“They will come. Just give them time,” she assured me. “It’s different with each reincarnation. Sometimes it’s difficult, sometimes it comes more naturally. We’ll work through it, and maybe I can help you navigate them.”
Silence stretched on for a moment as I watched the fire work through the wood, my eyes feeling heavy.
“Have you ever spoken with a therapist before?” she asked.
“No. Honestly, I’ve always felt weird talking to people I don’t know.” While that was true, there was something about her that felt inviting, familiar. Perhaps it was because we had known each other in past lives, or perhaps she was just that skilled. Either way, the way she spoke to me didn’t feel as if she were prying, but more like I was talking with a friend. “I’m trying to have an open mind.”
“We’ll take it slow. Damien told me a bit about what you’ve been through, and I’m so sorry for what happened. The Nous ability is a wonderful gift with such potential for good. I hate that it was used against you.”
“Are you a Nous user?” I bit my lip, realizing that might have been a rude question. “If you don’t mind me asking.”
She smiled. “I am. It’s one of the skills I use to aid those who are suffering. It helps me heal them. If you’d allow me, I can use it to help you, but not until you’re ready.”
Something deep within me recoiled at the thought of her entering my mind, hints of pain scratching at the edges. I stiffened at the feel of her hand resting against my arm, and I realized my breathing had grown shallow, my fingers digging into my arms.
“Sorry,” I whispered, hating that I couldn’t seem to get past the fear.
“Don’t apologize,” she said, her smile replaced with a look of concern. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for. I won’t use my ability until you feel safe enough. If you’re not ready to talk about it, we can just get to know each other, and when you’re comfortable enough, even if it takes a few weeks or even a month or two, we can cross that bridge then.”
A smile curved my lips at her suggestion, and her words helped ease the fear a little. “I think that would be great.”
It was as Damien had said: one step at a time.
11
CASSIE
There was a different energy surrounding The Outpost as I sat in quiet observation, resting from the morning’s training. Recruits still sparred. Zephyr, Thalia, Barrett, and Damien still oversaw their matches, still corrected their stances and missteps. Despite that, I could feel an odd sense of excitement in the air, the warm and ticklish feeling falling over my skin like the sun’s rays in the spring when the residual cold of winter lingers, wishing to stay a bit longer.
What had happened? What had I missed?
I shifted on the bench where I’d sat to take a break. It had been nearly a week since I’d fallen in my first attempt at the obstacle course, and I’d failed another attempt at the rock wall a few hours earlier. It had taken every bit of will power to try it again, the fresh fear of it leaving me shaking as I grabbed hold of the first rock. I’d at least managed to avoid the trip wire in the pits.
As my eyes drifted across the training yard, Zephyr briefly met my gaze, but he quickly averted his eyes, and I frowned at the awkward look on his face. Was he okay? Had something happened? Then as I saw Thalia and Barrett working with their own recruits, I realized someone was missing.
Vincent was nowhere to be seen. He hadn’t been there during the course training earlier either. I figured he might have been tending to something else on the training grounds, but he wasn’t here still.
My stomach dipped. Was Anna okay? Did something happen to her and the baby to keep him from training? No. I couldn’t let myself think like that. Damien would have told me if anything had happened, and I knew if anything had, all of us would be wherever they were.
The sounds of The Outpost quieted as my eyes drifted to the trees surrounding us, blanketed in fresh snow. It was so peaceful, something about the forest beckoning me to wander. I nearly gave into it as something brushed at the edge of my mind, soft and warm, and I blinked, my brows furrowing as I thought I saw something move between the trees.
I stood, my feet moving of their own accord as I drifted toward the trees at the edge of the training yard.
Why is it taking so long for you to pick a tree?
I frowned at the sound of Damien’s voice, but when I looked around, he wasn’t standing beside me but clear across the training yard, seeing to the recruits.
It’s just a tree. Pick one already.
This voice was different, annoyed, yet at the same time, it felt almost teasing. It was warm, like a summer breeze, and I couldn’t help but find a strange comfort in it.
You know she can’t just pick any tree.
I blinked, blurred images of two figures standing next to an evergreen tree that stretched toward the sky, full of rich green, needle covered branches.
The same voice filled my ears, teasing once more.It has to be theperfectone.
For the briefest of moments, one of the figures came into focus before I found myself surrounded by The Outpost once again, the memory receding into the depths. It was Damien I’d seen, but…
