Page 10 of Elemental Becoming

“Truly,” she adds, squeezing my hands one more time before letting go. “You are a miracle worker.”

Thane groans. And I smile, immediately drawn to her warmth. She makes it so damn easy.

“So . . . ” Rowena’s eyes are bright and full of mischief. “What exactly did you do to him?”

My eyes widen, cheeks flushing. “Excuse me?”

“I mean, look at him!” She waves a hand at Thane like he’s some rare, unusual specimen. “He’s . . . relaxed. He’s standing like someone who no longer has an iron rod up his ass. It’s unnerving.”

“Rowena—” Thane’s voice is warning now, but that only fuels her.

She turns back to me, delighted. “Tell me how you did it. Was it your special Spiritborn magics that gave him a new personality? Or did you beat the moodiness out of him?”

Thane’s hand twitches toward his sword hilt.

“I haven’t done anything,” I say, trying and failing to keep a straight face.

“Liar.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Rowena angles her head, considering. “You finally get him to admit he has more than two feelings. By the way, they were brooding and more brooding.”

Thane actually rolls his eyes. “You’re a pain in the ass.”

“Yes! Iamyour ‘pain in the ass’ sister!”

I snort. I can’t help it.

Rowena grins at me, victorious. “I like you, Amara.”

“Likewise,” I say, grinning.

“You should have heard him talk about you before he left this last time,” she muses, tapping a finger against her chin. “You would have thought training you was worse than ruling the realm.”

Thane turns, fully prepared to throttle her.

“Row,” he says, impatience simmering beneath the surface.

“And now look at you—softer, gentler—oh gods, Thane, are you having trouble navigating all of those new feelings? There must be so many now.”

“Rowena—”

“Sera, hold me, I don’t know how to handle this.”

Sera sighs, clearly used to this. “Row, give him a break.”

“Never.” Rowena’s small frame spins back to Thane. “You brought this on yourself, brother. We’re doing this. In public. Loudly.”

Thane rubs a hand over his face, muttering something under his breath, but Rowena is unstoppable now. I can’t stop grinning. I’m loving every moment of watching the unshakable Warlord look a bit . . . shaken.

“Let me set the scene for you, Amara.” She gestures broadly, like this is a performance for the ages. “Thane storms into the war room, moodier than usual. Honestly, I didn’t think that was possible. The tension? Palpable. The dramatics? Exceptional. He throws himself into a chair, crosses his arms like a sulking child, and when I ask him what’s wrong, he goes—”

She clears her throat, then lowers her voice into a near-perfect imitation of Thane’s clipped tone: “That woman is impossible.”

I choke on laughter.

Thane stares, flat. “I don’t sound like that.”