Gideon left the Council Chamber with the taste of blood and steel in his mouth. His jaw ached from biting back the urge to curse Aldric outright. The tension in the room had been suffocating — and it had taken more restraint than he cared to admit not to drive the bde through the old man’s chest.
Shame you didn’t.
Gideon’s hand tightened around the hilt of the sword as he stalked down the dark corridor. “Not yet.”
Nyra’s voice hummed through his mind, dark and amused. And here I thought you cked patience.
He pushed open the heavy oak door at the end of the hall and stepped out into the moonlit courtyard. The cool night air brushed against his face. The towering walls of the High Tower rose above him, the spires cutting into the sky like jagged spears. Torches flickered along the stone walkways, and the distant sound of guards shifting in their armor carried through the quiet.
“You’re unusually talkative tonight,” Gideon murmured.
You’ve proven yourself to be… interesting.
“Gd I could entertain you.”
He crossed the courtyard toward the training grounds. The stone path beneath his feet was cracked and uneven, worn down by centuries of footfalls. A statue of some long-dead king loomed to his left, the figure’s gaze cold and unseeing beneath the moonlight.
Gideon drew the sword from its sheath. The bck bde glinted beneath the pale light. The etchings along its surface pulsed faintly. He could feel the weight of it — heavier than steel, and yet perfectly banced in his hand.
He raised it. A low hum ran through his arm as the sword responded, the dark energy coiling beneath his skin.
Show me what you can do.
Gideon smiled. “Careful what you ask for.”
He lunged.
The bde cut through the air, faster than thought. Dark fire trailed in its wake, the raw force of his magic fring to life as the sword drank it in. He pivoted, spinning the bde in a sharp arc, and released the magic in a burst of shadowed fme. The training dummies lining the field erupted into splinters.
A quiet ugh echoed in his mind. Not bad.
Gideon’s breathing was steady as he lowered the bde. “Is that approval?”
You have potential, Nyra purred. But potential alone is not enough.
“You’d know about falling short, wouldn’t you?”
A dark pulse of energy throbbed through the sword. His arm went numb for a moment, and he gritted his teeth.
Careful, Nyra whispered. I’m not the one with a mortal body.
“Then stop holding back,” Gideon growled.
Nyra’s presence sharpened. You want to see what I can really do?
“I wouldn’t have drawn you otherwise.”
The dark energy within the bde surged. Bck tendrils of shadow erupted from the ground, writhing like serpents. The air grew thick and cold. Power crackled along Gideon’s skin, burning and exhirating all at once.
And then he saw her.
A figure materialized in the darkness before him. Tall and slender, with long silver hair cascading down her back. Red eyes gleamed beneath the moonlight, sharp and knowing. She wore a dark leather corset over a fitted tunic, her athletic frame outlined by the soft glow of magic. Her smile was dangerous — pyful, but with the promise of blood beneath it.
“Well,” she said, her voice smooth as silk. “Aren’t you full of surprises?”
Gideon’s eyes narrowed. “Nyra?”
She stepped closer, her bare feet barely touching the ground. “Did you think I would remain a voice in your head forever?”
“You didn’t mention this was an option.”
Nyra’s smile widened. “You weren’t ready.”
Gideon’s gaze swept over her. His hand tightened on the hilt of the sword, and he realized — he could still feel her presence within it. She hadn’t left the bde.
Nyra leaned closer, her silver hair brushing his shoulder. “Now the question is… what will you do with me?”
Gideon smiled faintly. “We’ll see.”
Nyra’s hand ghosted over his chest. Her eyes fshed. “Careful, Gideon. If you py with fire…”
“You burn?”
Her smile sharpened. “No.” Her finger trailed down his chest. “You’ll beg.”
The bde pulsed darkly in his hand.
Gideon chuckled. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
Nyra’s eyes gleamed. “Oh, darling. I don’t break promises.”
