If Myles is bothered at my manipulating it, he’s too busy trying to keep his stomach bile down to say so.
Eogan’s body begins to seize, and then there are two of him. Of them. He slumps over and Draewulf rises out of him, furious and lashing out even as he weakens. I lean and tug harder. And yank Draewulf from his very skin in the same manner as I’ve done a hundred other times lately.
“Finish him.”
“You don’t have to say it every time,” I snap. I step forward to slip the knife from Eogan’s boot and bring it up to slit Draewulf’s throat. The mirage begins to dissipate.
I turn. “Happy now? Because I strongly suggest that if we’re not going to question Lady Isobel soon—”
Something catches my eye.
Something’s off with the still-fading scene.
Both Eogan and Draewulf are lying beside each other, but Eogan has his throat slit too.
The room shudders and tilts and the image vanishes quickly, and Myles is standing in front of me.
“What in litches?” I stare at him. “What in hulls was that?”
His hands go up. “Like I’ve said before—a scenario based on your fears.”
“That wasn’t my fears. That was your suggestion. I heard you muttering.”
He shrugs. “If he’sss not separated from Draewulf in time, you may have to kill him at some point. Are you able to do so?”
“I asked you to train me, not prepare me for what scenario you want to happen.” I pierce my glare through his face and only lightly notice how strong I’m shaking. “So I’ll ask again—what was that?”
“Manipulation. Preparation. Call it what you want, but peace will alwaysss require a steep price. If you’re prepared, you stand a much better chance of succeeding at this game.”
“The cost of peace took my Elemental race. I think I’m quite aware of what this game requires, thank you very much, but that—”
He gulps twice. “Good, then don’t lose sight of the goal because this anger you feel—that’sss what we want. Focus it on him when the time comes. It’s what will fuel your abilitiesss.”
“Or it’s what will turn her into you,” Rasha says.
We both glance over to see her standing in the doorway, disgust and concern coating her features.
“I believe you said you wanted to stay out of the training sessions,” Myles snarls. “In which case, I’ll kindly ask you to mind your—”
“I want to go over our plan regarding Lady Isobel.”
“And I’m merely doing my part to help Nym save the world.”
“We both know that’s a lie, so you can go ahead and drop it. Her training is for your benefit more than charity.”
He glares down his nose at her and brushes an invisible speck from his shirtsleeve. “I’m doing more for her and this war than you or anyone else isss. So while you stand there—”
They can’t be serious. We don’t have time for their bickering any more than we have time to train. I look at them both. “Will you both just shut it for one minor minute so we can move on? So Myles wants to rule the world—it doesn’t mean he’s got a lick of a chance to actually do so.”
“He doesn’t just want to. He thinks he can.” Rasha walks around Myles and faces us. She sniffs and trails a frown down his entire thin frame. “And he needs you to help him do it.”
“Of course he does, but I’m not going to. Now let’s talk about Lady Isobel.”
“And why’d you come to Faelen a month ago, Princess?” Myles snaps. “Especially just when the war was coming to a head?”
“To show our support.”
I give up and glare at them.
“Oh really?” Myles says. “You were considering sending troops to our aid?”
“We may have.”
He sneers. “Or you knew Draewulf would be in Faelen. Or at least suspected it.”
Her fake smile falters. “We . . . may have heard a rumor he would attempt to enter Faelen. I personally told King Sedric. Even more, the moment I realized he was in Faelen, I rushed to the Keep, as you’ll recall.”
“What do you want him for?” Myles asks. “Or more precisely, what does your queen mum want him for?”
“Look,” I say over their voices. “We all want Draewulf dead, and while I’m very aware Myles has some ridiculous desire to see himself king, none of that matters if we can’t figure out that Elegy and what it means as far as saving Eogan and killing Draewulf.”
He turns to me. “The only thing the Elegy’s clear on regarding killing Draewulf is that only an Elemental can do so. You’ll forgive me for being obvious, but I think you should safely assume that means you.”
I ignore the shiver that brings. “I think I’d gathered that, except . . .” I stop. And stare at him.
Suddenly the thing I didn’t even realize had been nagging at me since last night bubbles up and bursts forth. I no longer have those specific powers.
I open my mouth. Shut it. Finally say, “I’m no longer an Elemental.” Even Isobel referred to me as impotent.