Page 30 of Untamed

He shook his head. “Give me your hand. I need you to stop holding back your gifting for a moment so I can feel the intricacies.”

A quiver danced along my spine. I shook my head. If I let the powers race through my body like they used to, then I’d know what Uncle felt about me. I couldn’t bear the constant intake of unwanted information.

Uncle held out his knobby hands. “It will be just for a moment, so I can understand how to help you.”

I shook my head and rolled my shoulders back into a confident posture. “Will you leave me alone after this?”

“Yes. Next time, we can have hibiscus water and chat about the fellow who accompanied you last time I saw you. Zichri, was it?” He lifted a bushy brow.

Heat crept up my neck. “Then, perhaps, you could convince Papá to let Zichri visit me.”

“Of course, I’ll help you.”

I shoved my hands into Uncle’s rough palms. “I take your statement as a promise.”

“Your papá and I will have lunch after this. Consider it done.” Uncle closed his eyes. “You can stop holding back any time.”

A slow breath rushed between my lips, and I let go of the knot I held under my ribcage. Prickles of energy raced along the markings on my arms. Instead of stiffening my muscles, I inhaled and exhaled, allowing the power to flow to my fingertips. Heat burned between Uncle’s skin and mine. The prickles grew painful and then soothing, like a limb which had lost circulation and regained it again.

An invisible string connected Uncle and me, and it vibrated with warmth. Uncle tipped his head to the side and harrumphed. More information poured into my mind.

Dear, dear Beatriz, if only you could see yourself clearly.

“Did you say something?” I asked.

“No, but you have a powerful gifting indeed.”

Light shone from my neckline and along my knuckles. How many times had I pondered what the golden vines meant? Now that it was time, my tongue stalled in my mouth.

He squeezed my hands in a comforting gesture. “You, my dear, are a tamer.”

“What does that mean?”

A smile cracked across his face, as if he were delivering good news. “You have the ability to tame a crowd’s emotions or to rile them. Very influential. I see why your whyzer feared giving youthis ability. You can shape emotional energy and release it. A very rare gift indeed, and dangerous in the wrong hands.”

My chest heaved. I breathed out, “That’s how I flung Lux out a window?”

Uncle Uly shifted his jaw and nodded. “The newly gifted tend to have stronger and unwieldy powers which need pruning. Time and training will allow you to control it better.”

The window behind Uncle rattled and seemed to shake the wood panels around us. My guilt filled the parlor with its poison and threatened to drown me in tears again.

“You’ll learn to manage your emotions.” Uncle Uly patted the tops of my knuckles.

“Can I influence others without”—I bit my lip—“learning their opinions of me?”

He opened his eyes. “No.”

I yanked my hands away and clenched them into fists. The flow of energy cooled until it stopped. “Then, I’m cursed.”

“No, you are gifted. The Ancient One doesn’t give bad gifts. We may misuse them, but they aren’t bad. A gift as powerful as yours comes with the price of knowing that which you would rather remain hidden.”

“That’s all for today.” I stood. “I gave you an audience. I did what Papá asked.” Before Uncle Uly could reply, I stomped across the parlor, chest constricting. All those years wishing, begging for my power to help my kingdom, and I got this.

Who wanted to know every negative feeling someone felt about them? Who wanted to be able to shape her own anger into a physical thing? If I could go back to being giftless, I would. I flung the door open and slammed it behind me. Sorrow swept me in its bosom, and warm tears streaked my cheeks. My feet couldn’t carry me up the stairs and to my bedroom quickly enough.

My bed seemed to scoop me into its embrace, and I lay there until I caught sight of a folded parchment with a single rose beside it. How in all Agata was Zichri leaving notes on my desk? I crept closer and unfolded the paper.

Beloved Beatriz from your Zichri of Himzo,

---