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My eyes widened. “I’m sorry . . .”

Words choked off when Kage laughed. He wiped the blood away with the back of his hand. “What did I say about apologizing for magic, Wildling.”

“That was mine?”

“I felt it to my damn heart.”

My palms trembled in front of my face. “But it harmed you?”

“It was raw, to be sure.” Kage sat back on his heels; his smile had only widened. “But it is there, simply pleading to be free.”

I studied the lines of my tattoos. The black burned darker than before. Something wild, something thrilling took hold, a fist around my heart.

My lips cut into a grin and I took hold of Kage’s hand again. “Let’s keep trying. Please. I want it to be free.”

He curled his fingers around mine, squeezing. “I will?—”

The door burst open, cutting Kage off.

“What is this?” Destin, Hugo, and no less than five palace guards filled the doorway. “Kagesh what are you doing to her?”

“Doing to her?” Kage shot to his feet. “I’m not doing anything to her other than trying to help her free her magic. Which I did, by the way.”

Destin’s bright eyes grew wide. He glanced to me. “Another blast? Did you see anything, learn anything?”

“I mean, I think it’s trying. We, uh, Kage took my hand and . . . something broke out. It made him bleed, of course, but it was there.” I beamed at Destin.

Destin crossed the room, the long, fur cloak dragged along the floorboards. With a smile, almost sickly sweet, he placed his palms on my shoulders. “So only another burst of raw surge?”

My shoulders slumped at the lack of intrigue in his tone.

“A surge is something, Destin,” Kage grumbled.

“Don’t get overexcited. It needs to be controlled, or all it will do is draw blood. There must be a purpose behind it. If that is truly what it was.”

Kage let out a rough grunt, almost a growl of frustration. “I know what Soturi power feels like, Brother.”

“Yes, we know,” said Destin. “And you have powerful magic that manipulates, Kage. It might’ve been yours.”

“What sort of fool do you take me for?” Kage’s eyes narrowed. “It did not connect to bone or her body would be broken. It drew blood.”

Destin shouldered Kage out, standing between us, still smiling at me like I was a child. “Lady Adira, I’m sure it was another beginning. Now that council has ended, take your rest tonight, and I will see to it you and I continue our lessons together at the dawn.”

A furrow gathered between my brows. Over Destin’s shoulder, I peered at Kage. His eyes still burned in that violent heat. Little by little, he was being nudged away from me by the guards.

“Thank you, Prince Destin, but don’t you think it makes sense ifI continue lessons with Prince Kage? After all, it was in his presence each surge has happened.”

By the urging of Cy and Asger, we’d yet to tell Destin of the nightmare connection. In this moment I was glad for it. He would likely think this burst of power was nothing more than a side effect of that bond.

Destin’s cheek twitched. “Even my brother will tell you, there can be dangerous consequences when raw Soturi power collides with another. Surely he does not want harm to befall you to save his own pride.”

Kage cursed under his breath and scoffed. “Always thinking the best of me, aren’t you?”

Without another word, Kage stormed by the table in a rush, then quit the room before anyone stopped him.

All at once the walls felt too close, too suffocating.

“Lady Adira,” Destin said, voice soft and low. “Remember what I told you.”