Page 15 of Live Like Legends

I took his hand, the warmth enveloping me like it always had. He kissed my knuckles before pulling me in the direction of everyone else. There was a tingly sensation in my body, almost like contentment. I also felt sadness there, my darkness mingling with the dark that still lived inside of him. As much as Nick didn’t want to admit it, his father was a piece of his light. Until he had that piece back, I wanted him to keep as much as he had to himself.

We traveled back downstairs, turning right as we got to the bottom of the large staircase. I wasn’t nearly as stunned as I thought I’d be when Zane opened another set of doors, where another set of stairs awaited us. The walls lit up the minute wedescended towards the next floor, twinkling with each step we took.

The bottom was covered in multicolored stones, but they didn’t kick up dirt each time any of us moved. Despite moving further down into her home, the amount of effort to keep things clean was maintained wherever we went. I admired that kind of time and motivation. I could imagine that her bedroom had the same meticulous touches her entire home did.

“Right through here.” Zane opened two large wooden doors that had silver sparkles etched into the trimming. Beyond the doors lay a room that was double the size of any training room at The Skies. There were mirrors on either side, expanding the length of the walls. Towels hung on racks near the back and there were two benches that connected to the wall on either side of the door.

“Now this is a training room,” Reese said, spinning around so that he took it in.

“I didn’t know you trained. Like this kind of training,” I pointed out, looking over at the High Priestess.

She chuckled and shook her head. “Oh, I don’t. This is for Zane and the others that watch over me. I expanded it a bit more after my mother passed. Zane doesn’t ask for much, but he did want a larger space for his men and women to learn better skills and whatnot.” Natalia winked over at her bodyguard who simply huffed, but he looked like he wanted to smirk over at her.

Nick removed his sword from around his back, setting it against the wall. “So, where do we start?”

“Yes, witch, please tell us how you plan to fix this,” Elise deadpanned.

Beetee let out the loudest sigh of embarrassed annoyance, while Natalia only smiled. “I can’tfixanything, but I can attempt to help as I’ve said.” She faced me, gaining my attention. “You want to understand how to use both?”

I nodded.

“Good, well, first I think it’s best if you simply show me what you can do for now.”

I clenched and unclenched my fists. “We are all well aware of what I can do.”

Natalia placed her hand on my shoulder. “I know, Dani. All I’m asking is that I see it without any threats, without any distractions. I’ll be able to assess from there and decide where we take this.”

I opened my mouth to speak but she had already turned away and was walking over to Zane and Garrett. I had never been shy about my powers, nor had I ever not thrilled at the notion that had people watching me…perform, for a lack of a better word.

This felt different. It felt like a step in a monumental direction for me and there would be so many people by my side, but what if it amounted to nothing? I shook away the thought, knowing that if it festered, this place would be filled with smoke that would nearly suffocate all of them.

“Don’t think about holding back,” Elise said, as she leaned against the mirror near Beetee. Her gray eyes bore into my brown ones as if she could read my mind.

“I’m not. I mean I don’t?—”

Natalia cut me off. “She isn’t wrong. I promise you; I can handle whatever you unleash, just be yourself.”

That was a new one. Be myself. I was trying to, but it was hard when I had no clue who the fuck that was.

I closed my eyes, tilting my head from side to side. The darkness came so naturally. It flowed into my veins like an old friend, like an essence that embodied my entire being. I almost shivered with the way it threaded itself inside of me as if it wasn’t sharing me with something else. I opened my eyes, my surroundings looking muted. I felt the smoke revolving around my arms and fingertips. I looked down at my hand, a ball ofblack wispy smoke developing. It vibrated and grew bigger with every breath I took.

I saw the tail end of smoke wisps in my vision, the darkness starting to move all around me. There could be no room for the light, because this was what I was. I heard Zane’s voice.

“Your Highness, do you want me to…”

Natalia quickly stopped him. “No. Do nothing. She is okay.”

“But your Highness…” Zane’s voice was wary.

I heard the sound of footsteps behind me, but they didn’t sound too close. I felt an immediate pain in my back as a large source of power hit my back. I spun around to the remnants of teal light and Natalia standing a few feet away from me, another teal ball of light settled in her hand. She reared her hand back and thrust it at me. I blocked it with my own powers. The black smoke connected with the teal light, both powers fighting against each other until they were snuffed out in between us.

Natalia didn’t let up. She shot different colored magic at me, over and over. It was exhausting and I could feel myself getting more and more aggravated. The High Priestess would either take a few steps to one side or the other, but it was as if she had no care in the world how long this lasted.

“This can stop now, Natalia,” I said, my voice clearly over this.

“We could.” She shrugged. “We both know that you are holding back for my sake, and I don’t appreciate that one bit. Dagger or no dagger I think everyone here can agree that you aren’t this….incapable.” She said that last word in a mocking tone, as if she was better than me.

“Incapable?” I repeated, the word rolling off my tongue with disgust.

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