I focus on the War Room—the massive table carved from Leviathan bone. The high-backed chairs. The torch-lit walls covered in ancient tapestries. My magic stirs, sluggish and uncertain, like trying to wake something that doesn’t want to move. Lazy bitch. No wonder we don’t get along.
“Now reach for it.”
I do. Pushing my will outward, grasping for that mental image—
Nothing happens.
“Fuck.” My eyes snap open. “This is stupid.”
“Try again.”
“I am trying—”
“Then try harder.” His hands land on my shoulders, steadying. The touch sends electricity racing down my spine, but his voice stays firm. “You’re overthinking it. Justwantit. Demand it.”
Right. Because demanding things always works so well for me.
I close my eyes again, jaw clenching. This time I don’t picture—Icommand. The War Room. Now. Take me there.
Magic flares hot and wild, ripping through me like lightning. The air shimmers, reality bending—
Then collapses into nothing.
I stumble forward, catching myself on my knees. “What the hell?”
“Better.” Legend sounds amused. Also exhausted. “You almost had it.”
“Almost doesn’t count.”
“Again.”
We go through it three more times. Each attempt gets closer—the air ripples, space starts folding—but nothingholds. Bythe fourth try, sweat beads at my temples and my magic feels scraped raw, like I’ve been running it against sandpaper.
“Why don’t you just portal us?” I snap, frustration bleeding through. “You’re right there. You could do this in half a second—”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“Legend—”
“Again.”
“No.” I flop down on my back beside him, limbs sprawling across the cold stone. “I’m done. This is pointless.”
He doesn’t argue. Just lowers himself down next to me with a carefulness that makes my chest tighten. His breathing’s slightly labored, those dark circles more pronounced up close.
Silence stretches between us, heavy but not uncomfortable.
“You look like shit,” I finally say.
His laugh sounds rougher than usual. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”
“I’m serious.” I turn my head, studying his profile. “When’s the last time you actually slept?”
The pause before he answers tells me everything.
“Yeah, didn’t get much of that last night.”
Images of the blond girl flicker through my memories and now I don’t care if he drops dead in this very spot.
