My bath lasted much longer than any of us wanted to. Once I was soaking in the hot water, my eyes became heavy with exhaustion and it wasn't until Renit stormed into my chambers and banged on the door so loud that I woke up. He created so much of a scene that one of the guards came to check if I was all right and wasn't sure if the prince would ever so such a thing. The only person Renit is kind to, apparently, is the guards. They believe he is selfless, brave, and not at all like the king. I beg to differ.

He nearly dragged me out of the tub, gave me adequate time to dress and stomped back out to the clearing where Silas was waiting for my presence. For him to inherit my power, I have to be there physically so his power can recognize it. I've never understood how his power works but with the intense training in the capital, the crown prince has every tool at his disposal to understand the conducts of what flows inside him.

Before long, he enveloped the power into himself, folded the magic into a ball and stuck it inside him to remember for later. Although nothing changed within me, everything altered for him as he ushered us to step back. If the power is unpredictable at my hand, the same could be said for him.

I stand, arms crossed at Renit's side as Silas takes a deep breath and allows the power to settle within him. There's been something on my mind, nagging at me since breakfast. I shift uncomfortably on my feet, words on my tongue, and Renit doesn't budge. He's as solid as a tree and unmoving as such.

"Does...does Darius talk to every girl like that?" I ask quietly. The question is nearly drowned out by the wind.

"Only the girls he thinks are interesting enough to court," Renit sighs with reluctance.

"But he can't court me, I'm engaged to you."

Dust swirls around Silas's fingers, closely mimicking my own, and my heart leaps with excitement. Never has another witch of ground been in my presence and I'm eager to see this power like I'm watching through a mirror. Renit tenses at the sight, his mouth tightening, but he doesn't move away from me or closer to his brother. He's learned to never back down.

"No, he's technically not allowed to court you but he has every right to ask you to his bed." Silas's grunt cuts through the clearing, nearly drowning out Renit's words, as the power develops. The familiar grumble of ground underneath my feet is hardly a distraction anymore.

I turn to him, eyebrows raised. "That makes no sense, I'm engaged." I point at the ring on my hand for emphasis and Renit frowns at the band, reminding him of the mistake that was made to force that ring there. I want to tell him he could have avoided it all by leaving me in Arego but that conversation is best saved for another time.

"You're allowed to warm another's bed," Renit counters, staring at me quizzingly.

"That—"

He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Roux, I'm saying that you don't have to be alone. I'm saying you can explore the castle. You're not shackled to me entirely." The words are so simple coming out of his mouth, yet I don't quite believe them. He's never told me anything straightforward without a sarcastic or angered meaning behind the words.

"Have—have you...explored the castle?" I hate asking but curiosity takes over. I avoid looking at him to find the storm hidden underneath his stare.

"Not the castle, no. But the capital is full of lonely people." He sighs. The ground rumbles again and now Silas's eyes are open. There's a different fire there as the dirt swirls around his bare forearms, sleeves rolled to his elbows. The dark whorls of ink glisten in the afternoon sunlight, as haunting as blacked out stars. "I don't force myself to find comfort in no one and neither should you. If you think Darius—"

"No," I interrupt. "Never Darius." I shake my head with a shiver and to my delight, the corners of Renit's mouth tug up in the slightest. Always smiling at his cousin's disadvantage. "I've never even...I don't...I don't have experience in that part of life."

My hands are suddenly slick with sweat as I clamp them at my sides. Renit doesn't bother saying anything for my sake and thank the heavens Silas has finished swallowing my power like a bitter pill. I don't have to continue with this difficult conversation. It's not strange for Renit to take a lover, even multiple over a span of time. But for me to do that...the same does not feel right.

I always envisioned my first time being with someone I care about. At one point, that was Bren. He was always the security blanket I needed to fall back on but now; I don't see that happening with anyone. Definitely not with Renit as my mind still swirls with hate for him and definitely not Silas as he is engaged to another woman and if he had a preference, ten times out of ten—Celestine is his choice. The blushes and lonely gazes when he sees her walking around the gardens are evidence of that. I've been there on more than one occasion and sometimes, nudging his elbow once isn't enough to bring him back.

Darius would be a mistake. All men in this castle would be a mistake because I don't care about a single one and finding someone for one night, losing myself with them for a few short hours, is not how I want to go about making my way through that part of life.

