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I plunge into my powers and break the wall I'd been keeping around my darkness, dipping into the inky magic that lives in my deepest depths, and I pull it up, letting it wrap around me, then I use a strand of it to tug at Cole.

Just as he's about to vanish, leaving his brothers stranded with the incriminating egg, I latch onto him and his smoke dissipates. He looks at me, wide eyed. "How did you do that?"

"I finally realized you're right. I'm more powerful when I tap into my darkness. But it has to be on my terms, even if I don't totally know what those terms are."

With my powers fully open, I feel my veins fill with all the elements, and I tremble from the influx of magic surging within me. My body rises from the ground, hovering, my arms spread, my skin glowing as the storm around us rages.

And suddenly my mind is flooded with a history of memories that don't belong to me, but I see it all, in an instant, the past and present and future are one, and my thoughts expand beyond what I thought possible.

When I open my mouth to speak, it is not my words that come forth, and it is not my voice that is heard.

"If you are going to punish anyone, Son of Light, punish me," the being within me says through my mouth. "It is not your brothers who are to blame, but myself. I was the one who decided on your punishment. I was the one who condemned you for what I thought I saw." I flick my wrist and summon a whip made of golden light, it's edge razor sharp. "If you must inflict pain on your tormenter, then whip me. Punish me." I hold out the whip, unafraid of what is to come. I accept whatever choice is made. "Or, you can break the cycle of pain and punishment and revenge. You can change the karmic path of everyone in this house and you can forgive, as I should have forgiven you. As I now do. You are forgiven, Son of Light, and restored with full honor and apologies to the Order of the Druids, should you wish to return. I cannot take away what is done, but I can offer this." With another flick of my wrist, a glowing golden light travels from my fingertips to Cole, and runs over his body. His eyes widen and he lifts his shirt, marveling as the scars from his torture disappear, replaced by healthy skin.

The magic still buzzes through me, and I see what happened to him all those years ago. The blood and tears and pain. The humiliation. The betrayal. And as much as I feel hurt and betrayed by a man I love, I also see the pain that led him down this path. And I know that whatever voice is speaking through me, I also need to follow heed and forgive, as hard as it is.

Cole leans forward, and I close my eyes, resigned as he reaches for the whip.

I will accept the lashes. The punishment.

I will accept whatever karmic end I must.

But when nothing happens, I open my eyes. The whip is still in my hand. But the egg—and Cole—are both gone.

Chapter 15: The Goodbye

Girlslike her were born in a storm. They have lightning in their souls, thunder in their hearts, and chaos in their bones. ~Nikita Gill

With my power drained,I fall to my knees, bruising them on the stone floor. Derek's strong arms pull me towards him and keep me from hitting the ground face first. I feel as if my power, my energy, has been sucked dry. In a panic, I dive into myself, to my core, and to my relief I still see a small trickle of each element within me.

"My magic," I whisper, my eyes fluttering closed as darkness pulls at my consciousness. "It's almost gone."

Derek kisses my forehead. "You're okay. Just rest."

* * *

I wakein the way one does when they don't know how much time has passed or what day it is and there was something very important to do.

"The trial!" I yell, startling Liam, who is dozing in the chair next to my bed.

He rubs his eyes, then smiles when he sees I've returned to the land of the living. "You gave us a scare," he says, coming to sit on the bed next to me.

He hands me a glass of water and I down the entire thing in one gulp. He refills from a pitcher on my side table, and I drink that as well. Three cups later and I feel like a water balloon about ready to burst, but the cobwebs are finally clearing out of my head.

He hands me one more cup, and I'm about to decline, but I sniff it and realize it's not water. "Matilda?" I ask.

He smiles and nods. "You won't like it, but it will help you get your strength, and magic, back sooner."

It's worth it, I suppose. I gag it down and try not to vomit, then look around for some indication of what time it is.

"We need to get to the trial." I say, putting the cup down and trying to crawl out of bed, but Liam stills me with a hand on my knee.

"There was no trial," he says grinning.

"What? Why?"

"Charges against me have been dropped. Lack of evidence, I guess." He shrugs. "I'm free."

It takes a moment for his words to sink in, and when they do, my heart nearly bursts from the joy of it. I reach for him, sliding one hand behind his head, letting my fingers dig into his hair as I pull his face towards mine. Our lips brush against each other gently at first, then he groans and scoots our hips closer, deepening our kiss as he does.