Page 31 of Spelled By Truth and Tresses

“To feel it, understand it, accept it.”

The corner of my lip twitched. “And you? Do you embrace your inky void?”

He nodded, then dropped his arm and stepped back. “Always. I’ve never hidden who I am,” Jax purred. “Show me who you really are.”

I felt intensely vulnerable as he looked at me with burning curiosity. I put my hand up to my neck, the warmth of his hold still ghosted over my skin.

“Everyone lies.”

“Yes, but usually not to themselves.”

I disagreed. “Actually, I think that’s who everyone lies to the most.”

He rolled his eyes, in a teasing way. The corner of his lips lifted. I ached to run my fingers against his dark brown stubble. Would it tickle my skin with soft, springy bristles or would it scratch? Being around Jax made me feel vulnerable. It was intimidating, like he could see right through me.

The music swelled as the alt-metal song reached the chorus. The thing in my chest shook, nearly rattling my bones. Unholy shit, he was right. The music was encouraging the madness, the fabric of my emotions themselves, to tear me apart. I rubbed my sternum, then walked to the other side of the room.

“That,” he said, pointing a long, tattooed finger at my chest, “is your inky void begging for release.”

A thin, glittering strand from a spider web stretch, then snapped as I picked up a small glass jar, its cloudy surface hiding the contents within. I placed the jar back on its shelf and reached for another, but Jax’s hand covered mine.

“I used to feel the same pain lodged deep behind my ribs,” Jax said, his breath tickling the back of my ear. “Let it out, Zellie.”

I turned around and pushed against his pecks. Jax slowly stepped back with each of my shoves, but I wasn’t under the illusion he was allowing me to move him.

“How?” I choked, the pain quickly transforming into agony.

Jax’s boots thudded softly as he paced a slow circle around me.

“Close your mind to everything. Shut down each thought pinging through your mind one by one. Then, focus all of your intention on your inky void. Speak to it within you and encourage it to allow you access.”

“You want me to talk to the thing in my chest?” I asked skeptically.

“Yes, pet. Building a healthy relationship with both sides of your magic is crucial.”

I forced out a shaky breath, then closed my eyes. “Ugh, Ax…This feels so fucking weird. How do I speak to it?” I threw my arms out to the side. “Oh hey, darkness, want to come out and play?”

Jax snorted, then cleared his throat. His boots thumped softly as he walked up behind me and placed his hands on my waist.

“Honestly, that could work.”

I jabbed my elbow into his torso, but he just laughed. The pain was quickly reaching too much for me to handle. Adrenaline raced through my blood and ice frosted over my heart as I panicked.

“Please, move away from me. I-I can’t focus when you’re touching me.”

As Jax stepped away, agony seared through my chest cavity. It was as if the inky void was a literal monster living inside me and hell bent on clawing its way out. The fabric of my shirt bunched under my palm as I clutched my chest and panted.

I need to get this magic out of me right the fuck now!

Black crept into the edges of my vision, as if my retinas were charring like a log in a campfire. My back arched sharply and my arms flew back as the torture increased, then collapsed into a brilliant, violent storm and surged from my chest.

The classroom shuddered as my power blasted into one stack of desks. Shards of wood speared through the air and impaled everything in their path.

Heat rose beneath me, and sweat beaded along my cheekbones. I looked down, and my stomach twisted into a jagged ball of fear. “Fuck!” I shouted, then leaped from the violet flames, pillaring into the air where I just stood.

Jax sent a wave of his blue magic over my head and smothered the fire. He blew out a breath, then ran a tattooed hand through his hair.

I couldn’t look away from the scorch marks on the stone floor. I sighed. “This was a waste of time.”

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