Page 36 of Wings of Darkness (Daughter of the Seven Circles #2)

“I’d agree, but he’s right, isn’t he? That’s what it’s called when I enter people’s dreams or memories?” I looked at Cato, who seemed to understand what I meant .

“Yes. And you’re better off never using those powers again,” he snapped, then turned and left, his robes swooshing as he stormed away.

I sat back, startled. That was the most emotion I’d ever seen from him. Even Lucifer looked taken aback, staring after his Throne.

But Cato knew about dream-walking. I had half the mind to run after him. I considered it, then dropped the thought. I knew if he didn’t want to talk, he wouldn’t.

“This is how you contacted your mother?” Lucifer asked, pulling my attention from Cato’s retreat.

I nodded.

“Can you do it at any time?”

“No. And I’m having a hard time directing it. Sometimes I dream-walk to the person I want, and other nights I don’t.”

“Interesting,” Lucifer mused. “I’ll speak with Cato later and see what I can find out.”

“Thanks,” I said, grateful for his help, even if he was only curious because I could talk to his lost love.

He gestured for me to stand. “Come. Let’s practice.”

Lucifer led me to another part of the castle, strolling by my side as I limped. I would’ve used Rune to help, but he didn’t want her to come along, commanding her to find the general. We ended up in a sort of greenhouse.

I walked through the frosted glass doors, feeling a chill instead of the balmy heat I expected. Flowers of every color and shape were encased in transparent ice. Sunlight shone through the greenhouse, glinting off the ice and casting prisms of color across the stone path .

“This used to be your mother’s favorite place to come when she was here, but without the ice,” Lucifer said softly, grazing a finger over the icy petal of a yellow rose.

“When she left, I froze everything. I thought if I always had this piece of her, there’d be hope she’d come back to me. ” He sighed, leading me to a bench.

The moment I sat down, warmth seeped into my bottom. My eyes widened, and I glanced at Lucifer, who was smiling. It was small and weighted, but a smile nonetheless. And more of my hardened heart melted. I liked my father’s smile. He seemed more… open and approachable.

“The bench is runed. I come here often. And despite my cold lands, I do enjoy warmth.”

I nodded, gazing at a place touched by both my parents.

“You can come here whenever you like. But from now on, I’d like our training to be here.”

I gave him a slight nod, and he patted my hand. But the movement was jerky and hesitant, like he wasn’t sure what he was doing.

I laughed. “You don’t have to try so hard. I don’t have many expectations for a father. So just do what feels normal. Be you,” I said, sounding cliché and weird. We both weren’t good at this, I guess.

“Alright.” He straightened and handed me a pink rose. “Freeze it,” he said, his demanding voice back in place.

I sighed. I told him to be himself.

Opening myself to my Infernus, I gave it my want, and it answered. The whispering of ice came first, then the itches, and within seconds, the rose was completely encased. Though mine was more frosty than clear .

“Fast study,” he said, approval ringing in his tone.

“We’ll practice more with your glaciation powers in the Shard Field.

For now, let’s return to blocking. I’ll send your subconscious an emotion, and it’ll create a hallucination using my Infernus.

I want you to try to block it as soon as you see the scene. ”

I didn’t even close my eyes before I was slammed with the image of me, Michael, and my mom in that butcher’s basement.

But this time, Michael was slamming his dagger into my mom’s stomach.

Even knowing it wasn’t real, I screamed.

She was unconscious, and each strike had her body jolting, blood spurting.

“Stop!” I shrieked. Heavenly Shit, I couldn’t see this.

“Block, Lucille. Shield me out.”

I couldn’t. I couldn’t stop watching, couldn’t stop screaming as Michael mutilated her. She was dying.

“Lucille!” an icy voice boomed. “Shield! You’ve done it before.”

I closed my eyes, the squelching noise of the knife in her flesh filling my ears. Shield! I screamed at myself. But I couldn’t concentrate. The knife kept suctioning in and out of her skin. “Stop. Stop!” I begged.

The hallucination dissolved, and I doubled over, heaving.

“You have a minute to gather yourself. Then we go again. You’ve pushed me out before. Why can’t you now?” His words were clipped and impatient.

Oddly, his tone helped to steady me, and the memory of those times flashed back. “You made me angry before, not scared.” At least not that scared.

“Your enemies won’t care how they break you. Fear, anger, sorrow… they’ll use anything to take you down. Again. ”

“That wasn’t a min?—”

This time, the scene shifted. I wasn’t strapped to the table anymore. Instead, I was the one holding the dagger, plunging it into my mother’s stomach.

I squeezed my eyes shut, screaming so loud it drowned out the wet suction.

Shield. Shield!

I’d done it before—not just against Lucifer, but recently with my mom. I could do it again. I pulled at my Infernus, and it resisted.

Come on!

I pulled again, forcing it to the surface of my mind with everything I had. Something flashed behind my eyes, and I opened them to see purple flames engulfing the butcher’s basement. Slowly, the scene faded away, and the greenhouse came into view.

“Better. But I told you not to force your Infernus.”

“It wouldn’t come otherwise.”

He pursed his lips, displeasure written all over them. “You doubt yourself, so it doubts your wants. You need to understand—your Infernus is almost a sentient being inside your body.”

“What?”

“The more powerful you are, the more your powers take on a life of their own. It will answer to your confidence and need—but even the slightest bit of doubt, and it won’t. Again.”

We practiced on and off for the rest of the day, breaking only for lunch and dinner, which were brought to the greenhouse. He didn’t let me leave until I blocked him three times in a row. That took until nightfall.

By the time I stumbled into my room, my mind throbbed as much as my muscles. There was no way I’d dream-walk tonight. Every part of me was utterly spent.