She set her legs, mirroring him. "This is a terrible idea."
"It's us," he shrugged. "When are our ideas not terrible?"
She met his grin, and it made her chest hurt. "I missed you."
His grin widened. "I missed you too, sis." He held his hands up, and she did as he. "Reach in and let it on your fingers like you did earlier."
"Both hands?" she asked shakily.
He nodded.
"I... I can't do that. I can do one hand. Not both. The void—“
"One."
And the word made her breath even.
Her eyes found his, watching his breathing as she allowed that form on her fingertips. Feeling her core tug and spiral. As though she had awakened the creature.
The world vibrated, and Nyssa panicked.
"Dorian—“
He was before her in a flash, hands pressed against hers as he held her steady. "Two," he said sternly.
Shaking, Nyssa opened her eyes again. She held to him, concentrating on just allowing that form bit by bit. Her fingertips turned ash, the black trickling down her fingers.
"Youcontrol your form," he told her. "It doesn't control you. It will try to protect you when threatened, but you have to give it boundaries. Right now, it is having a free for all inside you. Let it know you are in charge."
"How do I do that?"
"Close your eyes—“
And she did.
“—Feel it moving inside your core. Volatile, right?"
She nodded.
"Let it come up."
Her eyes flickered back open. "Let it up? Like to the surface?"
"Just behind your eyes."
Heart throbbing, she shifted her weight and closed her eyes again. She thought of the creature in the mirror. The glowing amber eyes and the black streaks.
"That form is a part of you," he continued. "You control it, but you also have to realize it is a part of who you are. Respect it, and it will respect you."
"How did you learn all this when we were marked before Rhaif?" she wondered without opening her eyes.
Dorian was silent a brief moment, and then, "Our mother."
Nyssa almost frowned. “What? Arbina?”
A flicker of navy flames pulsed to life and moved over his blackened hand like a velvet glove. “I think she used me as a pawn,” he said softly. “Those times when I trained with her, she always did it when he was near. She did it to taunt him, and I was such a child, I didn’t know any better. I showed off before him, thinking it was what I was supposed to do to earn his love. I wanted to be his friend, but she made sure that never happened.” He blew out a hard breath and gave her a wry smile. “Enough about that bitch. Let’s get your fire under control so you can fuck your Commander tonight.”
She almost rolled her eyes but set up as he instructed her again.
