“Oh, let’s consider the possibilities. I could obliterate the forest around us, maybe turn the lake into a boiling, lifeless pit. Fae powers or not, I doubt I’d survive that,” I replied, shaking my head at Leonardo’s suggestion. “This is too risky.”
“Isabella, everything has risks. You’re dangerous, I’m dangerous, this whole forest is dangerous.” His smirk told me he was fully confident he’d win this argument. “You became the best warrior in your last Alpha’s pack. The Isabella I know wouldn’t back down from a little danger.”
I fixed him with a hard look, hoping the intensity in my eyes would send him marching out of the lake. Of course, he didn’t budge.
Deep down, I knew he was right. Avoiding my powers wouldn’t keep me safe; it would only make me weaker. I was tired of running from what I was, of letting fear dictate my strength.
“Alright, fine. But if we end up boiled alive or worse, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I shot him a pointed look.
“I’m not worried,” he said, his voice light and steady, a boyish grin playing on his lips. “I trust you, kitten.”
There was something in the way he said that, in the steadiness of his gaze, that sent a wave of warmth through me. He trusted me with his life, and that faith sparked a new sense of confidence in my chest.
“Alright, I can do this,” I muttered, grounding myself. “Just a small fire, nothing big.”
I repeated the words in my head, anchoring my thoughts on that one word-small. I had to control the energy surging within me, channeling it to something manageable. But the doubt clawed at me, making my hands tremble slightly.
“Relax, kitten,” Leonardo said softly, moving closer until he was right beside me. He rose from the water, steam rising off his pale skin as he reached out, his hand tilting my chin so I met his eyes. “Close your eyes. You control your magic; it doesn’t control you.”
Closing my eyes, I tried to focus, to reach that deep well of power within me. But all I could sense was Leonardo’s nearness, his steady warmth so close it left me distracted and breathless.
“Um, Leonardo?” I stammered, my face warming. “Could you maybe, uh, take a step back? You’re making it a little hard to concentrate.”
“Mmm, if you insist,” he replied, a hint of playfulness in his voice. “I’ll save the distraction for later.”
“Leonardo,” I said, raising a brow.
“Alright, alright, I’ll behave.” His soft chuckle was like the first snow after a storm, gentle and blindingly beautiful.
For just a moment, I savored the sound, the warmth of his laughter, before gathering myself. I pushed away thoughts of boiling lakes and burning forests, letting my mind settle on a smaller, gentler flame-something to light the darkness, not consume it.
I dipped into the well of power, feeling it stir and build, and for a heartbeat, the urge to unleash it was overwhelming. But I held on, reining it in, refusing to let it control me.
Sweat beaded on my forehead, every muscle straining as I let a small pulse of energy slip from my hold, weaving it into a shimmering thread. Just as I was finishing, more power slipped free, surging toward the lake’s edge. But I remembered Leonardo’s words: “You control this power; it doesn’t control you.”
Guiding the threads, I sent them out into the world, weaving them into glimmers of warm light-bronze, orange, gold-that bathed the lake and forest in a soft, ethereal glow.
“Open your eyes, kitten,” Leonardo’s voice whispered, thick with awe.
I opened my eyes, and the sight took my breath away.
Suspended above the lake were clusters of flickering flames, a dozen tiny lights floating like enchanted fireflies. They snapped and crackled, illuminating the snowy landscape in a dance of light and warmth.
“I did it,” I whispered, my gaze moving from flame to flame. “Leonardo, I actually did it!”
It was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. Snow blanketed the world around us, and steam lifted from the lake, swirling up toward the glowing lights. Golden hues shimmered across the snow and water, casting our little world in a surreal, magical light.
“You’re incredible, Isabella.” His words were soft, barely audible, and I felt their sincerity settle deep in my chest.
And then, a new thread began to form between us-a glowing, joyous connection that bound us together, resonating with the shared warmth and wonder of the moment. For once, I felt no fear, no regret. Only the thrill of knowing that, somehow, this was exactly where I was meant to be.