She sputtered, her eyes wide in disbelief.
I sighed. “Unfortunately for Necros, the expunge of energy required to take down my people left him close to death, the power gone in an instant. He went supernova, destroying so much, too much, his body not meant to harness such strength. Which left him bereft and the little girl seemingly normal.”
For twenty-one years, it seemed.
“But that’s the interesting thing about stars,” I continued softly. “They are constantly growing, burning hotter every day. Thus, it’s expected that the female—the infant he stole the vitality from—will one day glow hotter than the violet sun above. And not even Lucifer himself will be able to contain her. Unless she finds someone to share that ability with, someone like a husband.” I waited for the weight of my claim to settle over her and caught the book she once again dropped. She started to sway, but I caught her hip.
“No,” she whispered. “That’s… that’s not possible.”
“Your parents traded their star because they believed Necros still possessed your energy, and they feared for their lives. However, it was the wedding he needed to tie himself to the star he desired to corrupt. And when that didn’t work, he chose a new method, one he hopes will shatter the bonds containing her power. Your power.”
I slid the book back onto the shelf to better hold her upright.
She wanted a story.
I gave her one.
And it seemed she no longer cared about the telepathy, her mind racing over everything I just said.
“You can imagine, perhaps, why I seek to destroy Necros and all that he represents,” I whispered, lifting her into my arms. “Because he took everything from me. Yet, he truly stole even more from you.”
She shook in my arms, her frail form rejecting the facts I presented to her. But I sensed her mind working through the logic, the foreign heat growing inside, the early memories of her life, and the way Necros had almost trained his people to degrade her from the beginning of her time here.
“He always saw me as a threat,” she whispered, blinking rapidly. “I thought I was a toy, but now…”
“You realize you’re a weapon,” I replied, brushing her hair from her forehead.
“Why has everyone kept this from me?” But before I could reply, she was already answering. “Because they don’t want me to threaten his rule.”
“Even more, they want to prevent you from ruling them all.” Even Lucifer himself had to fear her power. It was the only reason I could see him bargaining with Necros. They both benefited from keeping her weak.
“You seek to use me, too.” Not a question, but a statement.
“I do.” I wouldn’t lie to her. “To destroy Necros.”
“And then?” she asked, her gaze meeting mine as I settled onto one of the clothed couches. “What happens after you defeat him?”
“I go for Lucifer next,” I said. “He orchestrated all of this, killed my entire kingdom, and he will pay for his sins.”
She considered everything for a long moment. “Let’s say I believe you.” She swallowed. “What would you have me do next?”
“Learn how to use your power. Sharpen it. Cultivate it. Control it.” I palmed her cheek, drawing her face closer to mine. “I can feel how volatile you are, how the energy is pressing at the surface, begging for a release. Right now it seems your emotions—darker ones—unleash the gift. I can help you learn how to harness it, Valora.”
“How?”
“By giving you the release you need.” I nodded at the center of the room, which I’d purposely cleared to give us ample floor space. “We can train here. Spar. Bounce magic back and forth. Learn. But it’s up to you. I can’t train you if you’re unwilling. Because I won’t go easy on you.”
“What about the other men?”
“We handle them one by one,” I said. “Garul was easy. Tomorrow you have Sven.” A sadistic dragon breather who would no doubt scorch her skin to a crisp before fucking her nearly to death. “I’ll handle him. Then you have Jives. He’s a stone giant. Lethal. But I’ve heard he actually prefers males, which is why he’ll go for the back door. Perhaps we can find someone else to entice him with in the interim.”
“No,” she said, adamant. “I will not subject anyone else to my fate.”
While admirable, that wasn’t how we could play this game. “Then we find someone willing,” I conceded. “Trust me, there are many soldiers in this palace who would happily entertain Jives for a night. Which leaves us with Gareth.” I grimaced, not at all a fan of the slimy, three-eyed prick. “We have a few nights to figure him out. I’ll work on it.”
“And me? What do you want me to do?” she said, sounding a bit miffed that I was handling all of this for her.
“I want you to learn, Valora.” I gestured around us. “I want you to come here during the day to read. And meet me here at night to spar. But be prepared to bleed, because it’s going to hurt, little bird. As the only way I know how to teach you to fly is to break your already clipped wings.”