direction and the rawness in his gaze is just as strong as Zane’s was.
“There shouldn’t be any doubt at all,” Eldon states, reaching for my shoulder. “That’s not how this shit goes. We wanted you when you believed you were a Void, and that’s not going to change now that you’re at the complete opposite end of the scale. It also doesn’t change how we feel inside either. I don’t fucking love you more because of it. You’re not a possession or a toy for me to wrangle and use at will. You’re just Raven,” he adds, making my chest squeeze tight and my breathing hollow out.
They’re saying everything I hoped they would but was too scared to hear, and now I don’t know how to process it. I’ve spent the past twenty-four hours lost in a vortex of doom, and they’re tearing it to shreds with just a few words.
A whoosh of air swoops around me, flicking my hair, and I startle when I find myself sitting in Brax’s lap, still nestled between Zane and Eldon. His strong grip on my chin tilts my head to meet his gaze, my heart hammering wildly.
The rest of the table fades away as his stare penetrates my soul. “I haven’t forgotten what you told me on the lake, Shadow. What your parents said to you about your magic. I know that will be playing on your mind.” His words are softer than I’ve ever heard him speak before or I’ll likely ever hear again. “We’re not here to take from you, to use you for your powers, and that’s never going to change, I promise you that. We’re not going to run for the hills either. We’re going to stay right by your side, protecting you just as strongly as you protect us.” He reaches for my hand, lifting it to his chest, and I feel the soft thumping of his heart beating.
I feel what he’s trying to portray without words and my mouth dries. It’s beating because I breathed life into it. It’s beating because I protected him just as they’ll protect me. I nod, unable to find the right words, and he tucks a loose tendril of hair behind my ear as the rest of the guys come back into focus.
“We also need to consider the fact that with this being such a big gift, necromancers are known to struggle with darkness. The power you’ll wield is on another level, and it’s usually one of two, if not three, powers overall,” Creed explains, making my spine stiffen. I gulp. “I know it’s a lot, but if anyone can deal with this, Raven, it’s you.” The reassurance is clear, but I’m scared to take it.
“You have a lot of belief in me,” I murmur, looking at Zane and Eldon, who nod in agreement.
“Why wouldn’t we?” Zane retorts, leaving me speechless. “We’re going to have to work on trying to channel your emotions to help with your power so we can work out what makes you tick,” he adds, and my eyes widen.
“Everybody operates differently. Anger, sadness, happiness, hope, and anything in between,” Eldon states, reaching for my hand. “When you focus on your center, you will start to learn what emotion makes it burn brighter.”
I’m going to need a lie down after all of this information. It’s exactly what I need and overwhelming all at once.
“What is it for you?” I dare to ask.
“Brax is anger, not that you’ll be shocked. Creed is kindness, Zane is happiness and laughter, while I’m connected more with love.”
“How am I even supposed to figure that out?”
“I have a fun way we can figure it out if you trust me,” Zane offers, a telling smirk on his lips as he caresses my cheek with the back of his hand.
“What’s that?”
Brax grunts before anyone can speak and I know that’s the only warning we’re going to get that he’s taking over.
“Outside. Now, Shadow.”
NINE
RAVEN
Intrigue and excitement coil in my stomach as Brax leads the way. Zane, Creed, and Eldon follow behind me, the tension heightening around us as we step out into the evening air. It’s not cold, but a gentle breeze flutters across our skin, ruffling the leaves on the trees as the sound of the waves crashing in the distance echoes around us.
I wiggle my fingers, unsure what to do with myself, as Brax comes to a stop a few steps ahead, standing between two oak trees that are close to the cliff’s edge. He lifts his hands out to the side of him for a moment, almost assessing the distance before turning to face me.
He crooks his finger, not offering me a word, and I’m moving despite wanting to give him a mouthful of attitude. Stopping toe to toe with him, I tilt my head back to keep my eyes locked on his. He doesn’t utter a word. Instead, he reaches for my arms and extends them at my sides, just as he had done moments earlier.
Once he’s satisfied that my arms are straight, he takes a step back, looking me over from head to toe. Retracing his steps, he’s back in front of me a moment later, dragging my blazer off my arms before discarding it on the ground without care. A shiver runs down my spine, and it’s not from the slight drop in temperature. If anything, I feel hotter now than I did earlier.
