Page 43 of Petals for Vicious Secrets

Hope asked towards where she knew Marcus was standing. “Can the vessels break?”

“Not by creatures, as far as I know. The only times vessels have been known to rupture were because of panomquakes from above, or outbursts of panom forces within the vessels,” Marcus said, still analyzing the living map. He continued, “There has been less frequency of cellholts in these vessels, and with good reason.” Hope could have sworn he was looking at Aurora intently, but it was so hard to see anything. “But the vessels are intact and the flow does not break at any point. I think it will leave us alone sooner or later.”

Aridian snorted, “Nice. So the scary beast just is here because it likes to sunbathe, and we are its chasing toy for the day.”

25

Lenna

Lenna had spent the morning playing with the deliseen and the House, after consciously ignoring another ink from Jake a few minutes before:

It made her smirk, knowing he was waiting for her. Even though she knew she was pushing it now and she had to tread carefully or it would end up snapping in her face. He had been way more patient than she had expected him to. She'd give him that. There was a fine line to piss him off enough to compensate his big fuck up with the book of Cause, but not too much that he refused to teach her any more magic.

Her dreams these past few days had included his whispers, his leathery scent and the challenge in his silver eyes. You are stronger than you think, sweet fire. Maybe his muscles had also been in those dreams. And a certain offer he had made a while ago. Her core tightened at the thought.

It sure as fuck didn't help that Lenna hadn't had sex with anyone since her arrival at Corentre. She didn't feel like bringing a stranger to her private chambers, not when it would lead to more questions than it was worth it, plus she was sure that the Organ Mandor would kick her out if he found out Lenna was using his House as a fuck palace. Her own father already considered her a disgrace because she didn't give a shit in the North House, but doing that in the Organ House... He would probably skin her alive.

Lenna had found her pleasure in taking matters into her own hands. And with the occasional help of tools supplied by a surprisingly very dirty-minded House.

By the time she sat down in the new golden couches in her live room, she was happy with the current state of her chambers. And well pleased at the interior decoration options from the deliseen and the House. Good taste indeed.

If her ink had reached Theon, as Ciaran reassured her it would, he would probably already be on his way to Corentre. Lenna had changed nothing in his bedroom, leaving it for him to sort or arrange. But the rest of her chambers...

She had converted the middle core room into the library she had always dreamed about. The circular wall fully filled by bookshelves with more books than she would ever read, sparkling lights across the shelves, uniting them on a grading scale of distinct tones of warm lights. Even with her extended lifespan thanks to being a panom, she doubted she could read all of them. But heck, she'd try. Especially the ones she had requested title by title, an excited scream and even small jumping every time the House obliged, not seeming to care that even the titles would make most beings blush.

Lenna was well past the giving-a-shit stage of her life. And right now, she wanted to welcome Theon and fuck him like there was no tomorrow. Please, and thank you.

Maybe it was the ecstasy of her friend coming, the surreal excitement at having found a way to have as many books as she would ever need, or that she actually wanted to continue learning and discovering the limits of her powers. Maybe her anger had just faded with the days, but she walked towards the Coronary Atrium at last.

Lenna entered the room Jake and she had used those previous days. The Orb Room, she had named it. Alternatively, it could have been The Shower Room, but that sounded less mysterious.

Ayla and Gabrielle were back to back in the middle of the room, an array of silver and violet animals walking and flying in circles around them. Animals, Lenna realized with both jealousy and awe, made of sparks. She started at the doorway, stunned by the beautiful dance in front of her: silver cats chasing violet butterflies, violet deers calmly pacing while silver rabbits jumped around their legs. Both panoms had their arms extended in front of them, opening their hands with grace as new animals came out of them. The smile on Ayla's face, the peace and happiness in her relaxed features as silver animals continued pouring from her hands... She looked like an entirely different person.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Jake's voice caressed her ear from behind.

Lenna nodded, unsure about her ability to talk. Unable to move her eyes from the view in front of them. It was... Magical. There was no other word to describe it.

Her eyes ached as she swallowed. She had been blessed by the Cardinals, gifted the honor of being panom, and what had she done? Wasted her time in nonsense arguments. Wasted precious time she could have used to improve. To get better. Time she would never get back.

Jake’s warm hand touched her elbow, inviting her to follow, as he said, “We need to talk, Brachyan.” The skin of her arm reacted to his touch, and she wasn’t sure if in fear or something else.

Lenna walked next to him and he didn’t lose contact at any time. If that hadn’t been the case, she wouldn’t have known how to get to the pitch black room they were now standing, the door silently closing behind them. And leaving them in complete, utter darkness.

She inhaled deeply. “We need to talk, I get it. But does it need to be so… creepily?”

Jake chuckled, as if he knew that was not the exact word she wanted to use. He finally let go of her elbow, leaving the skin there so cold. Lenna felt a movement and knew he was standing close, completely ignoring her personal space. She knew that if she could see at all, she would be probably staring at his neck in front of her.

“Darkness can help find a focus,” he said. A handful of small navy sparks flew from his fingers and found their way into the corners of what seemed to be a horrendously big, closed space. “Better?” he asked. The minor sources of dark blue light were enough for Lenna to see the reflection of his silver eyes above her, so she nodded.

“Do you have any idea why I asked to be your Panom Guidor?” Jake asked, his voice lowering.

Lenna put a finger on her lips, pretending to think carefully, “To piss me off? Because I refused you? To prove a point that you are more powerful that I will ever be?”

Jake shook his head in silence, the pressure of his eyes on hers increasing, as if that was even possible. “I chose you, Lenna Brachyan, because you have the fearless heart of those who change worlds. I chose you, because I can see who you are behind the walls you insist on putting for everyone to see. I chose you, because even if you have accepted that everyone who should love you has given up on you, I know you are worth fighting for. I chose you, because I know you can be as powerful as I am, if not even more. And I chose you, sweet fire, because you are absolutely insufferable and I can’t get you out of my mind.”

Lenna’s lips curled upwards, her eyebrow raised. “I have an official I-can’t-stand-this-bitch fan club. You might need to wait in line for your turn, though.”

“Did you even listen to what I just said?” She could have sworn he was frowning in the dark.

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