A light in the flame

I stared up at him as he turned his gaze to the dark, glistening waters that reminded me so much of my lake. I wondered how often he disappeared to this space—somewhere I knew was special, based on his tone and how he looked upon it. It might even be a little bit sacred to him. I also wondered why he’d decided to show it to me.

You miss your lake, don’t you?

That sweeping, fluttering motion returned to my chest as my gaze shifted back to the pool.

“Why did you visit my lake if you had this?”

Nyktos was quiet for so long that I looked at him. He was still staring at the pool. “Because it was your lake.”

Chapter 24

Out of everything I’d expected him to say, that wasn’t even on the list. “What do you mean?” I angled my body toward his. “Because when I saw you at my lake, you acted surprised to see me there.”

“I was surprised to see you there.” He looked down at me. “Out of the many times that I had been there, you never came.”

“But you knew it was my lake before that night?”

“I did.”

My brows raised. “I’m going to need a little bit more explanation here.”

He was quiet for a moment. “Before my father died, he told me about the deal he made with your ancestor. He didn’t tell me why, but I think I would’ve known even if he hadn’t told me.”

“Because of how the Shadowlands changed?”

Nyktos shook his head. “That’s what I thought it was until I learned about the embers. I felt you—or at least the ember that belonged to me.” He tilted his head as he dragged his fangs over his lower lip. “I had Lathan and Ector watching over you after your seventeenth birthday, and as you grew older, but I…I checked in on you before that. I was curious about you.” His eyes met mine. “I’d seen you go through the woods. Saw you sit by the lake. I never lingered too long, so I didn’t ever see you do more than put your feet in the water, but I knew you went there.”

“I had no idea,” I murmured, surprised. “I really need to be more observant.”

Nyktos shot me a wry grin.

“Why didn’t you talk to me?” I asked.

“Why?” He laughed roughly, ru

I thought about that. “Actually, yeah, that would’ve been really creepy.”

“Exactly.”

“But watching me walk through the woods is somehow not creepy?” I crossed my arms.

His attention shifted back to the pool. “I think it was borderline creepy.”

A quiet laugh left me. “I’m messing with you. If I were you, I would’ve been curious, too. Except I probably would’ve been creepy and spoken to you.”

Nyktos smiled at that.

“But that doesn’t really answer why it being my lake mattered when you had this.” I nodded at the pool. “Coming here has to be far easier than entering the mortal realm, even if you can do the shadowstepping thing.”

“I don’t know. The lake is different, and I…” He frowned, scratching his jaw. “I just felt drawn to it. Drawn to you.”

“Because of the ember?”

“Maybe.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I’d been meaning to show you this because I know you like water, but if I’d shown you this earlier, then I would have had to…”

He’d have had to explain why he’d created such a thing. His visits to my lake. Seeing me. And he hadn’t been ready. I glanced back at the pool. Plus, I had a feeling that this place was a sanctuary for him, even if others used it. Just as my lake had been for me. Sharing this was something else he hadn’t been ready to do.

Until now.

I inhaled deeply, awed and…moved.

Nyktos faced me. “Showing you this pool wasn’t the only reason I brought you here. Remember when I said there were ways we could draw the eather out of you again?”

Every part of me zeroed in on that as I filed what he’d shared away to think about later. “Yes.”

“I figured we could try that this morning. And this is a place very few other than I will venture. So, there should be no risk of anyone else seeing exactly what you’re capable of or inadvertently getting caught in the crossfire.”

Excitement buzzed through me, as did a small bit of trepidation. “Are you sure I can’t hurt you?”

He nodded. “It takes a bit more than a blast of eather to hurt a Primal.”

“But I did.”

“It was just a sting.”

“It turned your skin cold again.”

“It was an icy sting,” he amended. “You’re not going to hurt me, Sera. We don’t even know if you will have such an outburst again.” His eyes glimmered. “But if you behave yourself, then maybe you can go for a swim.”

“If I behave myself?” My brows shot up as I ignored the happy thrill I felt at the prospect. “Like some sort of child you’ve creepily watched walking through the woods?”

“Yes.” His lips twitched. “Did that make you feel like you could call on the essence?”

“No, but it made me feel like I should punch you.” My eyes narrowed on him. “Did you just try to goad me into using the eather?”

“I did.”

I laughed. “Oh, you’re going to have to do better than that. It takes a lot to anger me.”

“I want you to repeat what you just said and ask yourself if that’s the truth,” he replied.

My lips pursed. “Let me rephrase. It takes a lot to make me that angry. I have way more control than you realize.”

I’d expected some kind of—rightfully—sarcastic response, but there was none. Nyktos eyed me for a few moments. “Let me see your dagger.”

“How do you know I have it?”

“You always have it, Sera. Hand it over.” He paused, extending his hand. “Please.”

“I hate it when you say please,” I grumbled, bending over and reaching inside the shaft of my boot. I slid the dagger out, straightening.

“What a strange thing to hate.”

I placed it, hilt first, onto his palm. “Yeah, you’d think.”

“Thank you.” Nyktos turned sharply, throwing the dagger.

My mouth dropped open as it flew through the air, striking the wall above the table with such force that the handle vibrated. “What the hell?” My head whipped toward him. “Now, you’re just a

Nyktos smiled, and that, too, was a

“And that’s why you threw my dagger into a wall?”

“I threw the dagger into the wall because I don’t want to get stabbed again, nor do I want you cutting off more of my hair.”

I opened my mouth.

“And don’t even tell me you wouldn’t stab me,” he said. “You would.”

“You’re such a know-it-all,” I muttered, tracking him.

Nyktos smirked. “If we’re able to draw it out of you again, then we can move on to more controlled uses.”

“So, what are we going to do?” I crept closer to him. “Fight hand-to-hand until I get frustrated and use the embers?”

“I have a feeling we’re just going to tire you out before then, but that’s the plan.”

I lifted my right hand and extended my middle finger even as adrenaline surged through me. He was probably right, but I missed training. Fighting. “In case you don’t know what that means, go fuck yourself.”

Nyktos chuckled. “If you behave, maybe I’ll fuck you instead.”

A wholly inappropriate flush of heat went through me as I saw red. I went at him, swinging my arm—

Into nothing.

I stumbled into the empty space where he’d once stood, catching myself. I looked up.