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I nodded. “A memory, yes,” I confirmed, giving myself a little shake. “That was from a very long time ago, when my father was the Lunar Lord. Lyka was the one who came to my rescue; he helped chase off the Ardor family alongside me. He’s the one who stitched up the wounds so they’d heal.” I tried not to grimace, but I knew I was failing. “I could always count on him in those days.”
“I’m sure he felt the same way about you,” Celeste replied quietly, reaching over to rest her hand on my thigh. She gave me a gentle squeeze. “You’re a tough nut to crack, Fenris, but whenever you speak about him…I can feel how much you care, even if you don’t say the words. I’m positive he knew.”
I looked away. “I did my best to always have his back in return,” I replied, staring at the blank wall across from us. “But Lyka was the natural leader, not me. He had—oh, he had charisma, even more than our father. Before the madness seized him, he had so much more patience than I did, too. He took more after our mother.” I looked back at Celeste. “And I’m not being humble saying this, either,” I said, not wanting to be dismissed. “Lyka was suited for blending in with humans. He cared deeply about individuals, paranormal or not, and he was curious about new cultures and new places. When he first took over as Lunar Lord after my father, before the curse began to take its toll, there was more peace than in my father’s reign. Or after I took up the mantle.”
It almost felt like admitting to failure, but it was the simple truth. There was more unrest once I’d become the Lunar Lord.
I took another breath. Celeste hadn’t said anything, simply listening as I explained things. Her hand was still on my thigh, tracing gentle circles through the single layer of sheets.
“Sometimes,” I continued, feeling a little less vulnerable in the dark, “I feel like I’m just a stand-in for my brother. I’m not even a very good one. I want my best friend and brother back. Even if he could never be Lunar Lord, I just want hisadvice.”
I licked my lips and shook my head, unwilling to let myself get too far down that rabbit hole. “I’m going to see him tomorrow,” I informed Celeste, finally leaning closer to her. “I need to see how Lyka is. I have no idea what the effect of Sabine’s attack on him will be, or moving his location. If he’s forgotten who I am again…”
I didn’t even want to entertain the idea.
Celeste gave me a small smile, moving her hand to grab mine. She laced our fingers together and squeezed gently. “Whatever happens, Fenris, we can weather it.”
I exhaled. “I regret that I can’t bring you, but after last time…” I wasn’t sure who I’d be placing in more danger, Celeste or Lyka. I didn’t want to put either of them at risk. “I don’t want to let my emotions rule me when I’m with him.”
“I understand,” she said gently. Relief washed over me—I hadn’t even realized how badly I’d needed to hear that. Celeste gave my hand another squeeze. “I’ll be fine while you’re gone, and don’t overlook the fact that Lyka survived everything. Now you have me to help, too. Even though I’m still training, I think I can figure out something to help your brother, Fenris. If I can kick Sabine out, I think I can help him as well.”
For the first time in weeks, I felt hope for Lyka. “Thank you,” I said as I kissed her cheek. If anyone could help my brother, I knew it was Celeste.
Chapter13
Celeste
Fenris’s Private Villa
Isla Lobo, Panama
Fifteen minutes after waking up in bed alone, I realized I was staring at the imprint of Fenris’s head on his pillow. I blinked as my mind slowly came online.Oh. I guess he didn’t want to wake me up before he went to see Lyka.
I sighed. I knew Fenris wanted me to rest, but I still wished I could’ve said goodbye and wished him luck before he traveled to see Lyka. Maybe given him a kiss for—
Celeste. He’ll be gone for two days at most. No need to get all mopey,I scolded myself once I realized how wistful I was being. I’d spent weeks without him—without anyone I knew—when being held in that cell in Alaska. I could certainly survive for forty-eight hours in a luxurious mansion surrounded by friends. There was no need to get emotional because Fenris had been gone for a few hours.
This means I’ll have plenty of uninterrupted time to train today.
Thatwassomething I looked forward to. As much as I enjoyed Fenris’s company and increasingly loved spending time with him, it was hard to get challenging work done with him around. The Lunar Lord had a funny habit of distracting me.
By the time I’d gotten dressed and had a quick breakfast with Abi, Val had arrived on the shore from her little island a mile away. The three of us headed out to the beach so I could practice a new type of elemental magic: working with water. Abi took a seat by the dock while Val explained what we were doing.
I tried to settle my breathing as she spoke, but the more I tried to concentrate, the more my wolf awakened. By the time my mentor looked at me and motioned for me to begin, my wolf was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, practically pawing at me like I was a door she needed to knock down.
“Sorry,” I said, rather embarrassed. “I didn’t catch all of that. Could you explain the end one more time?”
“Of course,” Val said, smiling softly. She tucked a silver strand of hair behind her ear. “Water is a very powerful element. It can quench fire, of course, but it can also move earth and resist the wind. Or, depending on how you use it, it can be used in conjunction with any of those. Some of the most adept witches can use water to heal themselves.”
I nodded. I was trying to take all of this in, but it felt like it was going in one ear and out the other. “And what is it I’m supposed to be doing?” I asked. Suddenly, I felt like I’d never practiced magic before. My wolf rumbled, pushing against me again.
“We’re going to work on drawing water to a desired location. Moving water is one of the most straightforward ways to interact with it, though I wouldn’t exactly call it easy. Now, you will want to settle your mind and position yourself right next to the waves.”
I followed Val as we walked to the edge of the shore, just out of reach of the gentle waves rolling up against the golden sand. I took a breath, then another, but I didn’t feel any calmer than when I started trying to quiet my thoughts. If anything, I only felt more frustrated.
You can’t expect everything to come easily all the time,I scolded myself. After all, I hadn’t earned my master’s degree because it was easy. I loved astronomy and hadn’t minded studying hard to write a thesis and pass exams. I also just loved to learn. I loved the joy of discovery, and the sense of accomplishment I felt when conquering a difficult task or technique.
I ground my teeth as frustration welled back up.Except I don’t have the time to wander through learning right now. I need to get this right. Fenris is counting on me. And it’s not just Fenris who needs me to get this right, either.
