Page 321 of Elemental Becoming

I roll my shoulders, wincing as the bruises protest, but there’s no bitterness beneath the pain. No lingering doubt. Ardyn wanted to prove something today. Maybe to me. Maybe to the people watching. Maybe to herself.

And gods, maybe a part of me needed to prove something too.

That I belong here. That the months of training, the sacrifices, and the endless struggle were worth something. That no matter how many rumors or challenges are thrown my way, no one can take away what I’ve earned.

The water shifts around me as I let my head rest against the smooth stone rim of the bath. I sigh and lower my shields, knowing I am about to get a scolding from my dragon.

The moment the wall of air vanishes, a pulse of worry floods the bond, sharp and immediate.

“What happened?”Calryx’s voice is threaded with concern.“I sensed heightened emotions from you. Are you alright?”

Her presence coils around mine, protective and insistent.

“Yes, I’m fine,”I assure her.“Just had to take care of something that was long overdue—Ardyn.”

I send her the memories through the bond. The fight. The challenge. The bruises forming even as I fought back. Calryx is silent for a moment as she sorts through them.

Then comes a satisfied hum.“Hmph. I never doubted you.”

Pride rolls through the bond, rich and certain.

“It’s about time someone reminded that entitled little hatchling that you are not prey. You didn’t just beat her, Virelya. You made her underestimate you. That is a mistake she won’t make again.”

But then the feeling in the bond shifts. The pride remains, but annoyance slips in beside it.

“Next time, you will not block me when you are in a heightened state. I will not tolerate that.”

I grin.

“Yes, mother hen,”I tease.

A roar of outrage blasts through the bond. I wince.

“Okay! Okay!”I laugh.“I hear you!”

Then the connection quiets, the flare of Calryx’s frustration settling into a familiar warmth, like embers glowing low after the fire has burned itself out.

A smile tugs at my lips and I sink deeper into the water, letting the scent of lavender and rosemary drift around me while the heat eases some of the ache from my body.

I am sore and battered, but my mind feels clear in a way it hasn’t for a long time.

I thought I would feel guilt or doubt after the fight. Instead, I feel at peace. As though I wasn’t just fighting Ardyn. As though I was fighting every fear and insecurity she spent the afternoon throwing back at me.

And I won.

Ardyn can hold on to her resentment if she wants. I know who I am, and for the first time in a long time, I don’t feel the need to prove it to anyone.

I breathe in the scent of the oils and close my eyes. It is just me and my magics.

The thought surprises me.

I have never really explored my power simply to understand it or to see what it can do when I am not fighting, surviving, shielding, or preparing for whatever crisis comes next. It has always been a tool, a weapon, and a means to an end rather than something I explored simply because it belonged to me.

But now, I lift a hand from the water and watch tiny droplets bead on my fingertips. I breathe in, and on instinct, I reach for the water Element. The droplets shudder before rising from my skin, floating weightlessly above my hand.

A delighted laugh escapes me.

I twist my fingers carefully and the tiny spheres spiralthrough the air before merging into a single glistening orb that hovers above my palm. It’s delicate and effortless, not a shield or a weapon, but simply water responding to me because I asked it to.