"Fix your course on a star, and you'll navigate any storm."

~Leonardo da Vinci

My hands shot up out of reflex, ice sprouting forth and encompassing the tendril of Darkness. I stood rooted to the spot. The world seemingly stopped as my mind processed that not only had I stopped Chad's Darkness with my own powers, but that he'd tried to attack me. Chad stared at me, equally perplexed, and dare I say, stunned by the result of his actions. I doubt many people, if any, had effectively blocked his attacks before, let alone the "newbie" on the planet.

Still, as the reality settled in, rather than being terrified. I became pissed. I know Chad hated me and was furious with what I'd done, but what right did that give him to attack me? Forget trying to calm him down. I wouldn't start a fight, but I sure as hell would finish one.

"Chad!" Vivienne and Caleb chastised simultaneously. He ignored them, as did I.

"No! I'm sick of her thinking she can get away with things because she's the apparent 'Chosen One'!" Chad growled, advancing towards me. I held my ground while he stared me down with malicious intent. "I've repeatedly told you to avoid my brother, and yet you not only let him whisk you away onto a Malkan ship, but you also make him your bodyguard and hang out with him!"

Another tendril of Darkness shot out at me, once more for my throat. I reacted in kind, freezing it in place. However, this time, I sent an attack of my own. An ice ball exploded from my hand and into Chad's chest. It sent him flying backward, crashing into the wall on the other side. Vivienne darted to his side, checking him over. Her actions stung. We'd been best friends for so long, yet she was more concerned about his wellbeing than mine?

I'd talk with her about it later. Right now, I needed her out of here to avoid being hurt because I had a feeling things were about to get nasty between Chad and me. "Caleb, get her out of here."

Chad scoffed. "Don't pretend like you care about her. You don't even believe in her."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes at him as he pushed himself up.

"You say you're trying to sabotage your candidacy for Queen of Vasileia, yet you don't even support your best friend's claim. You think she's too trusting, isn't that right?"

I felt the color drain out of my face. "I only told one person that. How did you-"

My head swiveled to look at Caleb, who held his hands up defensively. "I swear, I didn't-"

"Don't worry. Caleb didn't tell me. I figured it out on my own because he was probing me about it, and I knew there was no way he would've thought that without outside interference. Your interference since you're always hanging around him if you're not with my brother."

"Lilly, is this true?" Vivienne asked, her tone unmistakably hurt.

I stiffened, hating how this conversation was going. "I did, but what your boyfriend here is failing to say is that I believe I'm not trusting enough. Look, we can talk about it later, but right now, you need to leave. I don't want you in our crossfire."

"Why? Because you think she's too weak?" Chad prompted.

"What? No, that's not-"

"Then why can't she stay here?"

"Because I don't trust you not to hurt her!"

"You're the one that's hurt her feelings. You're the one that's been ignoring her these last few months. You're the one that's-"

"Shut up!" I growled, firing ice projectiles at him. He narrowly dodged out of the way while attacking in return. I heard myself shout at Caleb to get Vivienne out of here. When he didn't move, I barked, "That's an order!"

He hesitated for another moment but then leaped into action, grabbing Vivienne by the arm and dragging her out of there. Once they disappeared out of the room, I let loose all the pent-up stress and frustration I had on Chad. I was tired of him treating me like I was nothing. I was tired of him hating me for no damn reason. I was tired of him acting all high and mighty and like a God when he was nothing but a bully and a dick.

A tendril wrapped itself around my ankle and yanked me upside down. I was halfway up to the thirty-foot ceiling by the time I managed to orient myself and freeze the Darkness. I kicked out at it afterward, destroying its hold around me. I created an ice slide to avoid crashing into the tiled floor. As I stood up, I saw Chad vanish. Instinctively, I knew he'd end up behind me. After all, it was my blind spot and the best place for an offensive attack.

I sent a wave of ice and snow behind me and towards the wall, hoping to pin Chad to it and end this fight. I heard a furious grunt. I turned around and found my plan had worked accordingly. I couldn't help but feel a little smug that I'd beaten him.

Or so I thought.

Rage filled Chad's face, and his eyes turned an unsettling shade of black, almost like a demon. I could see the power building within him, and while I tried to grow the ice restraints, his strength was too much for me. Darkness burst through and out, shattering the ice into a million tiny shards. Pointed shadow tendrils, like knives, dove at me from all sides, and I could barely keep up with the onslaught. I lost Chad in the chaos of it, but I could hear him yelling, "I've been training for war my whole life! Do you really think you can beat me?!"

As much as I wanted to give him a nasty retort back, I couldn't tear my focus in any way from the battle. Doing so, I feared, meant death.

Unfortunately, I couldn't keep up with his offense, and a Shadow tendril slipped past my defenses, wrapping around my torso and flinging me up and across the room. I crashed into the wall before dropping down to the ground. I don't remember the impact. I think I blacked out for a few seconds because when I came to, I found my gaze directed at the ceiling above me, the battle with the Malkan destroyer raging in blurry holographs above me.

With a groan, I pushed myself up, my world spinning and my head pounding sharply. Through my tilt-a-whirl vision, I saw Chad stalking towards me like a predator coming at its prey. I tried firing ice and snowballs at him, but I couldn't aim properly, and they sailed past him. Finally, Chad reached me, lifting me up by the shoulders with his Darkness and pinning me against the wall.

He leaned in towards me, his eyes still black and terrifying. His lips curled into a vicious smile as he said, "You can't beat me."

Behind Chad, I saw the silhouette of a man, one I never thought I'd be so glad to see. I smiled through the pain as Shane said, "No, but I can."