Chapter 7 Chapter 6
Morning came too soon, announced by a knock that was more demand than request.
I'd barely slept, too keyed up from everything that had happened, too aware of the unfamiliar room and the wards pressing against my magic like a constant pressure behind my eyes. When I finally dragged myself out of bed, I found the clothes the vampire woman had left me last night. Black pants that fit perfectly, a dark green shirt that was softer than anything I'd ever owned, and boots that looked both practical and expensive. I hated how good they felt.
The knock came again, more insistent this time.
"I'm awake," I called, running fingers through my tangled hair. I probably looked like hell, but honestly, I didn't care. Let them see exactly how much I didn't want to be here.
The door opened to reveal Kael Thorne, looking infuriatingly put together in all black that somehow made his eyes seem even more silver. He took in my appearance with a single glance, and something that might have been amusement flickered across his face.
"Good morning," he said, like this was a normal situation. Like I hadn't been kidnapped and imprisoned here less than twelve hours ago.
"There's nothing good about it," I said flatly.
"Fair enough." He stepped into the room, and I hated how my body went on alert, how aware I was of his presence. "We start training in twenty minutes. I suggest you eat something first. You'll need your strength."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then you'll train hungry and weak, which seems counterproductive." He moved to the window, looking out at the city below. "I understand you're angry. You have every right to be. But anger without direction is just noise. Channel it into something useful."
"You mean channel it into being your weapon," I said.
He turned to face me, and for the first time since I'd met him, I saw something like frustration in those ancient eyes. "I mean channel it into surviving. You think I enjoy this? You think I wanted to drag a terrified witch into the Court and watch her look at me like I'm a monster?"
"Aren't you?"
The question hung in the air between us. Kael held my gaze, and I refused to look away, refused to be the first one to flinch.
"Yes," he said finally. "I'm a monster. I've lived for over three centuries, and in that time I've done things that would haunt you if you knew the details. I've killed. I've fed on humans. I've followed orders I knew were wrong because my Queen commanded it. So yes, Seraphine. I'm absolutely a monster."
His honesty caught me off guard. I'd expected denial, excuses, justifications. Not this raw admission.
"Then why should I trust you?" I asked.
"You shouldn't." He crossed his arms, leaning against the window frame. "But you don't have many options right now. I can teach you to control your power, or you can keep fumbling in the dark until you accidentally kill someone. Those are your choices."
"Some choice," I muttered.
"It's more than most people get," he said. "Now get ready. We're training in the lower levels."
He left, and I took a moment to steady myself. Then I grabbed the plate of food someone had left outside my door. Fruit and bread and something that looked like eggs. I ate mechanically, tasting nothing, my mind already spinning with what training might entail.
Fifteen minutes later, Kael returned and led me through the Court's maze of corridors. We passed other vampires who all stopped to stare at me with varying degrees of curiosity and hostility. I kept my chin up and my expression blank, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing how terrified I actually was.
We descended several flights of stairs, going deep beneath the Court until we reached a massive training room. Stone walls, high ceilings, and enough space to hold a small army. Various weapons hung on the walls, and in the center was a large open area marked with symbols I didn't recognize.
"This is where we train our warriors," Kael said, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it aside. Underneath, he wore a simple black shirt that showed off the kind of muscle definition that came from centuries of combat. I made myself look away. "And where you'll learn to not be a liability."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me." He moved to the center of the room, gesturing for me to join him. "Right now, you're dangerous to everyone around you, including yourself. Your power activates based on emotion. Fear, anger, panic. That's reactive, not controlled. I'm going to teach you discipline."
"I know discipline," I said, bristling.
"Do you?" He tilted his head, studying me. "Show me your magic. Right now. Summon your shadows without losing control."
I reached for my power, felt it rise in response. The shadows in the corners of the room began to writhe, moving toward me. But the moment I tried to shape them, tried to direct them, they slipped from my mental grasp like water through fingers. Frustration spiked, and the shadows surged, spreading too fast, too wild.
"Stop," Kael commanded.
I tried, but the shadows were already spiraling out of control. They raced across the floor, up the walls, responding to my panic by growing stronger.
Kael moved so fast I barely saw him. One moment he was across the room, the next he was in front of me, his hands gripping my shoulders. "Look at me. Not at the shadows. At me."
I dragged my eyes to his, finding those silver depths steady and calm.
"Breathe," he said, his voice cutting through my panic like a knife. "The power is yours. It doesn't control you unless you let it. Stop fighting it. Stop drowning in it. Just breathe and pull it back."
His certainty was like an anchor. I focused on his face, on the feel of his hands on my shoulders, and slowly pulled the shadows back. They retreated reluctantly, pooling at my feet before fading into the stone.
I was shaking, my breath coming in gasps. Kael's hands were still on my shoulders, and I could feel the cold radiating from him, could see the concern he was trying to hide.
"That was better," he said quietly.
"Better?" I almost laughed. "I nearly lost control again."
"But you didn't." He released me, stepping back. "That's progress. Now we do it again."
"Again?"
"You think mastery comes from one attempt?" He moved back to his position. "We're going to spend hours doing this. Days. Weeks if necessary. Until reaching for your power is as natural as breathing, until controlling it is instinct instead of effort."
I wanted to argue, wanted to tell him I didn't have weeks to spend playing his training games. But the truth was, he was right. I needed this. Needed to learn control before I hurt someone. Before I hurt myself.
"Fine," I said. "But I have conditions."
His eyebrow rose. "You're not exactly in a position to negotiate."
"I want to see Luna. I want proof she's safe. And I want to be able to call her."
Kael was quiet for a long moment. Then he pulled out his phone, typed something, and held it up to show me. A photo of Luna, clearly taken this morning, sitting in what looked like a nice apartment. She looked tired and worried, but unhurt.
"She's being kept in one of our safe houses," Kael said. "Protected. As long as you cooperate, she stays safe and comfortable."
"You're using her as leverage."
"I'm keeping her alive," he corrected. "The demons know about her now. If we hadn't taken her, they would have. This way, she's protected and you have incentive to focus on your training instead of plotting escape."
I hated that it made sense. Hated that he was right. But at least Luna was safe. That was something.
"Can I call her?"
"After training," Kael said. "If you do well today, you can call her tonight."
It was manipulation, pure and simple. But I didn't have a choice. "Deal."
"Good." He gestured to the center of the room. "Now. Again. Summon your shadows. And this time, try not to let them consume the entire room."
I took a deep breath, centered myself, and reached for my power.
This was going to be a very long day