Wind Wielder

Chapter 27 - Playdates

PART THREE: THE REVENGE

The first thing Zara noticed the following morning was the scent. Her scent.

It had shifted overnight. No longer was it the usual scent of raspberries and vanilla she had become accustomed to her whole life, but rather it was now tainted with the sharp undercurrent of crisp harsh ozone and petrichor. The smell right before a storm.

The next thing Zara noticed was the feeling. She felt stronger, wilder. More free. Getting out of bed felt easier somehow, and as Zara gripped her tube of toothpaste to brush her teeth, she watched in horror as the slightest squeeze caused the contents of the tube to come flying out and splatter all over the mirror. And when Zara grabbed the towel hanging on the wall to hastily wipe away her mess, she nearly ripped the wall mount right off its hinges.

Zara froze, staring at the wall in horror with a towel in one hand and the tube of toothpaste in the other, the paste dripping off her hand. Her eyes slid to her reflection in the mirror.

Zara ran her gaze over herself, the green eyes lined with blue, the freckles and tanned skin and wild waist length curls. There was no obvious difference, no change in her appearance. Zara looked as she always had, no extra muscle gained aside from that she had earned in the training ring with Azriel these past weeks. Nothing to account for the sudden strength and buzz of energy crackling through her veins.

But Zara looked deeper, within herself, and saw it there. The great gates guarding her power at the bottom of her soul that she kept locked up were left partially open, more accessible. Like light peeking out of a slightly open doorway. Zara tried to close it, tried to seal the light in but it wouldn't budge. Would only move wider, as if by letting some of it out yesterday she had cracked the doors open, never for it to remain fully closed ever again.

Zara sighed, squeezing her eyes shut and rolling her neck. Somehow, by letting some of that power out yesterday a piece of her had caved. A vital, self preservational part that kept her power so tightly locked up it was unavailable. Repressed. Concentrating on it now, the difference felt cataclysmic.

It was still hidden away, but more accessible. In fact, far more available to use. As if instead of being locked several stories underground, it remained in the room next door. Zara could feel the energy running through her veins, the sensation that if she so much as willed it, it would be easy to bring to the surface. It was the exact sentient Rhys had been anticipating, and Zara had dreaded.

Walking up the steps to training, Zara felt as if she could have leaped up ten steps in a single stride. Gone were the days of gasping for breath as she struggled up the stairs. By the time Zara reached the top of the House of Wind, she felt refreshed. Rejuvenated.

That is until she realized the entire inner circle was gathered in the training pit. Then, she was just pissed.

It seemed Rhys had gathered his entire friend group to gap at his science experiment.

The entire inner circle was present for training that morning. Even Amren.

Cassian noticed Zara first, and he turned to her while Rhys and Mor sparred. His eyebrows raised, smelling the difference in her scent immediately.

His eyes ran over Zara, looking for any physical difference to account for the change in her scent, but as Cassian met her gaze again Zara could tell he found none. There was a glint there, deep within the hazel depths. Curiosity.