“Of course not. Rosemarie Brysden never asks for help, does she? And why would she ever need help from her useless Healer of a friend, anyway?”
“Well, you’re definitely not a useless Healer anymore.”
The vehemence in Romie’s words stung. “You still see me that way, don’t you? This meek girl you had to speak for half the time, the girl who hid in your shadow.”
“That’s not—”
“I’ve changed, Ro. I’ve had to step up and take charge while you were gone, and you know what? I like who I’ve become. Someone who’s not weak or mediocre, but powerful.”
“And where does that hunger for power stop?” Romie asked, her voice dangerously low now, trembling with an unknown emotion about to erupt. “When you Collapse? When you hurt one of us?”
Emory let the words settle between them. “You can’t stand it, can you?” she said softly, heart aching with the realization.
“What?”
“Me being more powerful than you. Being a Tidecaller, having access to all these magics… it’s whatyoualways wanted. And you can’t stand the idea that I’m the one who got this power, not you.”
Hurt flashed across Romie’s face. “Is that really what you think of me?”
“Well, isn’t it the truth?”
“No. The truth is I’mscaredof you, Em. Because while you’re using all this glorious power that makes you feel oh so special, you don’t even realize that you’re hurtingme.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The ley line? Didn’t you notice the effect it had on me when you used your magic? You were leeching power from me. It felt like I was being drained of blood, of magic, oflife, because that’s what you’ve become, Em. A Tidethief.”
The word was like a stab to the heart. Emory shook her head, denying the accusation, despite suddenly recalling how Romie had looked on the ley line, how she herself had wondered if she were hurting her.
“Tides, you can’t even admit it.” Romie scoffed, wiping angrily at her eyes. “I guess you have changed.”
With that, she stormed off, leaving Emory behind with a bitter taste in her mouth.
30ROMIE
EMORY’S WORDS BURROWED INTO HER, and though therewassome truth to them—because yes, fine, Romiehad beena tad jealous of Emory’s power, but that was before experiencing firsthand how dangerous it was—the fact that Emory believed she would stoop so low as to let that jealousy come between them hurt.
Romie had already apologized about the secrets she’d kept at Aldryn. She wasn’t one to dwell on past mistakes. She was more than willing to move on, go back to how things were before everything went to shit, if only Emory took responsibility forherpart. But Emory still didn’t seem to grasp what she’d done.
“You okay?” Nisha asked as Romie barged into the room.
Romie had never been so happy to see her. Unlike Emory, Nisha at least seemed more than content to go back to the way things were.
Needing an outlet for all these silly feelings, Romie related her conversation with Emory. She expected outrage on Nisha’s part, or at least for her to take Romie’s side. But Nisha merely bit her lip, looking uncertain.
“Don’t tell me you agree with her?”
“She did go through a lot.”
“So did I,” Romie argued. “I had to watch my friends slowly go mad in the sleepscape. I watched Travers and Lia disappear without knowing where they’d gone. I saw Jordyn turn into an umbra in front of my very eyes.”
“I know,” Nisha said placatingly. “I’m not saying what you went through was any less hard than what Emory did.”
“Then what are you saying?”
“That maybe everything you went through changed you. Both of you. People grow apart. That doesn’t mean they can’t find their way back to each other.”
Nisha gave her a knowing look, the hint of a smile lifting her mouth. It broke through Romie’s defenses until she was rolling her eyes playfully at her, hiding a smile of her own. “Do you have any other sage advice for me?”
