Page 41 of Powerful

I roll my head towards her, watching her silhouette stare up into the sky. Awe laces each word from her soft lips. ‘I always wondered how something could shine so bright, even while being swallowed in darkness.’

My eyes run over the shadowed outline of her face. ‘I’ve been trying to figure that out myself.’

‘I hope they know how admired they are up there,’ she murmurs. ‘I mean, I count them before bed every night.’

I shake my head at the sight of her admiring something far duller than she.

‘I’m quite sure that even the stars are envious of you.’

Her head turns towards me, pulling her eyes from the sky and pinning them on me. ‘What?’

‘You make even the stars envious,’ I repeat softly, leaning towards her. ‘Because one day – far from now – you will be up there beside them, outshining every single one.’

I’m not sure what it is about her that has me suddenly spewing prose like a poet, but if I’ve learned anythingfrom her, it is to no longer hide what it is I’m feeling. Even if that means admitting things I likely shouldn’t.

I can feel her quick breaths, practically hear her racing thoughts. Every inch of her is tense against me, and when my knuckles brush hers, air catches in her throat. After several shaky breaths, she whispers, ‘And will you be beside me up there?’

‘If I should be so lucky.’

‘Promise me,’ she murmurs sternly. ‘I don’t want to be alone.’

I nod against her hair. ‘I promise, Dena.’

CHAPTER 16Adena

‘I have my next gift for you.’

Plopping down on his bed, I clutch the surprise behind my back and watch him stride towards me. Ash clings to his hands and bleeds up his arms. My eyes run over the strands of black hair falling in his face above the shirt that clings tightly to his body. I swallow at the sight of him but force my flustering to a minimum.

His long legs reach me in a matter of moments. ‘I thought we decided on no more gifts. For your own sanity.’

‘You decided that.’ I shrug. ‘I decided to try to top the last one.’

‘You should know that I’m justifiably frightened.’

‘It’s nothing bad, I swear!’ I gesture to the empty mattress beside me. ‘All right, take a seat.’

The bed groans as he slowly sinks into it. ‘Now,’ I insist slowly, ‘close your eyes.’

He sighs before obeying. ‘Yes, very frightened.’

Ignoring him, I lift the gift between us, displaying it over my outstretched arms. ‘Okay, open!’

He peeks at me through his lashes, ensuring it’s safe before opening them fully. But once he has, his jaw follows, gaping slightly in awe.

‘It’s different to the vest I made Pae,’ I say hurriedly. ‘For starters, it’s black instead of green. I figured that was more your color.’ Draping the vest carefully in his arms, I point to the pockets lining it. ‘And yours is lined with more of that leftover leather, so you can stick some knives in there and without worrying about being stabbed!’

He shakes his head, running ash-stained fingers over each seam. ‘How are you so good?’

‘Well, Mama ensured I could stitch a straight line with my eyes closed, and pockets took some practice but—’

‘No,’ he cuts in softly, his laugh equally so. ‘You.How can one person be so good?’

The corner of my mouth tugs into a timid smile. ‘It’s not very hard when you’ve been practicing your whole life.’

He’s looking at me in that way he often does. As though he’s laying eyes on me for the first time, discovering something entirely foreign to gaze at. It’s this look that makes me feel as though I’m the only thing that has ever captured his attention.

Too soon, his gaze falls. His fingers dance over the fabric, faltering beneath one of the pockets. ‘What’s this?’

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