Page 194 of Obsidian and Frost

She winced. “Just the thought of that nonsense disgusts me. I… thought power and safety was rooted in being on top. And, disgustingly, keeping other people down in order to climb up to that peak, you know?”

“We all make mistakes when we’re feeling insecure and out of our element. Some people withdraw—like me. And others do what you did—become aggressive and take the offensive as a preventative measure.”

“You’re too understanding and forgiving,” she said, smiling warmly.

“Not really. I just have to believe in second chances. I mean, without that, what hope is there, right?”

“That’s true. Second chances when it comes to my friends from Maven seems impossible, though. I used Dark Fae mind-meddling on them during a class exercise.” She crossed her legs and tightened her fingers around her cup. “Now all of Rennick’s magic has worn off, I know that he influenced me to do that. But it still messed with their minds, still hurt them. And even though he’d been in control of it, it was my fault we were all in that position because I was the one who hooked up with him and grew so close to him.”

“You might end up surprised. You never know until you try. But I’d work on yourself first, take more recovery time, before you take that on.”

“You know, they whisper about you in the Dark Fae Realm still? I went back a few months ago where I foolishly introduced Rennick to my parents. They’re all about power and might so they loved him. They were also proud that I was expelled from Maven Academy, especially for the reason behind it.” Off my look, she said, “Yeah, that’s the type of people they are.”

“Then it’s all the more amazing that you’re working on breaking that fucked-up generational cycle.”

“You went a long way toward doing that. You belonged to one of the prominent families of the Royal Fae Court and you formed a resistance against corruption and tyranny. They still talk about it like I said. Most in reverence.”

“And the rest in disgust, I’m guessing.”

“No.Fear.Especially with your advanced physiology now—the extreme power of your Wraith side.”

Intensity passed between us as that heavy revelation settled.

She snapped her fingers to herself. “Let’s take this conversation somewhere a whole lot lighter, shall we?”

I broke off a piece of the amazing muffin. “Fire away,” I said, before popping it into my mouth.Oh hell… amazing. Sogood.

“Tell me,” she said, propping her elbow on the table and resting her cheek against her palm. “How the hell do you manage the likes of Lazriel Thaine and Sylas Morgrave? The fierce and insanely wild King of Graverun, and then if that’s not enough to handle, there’s the Almighty Necromancer.”

“Oof, don’t let Lazriel hear you say he’s beingmanaged.He can’t stand that.” I laughed. “Nah, in all seriousness, I don’t manage either of them. It’s just shared respect, us getting to know each other, you know?”

“That sounds really nice. So sweet, actually.”

“Tell me about this position that you’re up for with the Coven Unity Division. You know that’s a major honor, right? To even be considered, especially while still a student?”

She grinned. “I know. I couldn’t believe it. And it came at such the right time with all the shit that had been happening. It was Selix Nyvarra who put my name forward, ourWeaving & Shadow Architectureprofessor. She noticed the way I use my magic, saw the uniqueness to it as well as the inherent dangers and darker edge that I’ve been trying to overcome. She said she believed I would have a specialized perspective that would benefit the organization, something that should be incorporatedinto Coven curriculums and the way they approach magic like mine—rooted in the concerning side of Dark Fae power usage.”

“Wow. She’s a hell of a guiding force, for sure. This is amazing. She’s the one who really helped me with how I approach my shadow magic.”

She took a sip from her drink. “I know. Honestly, coming to Wraeven Academy has been really awesome. It’s made a big difference already.”

“I get exactly what you mean.”

She finished the last bite of the muffin, then rose to her feet. “I’ll get our next taste-tester. We said the Frosted Moon Petal Cake, right?”

“Yep.”

It was a lemon cake with white hibiscus frosting.

I couldn’t wait.

But as she went to head over there, a sudden chill rolled through me.

More than that.

It was a sensation that had once been all too familiar, something I’d trained myself to watch out for, yet something I’d let fade into the background so much lately.

Because I was safe.