Page 125 of Draekora

“No buts about it, kitten,” Niyx interrupted. “You’ve got this. Believe me when I say you’re stronger than you realise.”

She had to blink back tears when his words prompted a memory of Roka saying the same thing to her not so long ago: ‘…never forget that you are stronger than you realise and more capable than you could ever imagine.’

Alex looked up and found Niyx’s clear eyes soft on her. He reached forward and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. Then, just as swiftly, he released her and stepped back.

“Save your friend,” he said. “But before you Release him, you must order him to forget what happened with the king. No one can know about that but you and me, do you understand?”

Alex despised the idea of commanding anyone to do anything ever again, least of all Jordan—if it was even possible for her to do so—but she nodded her agreement, knowing Niyx wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.

“I’ll be in contact when I can,” Niyx promised, “but don’t worry if that’s not as often as you’d like. I need to be careful with my thoughts because while your willpower kept me safe from Aven’s Claim, I have no way of knowing if I’ll be protected from the strong mind readers now wandering around the palace, as well as a few other mortals with annoying mental tricks up their sleeves.”

She nodded her agreement again, knowing caution was needed if he was to survive his role as a spy.

“In the meantime, I’d greatly appreciate it if you would do your best not to get yourself—and by extension, me—killed.”

Her mouth opened in indignation. “Hey! I don’t plan these things. They just… happen.”

“Which leads me to my last point,” he said, stepping backwards from her and calling theValispathup around him. “If you think our training is over, kitten, you’re wrong. We’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of what you need to learn if you want to defeat Aven. As soon as I can figure out how to sneak away, that’s when ourrealtraining will begin.”

And with a wicked grin, Niyx took off, swiftly disappearing from sight.

Not letting her mind linger on the horrific imaginings of what he likely had in store for her, Alex turned her focus to Jordan. Her stomach clenched with nerves at the idea that she might be able to free him from Aven, right here, right now—presuming that what Niyx had said about her willpower was true. It seemed impossible. And yet… if there was one thing Alex had learned from her time in Medora, it was that nothing was truly impossible.

Calling forth all the hopeful determination she could muster, she strode over to her best friend on shaky legs, knelt in the snow at his feet and whispered, “Please,pleaselet this work.”

At her silent command, A’enara blazed into her hand and Alex swiftly sliced the blade across her trembling palm with a grimace, adding to the collection of silvery scars she was building there. Hesitantly, so hesitantly, she rolled Jordan onto his back, pulling his hand to her and slicing his palm as well.

After a deep breath, followed by two more, Alex slowly joined their bloodied wounds together, linking her fingers with his as she dredged up the courage to mentally call out to him.

Trae Menada sae, Jordan!

Just like with Niyx, it took a moment before anything happened, butunlikewith Niyx, when the initial linking occurred with Jordan, her subconscious mind violently slammed into his. Niyx had been nearly dead when she’d completed his ritual, his mental fortitude weak from the severity of the Hyroa blood poisoning his system. Jordan, on the other hand, was perfectly healthy. She wasn’t bonding with him in order to heal him from a fatal wound or illness, but rather to Claim his will as her own. The resistance she felt in attempting to do so was like a knife stabbing into her brain, accompanied by the sound of screaming so loud that it was like shards of glass piercing her eardrums.

And then suddenly the pain stopped, the screaming silenced and Alex’s mind tumbled out into… a rose garden?

Whirling around, recognition—and understanding—hit Alex as she looked upon the sprawling marble mansion of Jordan’s childhood home, Chateau Shondelle, the place where Aven had Claimed him.

“You should not be here.”

At the hostile voice, Alex turned again, only to find an avatar of Aven standing further back amongst the roses. But it was what was positioned beside him that captured Alex’s attention, because in a thick cage, there stood Jordan, his hands straining against the bars as he let out a silent scream.

Alex felt chills travel down her spine at the memory of Aven’s grip on her own mind, the feeling of screaming but with no one able to hear. It had been five weeks in real time since Jordan had left the academy to visit his parents, five weeks of his being under Aven’s control. Alex had only suffered a few minutes as his puppet. She couldn’t imagine the mental anguish of what Jordan had been forced to endure. She absolutely refused to allow it to go on any longer.

“You’re done, Aven,” Alex said, locking eyes with him. “You have no more power here.”

Seeing his fiery glare made her feel like he was stabbing her all over again. Completely gone was any of the light of his younger self. This Aven didn’t remember her at all, and given how they’d ended things in the past, that was probably a good thing.

“I don’t know how you made it in here, Alexandra,” he said. “But it’syouwho has no power. Jordan is mine. I’ve Claimed him. And there is nothing anyone—least of all an insignificant mortal likeyou—can do about it.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.”

Her tone was firm, unwavering, and, above all else, knowing. It was the last that caused Aven’s eyes to flicker with uncertainty, that caused him to reach for his sword, that caused him to lunge towards her. But Alex was ready for him.

It seemed that even in the mindscape of Jordan’s subconscious, Alex was still able to summon A’enara, and the weapon appeared in a blinding blaze of glory stronger than ever before.

Aven faltered in his steps, but he then rallied himself and continued eating up the distance between them while bellowing out an enraged, “You may have stolen my weapon and bonded with the draekon intended for me, but I refuse to allow you to have the boy! He ismine!”

“You’re wrong, Aven,” Alex said again, her voice calm as a sure confidence ran through her veins. She lowered A’enara loosely to her side, suddenly understanding that this wasn’t a battle of swords, but of wills.

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