Chapter 72 Water
ZORA
I'd have to guide and not lash out.
When I opened my eyes, the threads swirled lazily in the air before me.
They looked harmless and beautiful.
Thankfully, this wasn’t reality else I'd have to worry about accidentally killing someone.
Grace hummed appreciatively, "Pretty, I’ll give you that. But pretty doesn’t mean safe. Try not to kill me in your little practice, hm?"
My lip curled. "Tempting. Since you're already dead, should we find out what happens if I use the threads against you?"
Still, I tried. The grimoire said the threads weren’t just meant for destruction. Their essence was life itself, which meant I could bend them in more than one direction. Destruction was half of a coin while the other....
"Think of water," Grace said suddenly.
I blinked. "What?"
"Healing. Life. Flow. Whatever your mother wrote, it’s the same principle wolves use when we focus energy on mending bones or resisting poison. Flow, not force. Water, not fire."
I wanted to scoff, but some part of me wanted to try.
I lifted my hand, and the threads followed, twisting into a trembling spiral.
They flickered, threatening to snap.
I need an actual wound to heal to figure things out with his powers.
Grace set down a pot of dying flowers in front of me.
I stared at her.
"No questions," she snapped. "Try with it. Revive the flowers."
"Is this even real? Where did you even get it from?"
"I said more questions, Zora. Heal the plant."
I rolled my eyes and concentrated.
Pulling at the silver threads, wrapping them around the flowers, willing the thread to be gentle and actually heal."
What if it doesn't work?
What kill i accidentally kill instead of heal?
Grace watched me, her arms folded, "You’re killing it even further. Stop overthinking it!"
I glared at her, "Easy for you to say. You're not the one with a huge responsibility."
She returned my glare, "Stop whining and make the best of it."
This is pointless.
I returned my gaze to the flowers, the silver threads were wrapped around it delicately.
I inhaled deeply and closer my eyes, picturing the flowers healthy, in bloom and beautiful.
"Open your eyes," Grace whispered in my ears.
My breath caught in my throat, "I.... did it, and they are beautiful..."
Grace went closer to inspect the flowers. "Well damn.... maybe you’re not completely hopeless after all."
Then she eyed me, "You know what this means, right?
"That I wasn’t doomed to kill everything I touched?"
She laughed, "You're just getting started. Perhaps it's better to have you train physically. You’ll need more than bedtime stories in your head to master this."
"And have you follow me around like a stalker? No thanks."
"It wasn’t a choice." Grace straightened, smirking now.
I glanced at her, my lips pressed together.
Is now a good time? Would there ever be a good time?"
"Out with it. What now?"
"Why did you do it?" I blurted out.
She frowned, "Do what?"
"Annual mating ceremony? The day I got rejected?"
Her lips twitched, but she was silent.
"I still resent you for it, you should know."
She looked torn and was about to say something when the room shook like an earthquake was passing underneath.
"What's going on?" I yelled, "What's happening?"
"Someone is waking y-"
Everything dissolved.
My eyes snapped open, and the first thing I noticed was the silver threads around fingertips.
"Goodness Zora!! I was going to get a coven to wake you up!" Marissa narrowed her eyes at me.
"Why did you wake me up? It's barely five hours."
She thrusts a mirror in front of me in response, "I was bleeding from my eyes, nose, and ears."
"And you've been asleep for six hours. I spent an hour trying to wake you."
"All that, and it's six hours? It was barely even an hour!! Grace is right. Maybe it's better to learn physically."
"You're lucky," Grace said, appearing opposite me, "I never had a maidservant who cared about me this much."
"Sorry, not sorry."
"What?" Marissa asked with a frown.
"Not you, talking to Grace.
"The former Luna?"
I nodded.
"Oh.." She muttered, cleaning the blood off my face. "So how was it?"
I explained everything to her.
She nodded and moved closer, "If she's being annoying and you need help dispelling spirits. Let me know. I'm surprisingly good at that."
I bit back a chuckle and hugged Marissa, " Thank you, really."
She gave me a small smile and left.
Grace tilted her head, "What are you doing still in the bed? Get dressed and continue your practice outside!!"
I was tempted to ignore her.
Instead, I got dressed and did as she said.
Unlike the dream, even though I was surrounded by a lot of dying plants and trees in the woods, I couldn’t get it to flourish.
Grace frowned, "Your wolf. What's it saying?"
"Err....nothing? My wolf is dormant. Just suddenly disappeared on me."
"Why didn't you mention it?" She half yelled, "Waking your wolf should have been the first step!"
I was silent.
"Thought about the price you'll pay? Would you be ready for whatever it is?"
"There's a seven percent chance that it won't have anything to do with death. I'm willing to take my chances."
"Whatever you say, but first you need your wolf. It's what's going to serve as an insulator and help you get better control of your powers."
"Great! No pressure at all. After all, I'm a Sylunthys."