She burst into laughter, real laughter that shook her shoulders. “Guess I’m stronger than you thought? No pun intended.”
He couldn’t help grinning, even though he was in shock.
Lucy’s smile softened. “I should learn to control this. I don’t want to use it unless I must.” She paused. “Still… that was fun.”
She flicked her hand at him. “Now pull your pants up and get some sleep.”
Byron groaned but obeyed, muttering under his breath as he did.
Lucy stretched out on the bed, the faint glow in her eyes fading to embers. The air felt still for the first time in days.
The voice was gone.
Chapter 2
The morning cut through softly, a golden glow spilling over the room. Today, waking didn’t feel heavy. Lucy stretched, blinking against the light, and noticed Byron already awake, watching her from the edge of the bed. His expression was calm, but there was something protective in the way his eyes followed her.
He reached out, brushing a hand over her cheek.
“Kiss me,” she whispered.
Byron leaned down quickly, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead before pulling back with a crooked grin.
Lucy narrowed her eyes. “That’s not the kiss I meant.”
He chuckled, “Lucy, you’ve got to learn to switch your command feature off. Right now, when youaskfor something, it isn’t really asking. I didn’t mean to kiss you there, but you left me no choice.” He laughed
He pulled her up and guided her to the window seat. They sat side by side as he gestured to her chest.
“Can you feel it? That sensation?”
She closed her eyes. It was there, buzzing faintly like a live wire under her skin. She nodded in acknowledgement.
“Good,” Byron said. “Now raise it. Push it higher.”
The current swelled in her, heat crawling into her chest, her neck, her temples.
“Now lower it. Slow it down. You need to control it and not let it control you.”
She tried, but her eyes were still shimmering violet. “You’re still running on high.” Byron said displeased.
Sarcastically lucy said “I love how you’re so patient with me, so focused.” She bit her lip, her thoughts slipping before she could stop them.God, I’d do anything for him to bend me over right now.
Byron burst out laughing. “Lucy! I’m right here, and you’re wide open. Fix your dirty mind or I’ll never be able to concentrate.”
Her cheeks flushed crimson.
He leaned closer, whispering with a wicked smirk, “Later, I’ll give you exactly what you want. But right now, focus.”
Rolling her eyes, Lucy folded her legs beneath her and placed her hands together in an exaggerated meditative pose. Byron guided her through the exercise again, and this time she caught on. She learned to flick her power on and off like a switch, to open hermind when she wanted to listen and close it again before the flood of thoughts became too much.
Byron nodded, impressed. “You’re a fast learner. But every time you use it, it drains you. That’s the drawback. You’ll feel hungry, tired, weaker. I don’t know how long you can last, as you are royalty, so maybe longer than me, but we’ll need to test your limits.”
Lucy smirked. “Fine, let's leave it here for now. I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
They walked downstairs together. For the first time in days, she was ready to face the others. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed them until she saw their faces. The dining room fell silent as she stepped inside.
“Lucy!” Barnaby screeched, vaulting over the table like a missile. He nearly tackled her with the force of his hug. “Erm… how are you?”