"I'm ready," Silas pants. "Damn, this is a lot of power." He furls and unfurls his fists at his side as the power thrums with them.

"Try to use it, see what happens," Renit instructs. He remains next to me, though there isn't any bit of awkwardness in his voice when he tells me to step back in case his brother starts out of control. Sharing that small bit of my life might be a mistake but we have to dig deep at some point, even the topic is one I'm not experienced with.

Silas directs the power and the ground rumbles and cracks. Similar to what mine has done hundreds of occasions before. When that cracking starts, he clamps down on the power in the blink of an eye. That doesn't happen to me, not that easily. "He's using great force to wield it," Renit says to no one in particular.

Like he's been using his power for hundreds of years, Silas creates a wall. A mess of dirt and rock shoots from the ground, towering over us in a matter of seconds. When he tries to bring that wall back down, it shoots into the sky and Silas's fist rises into the air, clamping into a strong hold. The ascent into the blue expanse above the clearing is quickly stopped, the cluster slamming back down onto the ground. The surface shakes and nearby trees buckle under the pressure by relieving a few of their loose leaves. He stopped the power.

"I think I know what the problem is." Silas turns to us and ushers me forward. "This ability has a mind of its own, the power of ground is very manipulative. You have to be in control, you aren't assertive enough."

I arch a brow at him and he stands me in front of him, two hands on my shoulders. Renit doesn't budge or move to stop his brother as his point goes back to our conversation before. Even if that means I'm in his brother's bed. The thought is too uncomfortable for me to think about. Three hundred years drowns the opportunity for experience and Renit holds that in all clutches of departments.

"What I want you to do is use your power. And when the time comes to stop that power at your hand, I want you to clamp down." Silas squeezes my shoulders.

"I've been trying that, nothing works," I confess, looking down at the bits of rubble he left behind.

"That's because my brother's training is too intense. You've been practicing way too much. Take only a handful of the ground and from there, you'll work your way up."

I glance over at Renit for confirmation and he nods but also glares at his brother for the comment. If that's true then this entire time, training has been all wrong. My power needs a gentle hand and if Silas is the one to provide that then I have no other choice but to listen to his words. Blind—the way I've gone into this training, believing Renit's ways were the only possible choice in discovering what ruptured underneath the cloak of honey-gold skin, into the ancient power granted by witches from hundreds—thousands of years—wishing to defend their kind into the future beyond.

Renit unlocks the titanium band from my wrist and doesn't bother backing away, watching closely as I take that handful of ground and lift it into the air. Silas's hands tighten on my shoulders, urging me to move slow. No one breathes as the ground moves, dripping with grassroots and pebbles. For the most part, the chunk remains intact and flutters over to us when I use my power to pull it in.

The chunk soars over our heads and around our bodies until Renit snaps at me to stop playing around. At least I've learned this control, enough of it to where I can take a small chunk instead of a wall ten feet high lurching from the ground without warning. I know I've made progress and Silas does too as he squeezes my shoulders again.

I lean into his warmth, channeling for any help as I lower that small chunk back to the ground. My power twitches with restraint as so much of the strength wants to burst at the seams and send that chunk scattering into the sky, dark as storm clouded raindrops.

"Easy now," Silas whispers in my ear.

Like he told me to do, I clamp down on that power inside me. It lurches, screams, and shoves against that cell I keep the strength trapped in but for once, the power obeys once the air is tight. My head pounds, my vision blurs with the force. As I set down that chunk with a deep breath, my power clamped into a fist, I breathe a sigh of relief. The chunk remains where I put it, knitting together with the rest of the ground.

The next few seconds are a mess of Silas cheering, whooping, and lifting me into the air for a very dizzying spin. With my skull already throbbing, it takes all I have not to vomit in the grass but for the first time; I have done nothing wrong. There is nothing for Renit to complain about today and there definitely won't be for a while, not while I work my power to full potential.

Renit doesn't bother telling me good job or congratulations. Instead, he tells me to keep practicing, again and again, until I'm weak in the knees and my neck is so sore I can barely see straight. I wasn't the failure. His training and pushing me way too far past my power ability was the problem. With both of their training and persistence, I finally understand what control feels like.

And I can't thank them enough.