Page 85 of In Violent Waves

Wilder approached Otto, who was locked in a battle between two guards who looked related—but not.

Lyra watched as Wilder halted beside them, and they paused. The guards bowed and left, but Otto grinned at Wilder and inclined his head.

She was too far away to hear their exchange, but Wilder drew the sword at his side and braced his feet. The sword wasn’t ostentatious, but there was an indescribable glimmer of power that radiated from the blade—or maybe it was just the male who held it.

Lyra mimicked his stance and felt steadier on her feet. She had not known the power of a good stance. Wilder leveled hissword at Otto, and he did the same. They circled each other, and Lyra found her heart racing again.

The clash of their swords rang through the air, and she gasped. So much power was behind each of Wilder’s blows. If this was him sparring, she couldn’t imagine him in an actual battle. No wonder those mortals hadn’t stood a chance.

Otto blocked each of his advances, but a split second too slow. It was as if his visions weren’t coming as fast as Wilder’s thoughts. It was beautiful, like a dance. She longed to learn the footwork. But as soon as she thought it—it was over.

Otto stood weaponless, and Wilder held both swords. She gaped like a fish, not seeing how he had done it. He tossed Otto his sword back and then gestured for him and the guards to follow.

Lyra watched as they approached her. A small voice inside her whispered to grab her thread of magic to show these males what she was truly capable of. She slammed the door on it.

It didn’t matter what they thought of her. It would kill her to use it. Take all that she was and could be and turn it to ash.

She couldn’t—wouldn’ttouch it.

It all became too much. The sun on her skin, the heat, the burning in her overused muscles. As if sensing her dread, Wilder stopped in front of her.

“We’re just going to work on feeling the power inside of you. Where it is, what it feels like. I don’t anticipate you wielding today.”

She swallowed and nodded. Her eyes burned, and she blinked it away.

“She won’t,” Otto said.

Wilder shifted his gaze from her to Otto. “Can’t or won’t?”

“Both.”

When he looked back at her, she could feel the weight of disappointment in his steady gaze.

“I’m just asking you to try.”

Lyra bit her tongue and glared at him, using her anger as a shield so that he wouldn’t see her fear. She didn’t answer, and she didn’t think he ever would.

She closed her eyes, feigning effort, and opened her hands palm up to the sky. But she didn’t reach for her power, that golden thread that seemed thicker now around her heart. Nope, she stood there. Faking.

When she blew out a forced breath and opened her eyes to a glowering Wilder, she pressed her lips into a thin line.

“I tried,” she shrugged.

He worked his jaw side to side.

“That’s fine. We only have tomorrow and the day after, and the day after …”

Her chest ached. She felt lost—scared, even. One time, she had plucked that thread.

She could still feel him pawing at her, and then nothing. It had felt like eternal darkness, and then she was in the sea witch’s cave.

This was going to be different. At least, she hoped it would be. But she still couldn’t see past the fear.

Daisy wasthe nicest creature in the entire world as she helped tug Lyra’s shirt over her head. It had also taken Lyra sitting on the floor for Daisy to pull her boots and pants off. And then the darling girl helped ease her into the tub.

It was an abundance of kindness and care, and the moment Lyra slipped into that blissfully warm and heavenly-scented water, tears burned her eyes.

She had watched Daisy meticulously dole out the oils and the bath salts. It seemed ridiculous the effort that went into a bath. But the moment the ache and burn in her muscles evaporated, she realized it had all been well worth it.