Page 356 of Elemental Becoming
“I’m saying I don’t plan to find out.”
The bond pulses between us, familiar and constant. I feel it in the certainty that settles through me whenever he’s near. Without thinking, I lean in and kiss him. The fire in the hearth flares slightly in response, sparks dancing up the chimney.
Thane laughs softly against my lips.
WAR DANCE
FIFTY
One of the greatest assaults we have heard of yet has been unleashed. I sent word at once that we were on our way while Thane readied his riders to take flight. Though we have grown strong, I cannot shake the feeling that we stand only at the threshold of what we might become. The battles ahead will demand more of us than we have yet given.
—VALEN’S JOURNAL
AMARA
The next morning, we visit Thane’s father, like we do every day. We spend an hour with him before the rest of the world begins. Each visit feels a little easier than the last,as though more of him is finding its way through the sadness he carries.
Or maybe that’s just me hoping for Thane’s sake.
We have breakfast with him before heading off to formation training. Lyra, Rowena, and Sera will be joining us, along with Garrick, Rian, Jarek, and Kieran.
Thane and I are already in our fighting leathers. As we round a corner, him striding a few steps ahead, I find myself admiring his ass. My mind drifts to the other night, to the way I circled him like a predator, taking my time and savoring every inch of him.
Thane glances over his shoulder, and the corner of his mouth lifts. My shields are down and he knows exactly where my thoughts have wandered.
“If you keep undressing me with your eyes, we’re going to be late.”
I send another image through the bond, one from that evening after winning the Firebrand, vivid and entirely unfiltered.
His nostrils flare, and his stride falters for half a step. Then he catches my hand and pulls me against his side, a rough sound rumbling low in his throat.
“If I didn’t have a realm to run, I’d bend you over in this hallway right now.”
“Fine,”I say, projecting the thought into his mind with exaggerated disappointment.
I tip my chin up at him and keep walking.
A few minutes later, we’re approaching the training field. Garrick, Jarek, and Rian already have several squadrons lined up in formation, their expressions focused and ready.
I school my expression and move into line beside Lyra. She bumps her shoulder against mine in greeting.
“Are you late because you had another roll in bed?” Lyra asksunder her breath.
“No,” I reply, rolling my eyes. “We were visiting Thane’s father.”
Her expression sobers instantly, knowing this is Thane’s attempt to reclaim something lost.
For years, he resented his father. Blamed him for being weak, for giving up, for leaving him to shoulder a realm he wasn’t ready to rule. He carried that anger for so long it became part of him. Now he’s trying to set it down and reconnect with what remains of his family. With Rowena, yes. But most of all, with his father.
Hundreds of soldiers stretch across the field in tight formation. Banners snap in the wind, Elemental sigils glowing at their edges—fire, water, air, and earth marking each squadron. The morning sun casts long shadows across gleaming armor and polished blades, across the faint shimmer of restrained magics.
Thane stands at the front, commanding the field without raising his voice. His presence alone is enough. Nearby, an Air Clan channeler carries his words across the training grounds on a current of wind.
“Formations: Two-Line Split,” Thane calls. “Blades forward, casters behind. Sync your timing. If you’re out of rhythm, you’re a liability.”
Garrick paces the left flank, barking corrections as he goes. Jarek moves along the right, watchful and precise, adjusting stances with a firm hand. Rian cuts through the middle, checking positions.
I fall into place beside Lyra in the second row. Sweat beads along my spine, not from heat but anticipation. All around me, I feel it. Magics gathering beneath the surface, waiting for release, held in check by discipline and training.
