Jupiter smiled slightly, but there was a tightness around her eyes that made me think she was forcing it.
Ellis signaled the start of the simulation. The illusory warehouse solidified around us, the lights dimming to create deep shadows in the corners. I could feel Jupiter tense beside me, her magic rising to the surface, ready to be called upon.
“I’ll take point,” I murmured, my own magic gathering in my palms, creating a faint blue glow. “You cover the civilians?”
She nodded, already moving toward the huddled figures. I advanced deeper into the warehouse, senses alert for any sign ofthe bane. The illusion was so perfect that I could feel the rough concrete under my boots, smell the metallic tang of old blood.
A shadow moved to my right. I pivoted, throwing up a shield of water just as a Class Three bane—a twisted, multi-limbed creature with too many eyes—lunged at me. The shield held as the creature’s claws scraped against it, but it was strong.
“Jupiter, on your six!” I called as a second bane dropped from the ceiling behind her.
She spun, silver starlight erupting from her palms as if they were twin blades. The bane shrieked as the light pierced its misshapen body, but two more emerged from the shadows, converging on the civilians.
We fought back-to-back, her starlight and my water magic complementing each other perfectly. When I created a vortex to trap one bane, she filled it with burning starlight. When she formed a barrier around the civilians, I reinforced it with waves of protective magic.
It was the most natural thing I’d ever experienced, fighting alongside her. Our movements synchronized without effort, as if we’d trained together for years instead of minutes. I could feel her magic brushing against mine, a tingling sensation that sent shockwaves of pleasure up my spine.
By the time we eliminated the last bane, I was breathing hard, but not from exertion. The thrill of fighting beside her, of our magic intertwining, had left me high on adrenaline and need.
The simulation faded, returning us to the familiar training hall. Jupiter stood beside me, her eyes still glowing, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
“Well done,” Ellis called out, making notes on his tablet. “Excellent teamwork.”
Jupiter turned to me, a genuine smile lighting up her face. “That was fun.”
“Yeah. We make a good team.”
Something shifted in her expression. It was just a flash but I’d seen it. The woman who wanted connection just as desperately as I did, but who was terrified of being hurt again.
As the others paired off for their simulations, I found myself unable to look away. The Nightfall Shield might be just outside our gates, but they couldn’t touch her here. Here, she was safe. Here, she could heal. And maybe she could learn to trust again. To bond again.
The thought should have terrified me after everything with Eliza. Instead, it filled me with a desperate, aching hope that I hadn’t felt in years.
7
Jamie
The dreamalways started the same way. I was standing in our old cottage, the scent of my mother’s lavender sachets hanging in the air. Everything was peaceful and so damn normal. My father was reading by the fire, his glasses perched on his nose. My mother was humming as she prepared tea in the kitchen.
I knew what was coming. I always knew. But I could never change it.
The first tremor shook the cottage, rattling the windows. My father looked up, confusion crossing his face before understanding dawned. “Mary—” he called to my mother, his voice eerily calm.
The second tremor was stronger, accompanied by a sound like a train.
“James,” my mother said, her eyes wide with fear as she rushed from the kitchen. “Hide. Now.”
I shook my head, seventeen and stupidly brave. “I can help.”
My father was already at the weapons cabinet, pulling out the enchanted blades that were standard issue for all Assemblyemployees. He tossed one to my mother, who caught it with ease. They’d both been trained, though neither had been field agents for years, and neither of them ever belonged to a shield team, not like my uncles had.
“James, listen to your mother. You haven’t manifested yet. You’ll only?—“
The cottage wall exploded inward, showering us with debris. Through the gaping hole slithered the first bane, a writhing mass of darkness with too many limbs and eyes that glowed with malevolent intelligence that spanned galaxies.
What followed was horror. Just horror. My parents fought valiantly, their blades slicing through dark matter, but there were too many. I grabbed a dagger, knowing it would do little against the creatures but unable to hide while my parents fought.
The largest bane, a towering monstrosity with claws like serrated knives, lunged for me. My father intercepted it, his blade piercing its center mass. But as it died, its claws raked across his chest, opening him from shoulder to hip.
