Zeph and Zakkaiwere being particularly cruel today.
We’d been living in this paradigm for five weeks now, almost six, and they’d decided it was time for me to face them collectively.
Which meant they were attacking me from both sides.
Kols and Shade hadn’t been able to watch, their instincts to protect overriding the cause of today’s session. But as the hours drew on, I started to wish they’d return and whisk me away from this hell.
I understood the purpose of this test, that Zakkai and Zeph were merely trying to prepare me to handle the ascension on my own, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.
They were both lethally serious, their spells ones that would have killed me a year ago.
Fortunately, the Dark Source leapt to my aid, consistently allowing me to dismantle each enchantment thrown my way.
I tried to engage my earth side as well, but today’s exercise required me to engage my Midnight Fae powers instead.
Which I suspected was the point.
They wanted me to learn how to rely on the Midnight Fae part of me over the Earth Fae part as they assumed Constantine would do the same.
I shivered as Zakkai’s silver-blue eyes flared with power, his long white strands billowing in a magical breeze off his shoulders. The calculating edge to his cruelly handsome features told me I wasn’t going to like whatever he did next.
Zeph attacked from my side, his fiery incantation wrapping around my leg as Zakkai hit me with a strategic web of magic that rendered me speechless.
I fell to the ground beneath their joint assault, wincing as they didn’t stop.
Shield, Zeph demanded.
I threw up a mastery of defensive arts, the barrier invisible yet studiously deflecting their spells while I attempted to undo whatever they’d incapacitated me with.
It burned through my veins, stealing my breath and drowning me in a toxic chemical that fractured my ability to think.
Instincts, I thought numbly. They want me to rely on my instincts.
Zakkai had warned me today’s lesson would be difficult. I understood now—they purposely dismantled my ability to recall spells by verbal memory.
This was about relying on physical reactions.
I hated them.
Loathed that they struck my shield repeatedly while I futilely tried to undo the harsh restraint on my mind.
We were beyond kindness today. Hell, this week. They’d been on me repeatedly, barely letting me sleep, forcing me to learn, learn, learn.
There were so many spells; too many spells.
I was being given a crash course in 5 weeks that should have been delivered over twenty-five years. As Kols pointed out, I wasn’t even of age to ascend. At least not according to previous Midnight Fae rituals.
All of this was being thrown at me because of a devious, underhanded, wicked male who wanted to use me to make a point.
I refused to let him win.
But in moments like this, it was easy to see how effortlessly he could best me. Because I couldn’t fight this. I didn’t know how. They’d handicapped my mind, leaving me defenseless beneath my deteriorating shield.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself and fix it,Zeph berated me. You’re more powerful than you realize.
I hate you, I seethed.
Good. Then I’m getting through to you. Now fucking dismantle the charms.