I love her with every beat of my heart and sliver of my soul.
“I’ll keep the specifics to myself then. I need a favor from you if you don’t mind helping me out.”
“Of course I don’t mind.”
“Will you get Amick to starshoot me the plant he was going to use to teach Thayla about her Obliteration? I’m about to make her try now.”
“Make her. You’re hilarious. I must see this.”
His hoot echoes around in my mind and I roll my eyes.
“Sit up and turn to face me.”
“For what?”
I curl my lips in to stop a smile from spreading across them.
“Can’t you just do as I ask? You never give Amick such a hard time.”
“Well, one, you didn’t ask. You told. Two, you both are bossy in your own ways, and I handle you both accordingly.”
“Accordingly, my ass. You like to argue with me. You don’t argue with him because you like the way his voice gets stern.”
She throws her head back, laughing like I told the realm’s funniest joke. I silence the sound as I wrap my hand around her throat and tilt her neck back even more so I can lay my lips on hers.
“Tell me I’m wrong.”
“You’re not. Not at all.”
I smirk down at her, then release her so she can turn around like I ask—told—her to.
“What are you up to?” she asks as she arches her brow at the look on my face.
“We’re going to go over your power of Obliteration.”
Her humor instantly disappears, but before she can refuse me, I push on.
“I’ve struggled since arriving in the Godsdawn with not only my powers, but also with my Designations. The Healer in me anyway. Its placement made no sense to me. Over the years, and with my obsession with cooking, the guys made jokes about how that’s obviously where it comes from. Me using food to heal the body.
“You’re the one who really called me out. You brought up how I helped those Plentifuls like it was perfectly normal. It was at that moment, it felt normal and it made sense. I can kill to heal. Now I’m going to teach you how Obliteration can help do the same.”
Her denial and refusal are on the tip of her tongue. If she tells me she really isn’t ready, I’ll drop it, but I don’t want her to do that.
I know she can do this.
“Okay,” she whispers.
As if he were waiting for his opportune moment, V pops in right beside us with the plant I requested in his claws.
“The two of you planned this?” she asks as her narrowed glare bounces between the two of us.
“Without all of us, apparently. Rude, isn’t it, little burden?”
I peer over my shoulder and huff as Riven, Kyzen, and Amick march up behind me.
“You three aren’t needed.”
“We may not be needed for your lesson, but we won’t be missing out on her achieving this,” Amick says, not sparing me a glance as he kneels beside Thayla and gives her a kiss.
