Page 115 of Gift from the Stone

“Good. Now, I want you to focus on forcing my voice out. Imagine yourself lowering the volume of my voice as I speak until you can no longer hear me.”

I nod and keep my eyes locked on him. The only way I can imagine doing what he’s describing to me is by picturing myself turning down a knob on a radio, slowly turning the volume down until it cuts off.

“I’m so honored, proud, and blessed to have you. You’re remarkable, beautiful, smart, sexy, and so full of sass.” His words make me laugh, and it seems to help as his voice begins to lower, and my breathing starts to level out.

“You’re the greatest thing to ever happen to me and my brothers, little warrior, and I love you so…” His voice finally fades completely before he can finish his sentiment, but I continue to stare into his eyes, letting my gratitude for his help bleed through our bond.

“I love you,” I whisper, cupping his cheek.

The silence of my mind now is so peaceful compared to the assault it just went through. Tearing my eyes away from Tillman, I look at Corentin, who I know figured out whatever just happened first based on how quickly he reacted when I hit my knees. I have a pretty good idea, but I’m almost too fearful to ask.

“Did what I think just happened, happen?”

Nineteen

Corentin

Five…four…three…

My heart thunders in my chest. Each beat feels like a drumroll, a loudness that syncs with the answers I’m running through my mind. The weight of my fear, her fear, my brothers’ fear, all bear down on me, threatening to suffocate me as I desperately clutch everything within, struggling to hold it together.

She was fine this morning, minutes ago, glowing from the aftermath of the pleasure Tillman wrung from her body last night. Now, my princess is about to fall apart at the realization that just hit her, the truth she’s trying to deny.

She’s okay. She’s alive. She’s not falling into a two-day coma.

She can just hear people’s thoughts…mind transference.

Two…one…

I release my breath in a controlled, slow flow of air and force myself to remain calm for her. Her eyes are swirling vortexes of panic and she’s on the verge of freaking the fuck out. I have no clue what or how she can truly do this, but one thing’s for certain. I see it clearly now. She somehow either absorbs or mimics gifts. And I’m not just referring to Draken’s and now Tillman’s.

When she gripped me hard enough that her nails sank into my skin through my suit, I knew something was wrong. She doesn’t have a reaction that strong to her memories or visions, so I knew whatever it was, was causing her pain. Then it only took a second of watching her reaction and hearing the words she was crying to figure out what was happening. It was like looking into the past. It was almost exactly how Tillman reacted. Only difference was he opened a fucking crater in our backyard.

Caspian’s power barricades us in a cover of darkness, shielding her from the eyes of everyone in the training gym. The moment she hit the ground, his shadows shot out of him in an instant, trying to protect her from whatever was happening. Unfortunately for us, there’s no protecting her from this.

“Yes, princess. You have the gift of mind transference,” I say calmly, watching her eyes merge from fear, to anger, to denial, and finally acceptance.

“How?” she whispers.

“I’m not sure. But based on both times you’ve bonded now, you wake up with that gift, so we can only assume it’s going to continue,” I tell her gently.

She holds my gaze for a moment, then slides her eyes to Caspian. It takes her a minute to piece together what I’m truly trying to say, but it clicks, and she sucks in a startled breath.

“By the time we all bond, I’ll have all your gifts,” she whispers. I give her a reassuring smile, cupping her tear-soaked cheek. I know it’s a fuck ton to process right now, but that isn’t all of it.

“Willow, what’s going on?” Gaster asks as Caspian allows him to walk through his shadows and kneel beside me.

“I…” she trails off, asking me with her eyes to answer for her.

“She has the gift of mind transference. It just emerged,” I say low, keeping my voice down.

I highly doubt anyone in the gym’s heard anything that’s been going on so far behind the thick wall of shadows, but it’s not a risk I’m willing to take. For the most part, aside from Lucas and his Nexus, everyone here is our most trusted friends and E.F. members, but only Oakly’s Nexus and Gaster know the true extent of Willow’s power, and I plan to keep it that way.

“My, my, child. Never in all the years I’ve walked this realm have I ever met someone as remarkable as you,” he breathes, giving her a soft, tender look.

“And how many years has that been?” she asks. Her eyes are still teary, fearful, but I see a hint of herself peeking through, taking this as an opportunity to try to get him to reveal his most well-kept secret.

“Nice try, missy.” He smirks, not falling for it at all. His pocket jingles as he reaches in to grab her a healing vial, and I make a note to myself to fucking always have them in my pockets from this moment going forward.

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