Page 101 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

And for the first time since he entered the tower…

her flames dimmed.

Rain funnelled calm into her, letting the emotion flow through the bridge of their joined hands. He watched her energy closely; the frantic, jagged pulses gradually syncing to his own steady rhythm. He exaggerated each inhale, each slow exhale, letting the sound guide her. Bit by bit, her muscles loosened. Her shoulders dropped. The wild panic in her eyes softened into something curious, almost childlike.

“How did you do that?” she whispered, as if afraid her own voice might startle her back into ignition.

“It’s one of my powers,” Rain said gently. “I can channel emotions. I’ve learned to isolate certain feelings and mirror them into others. We can do that; we can learn to master control over our powers. I struggled for years, just like you. But with the right tools, I learned how my power works. I want to help you do the same.”

He squeezed her fingers softly.

“Can you tell me how long you’ve been locked away in here?”

Sadness flickered across her face; a deep, ancient sadness, but no tears fell. She seemed too dehydrated, too exhausted, too traumatised for tears.

“I have been here always,” she murmured. “By myself. For as much as I can remember.”

A memory seized her; sharp, disjointed. Her head twitched.

“No… I was a child somewhere. But I don’t remember.”

Her pulse spiked. Panic surged.

Rain tightened his hold, sending calm through her again, anchoring her with steady eye contact.

“That’s okay. I understand.”

He took a breath, choosing his next words carefully.

“Scarlet, we can’t stay here. I need to get you out, and we have a long journey back to my kingdom. I was ordered to retrieve you…”

He hesitated.

He could not bring her to Azrien.

He would not hand her over to a male who would lock her away again or worse.

“…Someone in your court wanted me to rescue you. I don’t know who. But that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is getting you out of here safely.”

Her flames flickered at the word safely, as if the concept was foreign.

“I need you stable enough not to harm my troops,” Rain continued. “To do that, I’m going to teach you, quickly, how to regulate your emotions. I notice your power releases when you’re dysregulated. Mine used to do the same. Emotional regulation is the key. I can help you feel what that feels like and I’ll walk you through it every time you need.”

Her lip trembled.

“You can’t,” she whispered. “I hurt everyone.”

Her chest convulsed; a small burst of fire escaping her. Rain shielded his torso but left his arms exposed. The flames bounced off his barrier and shot toward the ceiling. His sleeve caught fire; he swatted it out with mild annoyance.

“But not you,” she breathed, staring at his unburnt skin.

“I think Red Aetherchrome activated a new power in me,” Rain said, half to himself.

“Are you a Red like me?” she asked.

“No. I’m from a forgotten bloodline.”

He surprised himself with how easily the truth came.