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“You and Elix are welcome here any time. You know that, right?”
“Thanks, Cade.”
“And we will see you at breakfast before you leave, won’t we?” he pressed, suddenly looking worried that I might leave without saying goodbye, that he had crossed a line with his openness.
“Of course,” I promised, bidding him goodnight. I hurried to catch up with Elix. We both promised to see the queen in the morning also and ascended the stairs to our suite together, unspeaking. The awkwardness between us grew with the silence.
I desperately wanted to say something witty to break the growing tension between us, but as the door closed behind us, Elix spoke first.
“Thank you,” she mumbled. At first, I stupidly thought she was expressing gratitude for making her come, but before I could embarrass myself, she continued. “He really upset me.”
I blinked, realizing in time that she had been talking about the minister and his asinine comment.
I wished everyone would stop talking about that asshole.
“Why do you care what the plebs think about you?” I half-joked, but Elix didn’t smile as she turned to face me, her expression fully serious.
“Maybe you have the luxury of ignoring the weight and expectations of others, but I haven’t really been afforded that in my life,” she replied quietly. I scoffed lightly, sliding onto one of the high-backed accent chairs and draping an ankle over my knee. She tentatively sat in front of me in the neighboring seat, her face still drawn.
“I’ve only ever had to worry about the weight and expectations of others,” I informed her. “I’m the king—and before that, I was being groomed to be king.”
She lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she muttered. “You’re right. I just…” I leaned forward expectantly, and she released ahuge sigh, lifting her chin. “I’ve always been so… I don’t know… uncomfortable about my powers.”
My brow furrowed. “Why?” I asked, confused. “They’re incredible powers to have. I would rather have the ability to control the elements than shift.”
“You say that, but at least you have control of your shifting. I don’t have any real control over my powers,” she blurted out. “And it is like Thaddieus said; I have no idea where they came from.”
I straightened. “That can be harnessed,” I told her gently. “You shouldn’t give up on yourself so easily, Elix. You and Saint never had the same opportunities that some of us had.”
“Which is kind of why the powers make me… weird,” she confessed. “I don’t understand where they came from. Neither of my parents had this ability. It’s not a generational throwback. He just said what I’ve heard dozens, if not hundreds, of times over the years. It still gets under my skin because I know it’s true.”
I blinked once, trying to conjure an image of her father, but I could only vaguely recall the palace handyman who had died well before my own parents had gone.
“I don’t remember your father well,” I admitted. “But your mother was remarkable. I always liked Glynda. She did a lot for me after my father passed.”
Elix’s eyes glowed in the shadowy lighting, a hue of pleasure overtaking her face at the connection.
“Shewasremarkable,” Elix said sadly. “I miss her every day. My father, too.” She hung her head. “Which is why I don’t understand why I’m nothing like either of them.”
I frowned, shaking my head in denial. “That’s categorically untrue. I see so much of your mom in you. It’s not just your beauty and tenacity.”
She stared at me strangely, and I chuckled lightly. “You think I didn’t notice how hard your mother worked and how great of a mother she was? I think that’s what drew me to Saint in the first place—your mother and how nurturing she could be without even trying. As a single parent, she took care of you and Saint so well. It was admirable.”
Elix nodded, a fuzzy, melancholic smile touching her lips. “Yeah, that sounds right,” she agreed. She paused. “But I’m not like that.”
“Why do you keep saying that?” I insisted. “Because of your powers?”
She nodded. “Isn’t that enough?”
“It’s scary having abilities that you can’t control properly. I remember my earliest days of shifting. I thought I was losing my mind sometimes, and if I didn’t have Cirilla…”
I raised my shoulders as Elix’s face softened.
“You have Saint, at least,” I offered, and her face fell again.
“When he’s around,” she agreed. She exhaled quickly. “I sound ungrateful. I’m not. I know how lucky I am compared to some, but I can’t help but feel… different. Like I don’t belong anywhere.”
I dropped to my knees and crawled toward her, grabbing her hands. She seemed surprised by my touch, but she didn’t pull away, her palms closing around mine. “You don’t belong anywhere because you’re in a league of your own. No one can compare to you, Elix. I’ve never met anyone like you.”
