Page 11 of Elemental Becoming

“You absolutely do,” Rowena assures him.

Sera, watching this unfold, hides a smirk behind her hand. I get the feeling Sera is the more measured and socially-appropriate of the pair.

“And then,” Rowena continues, relishing every word, “he goes on to list every possible complaint he could think of. And I quote—” She lifts a hand, ticking off on her fingers. “‘Shedoesn’t listen.’ ‘She’s reckless.’ ‘She challenges everything I say.’ ‘She doesn’t think before she acts.’ ‘She has no sense of self-preservation.’ ‘She’s a pain in my ass.’”

I snort. “That’s . . . not entirely untrue.”

“Oh, good to know!” Rowena remarks before continuing. “But the best part? The absolute best part?”

She pauses for effect, brows raised and a grin, ear to ear.

“He sounded like a whiny child!” Rowena raises the pitch of her voice. “It’s not fair! Why does she have to act like that? No one respects me! Blah, blah, blah.”

I glance at Thane, who is looking anywhere but at me. And I think I see his cheeks flush. This is absolutely amazing. I have never seen Thane squirm this much.

I might be in love with Rowena.

“But here’s where it gets interesting,” Rowena continues, grinning.

“The more he talked about you, the more it became painfully obvious that he was a man possessed.”

Thane looks up at the sky like the gods might spare him from this moment. Rowena grins like a predator sensing weakness, then turns to Sera with a dramatic flourish.

“And then he gets quiet,” she says, lowering her voice to something mockingly serious, like she’s telling the most tragic tale ever told. Sera, who has heard this story before, smiles knowingly.

“I mean, full on silence dripping with drama,” Rowena continues, gesturing wildly now. “Thinking. Contemplating. Probably questioning his entire existence.”

She pauses, drawing it out, letting the moment stretch unbearably long. Then—delivers the killing blow. Thane stiffens as if he is bracing for impact.

“And then, with all the weight of a man walking to his death, he mutters—” I lean forward slightly, waiting, curious. Thanesqueezes his eyes shut as his cheeks color. “‘She makes me crazy.’”

Silence.

A beat follows before I burst out laughing.

She waves a hand at the two of us, at the space between us that is no longer filled with hesitation, with denial. “He’s doomed, isn’t he?” she asks Sera.

“Oh, completely.”

“It’s almost tragic.”

“Almost.”

I grin. “Not just doomed,” I muse. “Completely fucked.”

Thane groans loudly. “I think I’ll head back to the outpost now.”

“No! Please don’t. You’ve been away so long,” Rowena argues. Something in her expression softens.

Thane sees it too.

And just like that, the teasing falls away, replaced by something unspoken. Familial. Forgiven.

“I missed you, little brother,” she says, quieter now, reaching her arms up around Thane’s neck.

“I know,” Thane murmurs, wrapping his strong arms around her small frame. “I missed you too.”

And gods, I feel that.