Page 125 of The Curse of Golden Blood
She rolled us again, but this time there was nothing playful about it. Pure power drove the movement, strength that could crack stone. When the light faded enough for me to see, she was straddling my chest, her hands pressed flat against my shoulders.
Wings spread wide above us, blocking out everything else. Her skin still glowed with residual power, patterns of light racing beneath the surface like captured lightning.
"Lesson learned," she said, breathing hard. "Never underestimate what desperation can accomplish."
I stared up at her, stunned. The raw force she'd just displayed was beyond anything I'd seen from her before. Not controlled sunfire magic, but something primal. Instinctive.
"That was..." I started.
"Terrifying?" She shifted, settling her weight more securely. "Overwhelming? Completely uncontrolled?"
"Magnificent."
She was quiet for a long moment, processing what had just happened. What she'd just proven herself capable of.
"The power wants to consume everything," she whispered. "When it flares like that, I can feel it pushing against every boundary I've built. Like it's testing how far it can go before I break."
"Then we teach you stronger boundaries."
"What if I can't learn them fast enough? What if next time I don't hold back?"
I sat up slowly, careful not to dislodge her. My hands found her waist, anchoring her to the here and now instead of whatever terrifying futures her mind was conjuring.
"Then we make sure there isn't a next time. We train until control becomes second nature. Until you can channel that power without losing yourself to it."
She searched my face, looking for doubt or fear. Finding neither, she nodded slowly.
"Every day," she said.
"Every day," I agreed. "Until facing Ylvena becomes inevitable instead of suicidal."
Her smile was sharp as a blade. "I like those odds better."
The sunlight streaming through the training chamber windows was beginning to fade, painting everything in shades of gold and amber. But the glow emanating from Miralyte's skin was brighter than any natural light.
"When you become queen…" I said quietly.
She stiffened. "Zydar. You know how I feel about being a queen."
"But when you do." I brushed a strand of golden hair from her face. "I want to be there. I want to be the one placing the crown upon your brow."
Her breath caught. "You want to crown me?"
"I want to stand beside you when you claim what's rightfully yours. When you take back the Sun Court from the woman who destroyed your family." My voice roughened. "I want to watch you become everything you were born to be."
She was quiet for a long moment, golden eyes searching mine.
"And after?" she whispered.
I traced the curve of her jaw with my thumb. "After, you'll be queen. And I'll be the fool who fell for someone completely out of his league."
A laugh escaped her, bright and unexpected. "Out of your league?"
"A warlord who commands storms versus the heir to the oldest court in existence?" I smirked. "I'm definitely outmatched."
"You're ridiculous."
"So you keep telling me."
