Page 47 of Fated for Dawn

I looked at Rafe, hoping for an escape. At least for that day.

“Let’s practice in the courtyard,” Rafe suggested. “Being outside, grounded in the elements, will help.”

“Alright. Let’s go,” I agreed, mustering all my courage.

“Should I come too?” Chad asked eagerly, leaning forward. “If you need help shifting into that monster, what better support than an actual shifter?”

Before I could respond, Zade cut in, “No.”

That was all he said before he turned and strode toward the courtyard.

Chad’s face fell slightly, and I quickly added, “Thanks, Chad, but I think it’s best to keep this between the angels and me for now.”

“Alright,” he mumbled, clearly disappointed. “But if you need anything—just yell. I’ll be there faster than you can say ‘hellhound.’”

“I know you will,” I said, gripping his arm.

* * *

My pulse picked up with each step towards the courtyard.

Rafe must have sensed my unease because he reached over and took my hand. “You’ve got this, Evelyn. We’re right here with you.”

Once we reached the courtyard, Rafe and Zade positioned themselves on either side of me. I sank onto the ground, feeling the cool earth beneath me—a steady presence grounding me and helping calm the rising storm in my chest.

“Alright,” Rafe said, crouching beside me. “Like before, close your eyes, focus on breathing, and visualize your branches.”

I nodded, closing my eyes and letting my breath slow down, trying to center myself. My core magic pulsed gently, a steady rhythm I knew well. But I ignored it—that was tied to my life force. Instead, I focused on the other branches of power linked to my lineage. Fire, wings—I knew those well. But there were others, like my mother’s affinity for plants, and something that felt electric. And something else…something wilder…the monster.

“That’s it,” Rafe encouraged. “Now, reach out to one of them. Don’t try to control it yet—just let it flow through you.”

I took a deep breath and mentally reached out. I could select the one that felt earthy and grounded, pulsing gently like my mother’s affinity for plants. But really, what would I do? Grow a nice fern for Eris and hope she’d surrender?

Not exactly goddess-battle material.

So I focused on the power that felt electric, crackling with potential.

When I made contact, a jolt shot through me as if I’d tapped into a live wire. It was overwhelming—like trying to hold a lighting in my hands.

“Steady,” Zade’s voice reached my ears. “Don’t let it control you.Youcontrol it.”

I gritted my teeth, struggling to grasp the surging magic. It was raw, wild, eager to break free and consume everything in its path. But I couldn’t let that happen. I had to control it.

“Your lineage may have given you this power, but only you can shape what it becomes,” Rafe murmured. “Claim it and master it, Evelyn—don’t let it master you.”

His words resonated within me, steadying me. Slowly, painfully, I began to merge with the power, allowing it to become an extension of myself rather than something foreign and uncontrollable.

It was no longer just a part of me.

It was me.

Then lightning hit me, and everything went dark.

I came to with a groan, my head pounding and every muscle aching. The smell of singed grass filled my nostrils.

My body felt like I’d been hit by a truck.

Twice.

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