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He leans closer and whispers, "Do you want us to be lovers, Strenlys?"
"Absolutely not," I crinkle my nose in disgust, but internally, I'm flustered. "How can you be so calm about this?" I quickly change the line of questioning as to not give my true feelings away. "We're the first light and shadow wielders in an age. They defeated a demon king who was determined to conquer the mortal realm. It seems oddly specific to be coincidence that this is happening again."
He shrugs. "I believe it was Professor Riggs who said, "history loves to repeat itself". I'm not worried about it. Neither should you." With an air of finality in his tone, Atlas backpedals across the rings and points at the target. "Now, today's lesson – "
"Professor Riggs told me about Nox." That stops him dead in his tracks and it feels like all the air in the room has been sucked out. Even Nyx gasps at my forwardness.
Irritated is an understatement. Atlas' eyes are filled with rage, but his tone is even-tempered when he says, "He talks too much for my liking."
"Don't be angry with him," I reach for him, but retract my hand before I touch him. He tracks my movements in curiosity, but his glare still holds animosity. "He thought I already knew," I whisper, and his gaze softens.
His shoulders dip. "There's a good reason I don't use Nox or talk about it."
"I know the only time you used it – "
"Three people killed themselves," he interrupts with a hiss. "All the more reason not to bring it up." He turns on his heel and stomps in the direction of his desk.
"I want you to use it on me."
"What!?" He whips around like I struck him. His bewildered glare slides from me to Nyx. "Has she lost her mind?"
Nyx smacks a hand to his chest. "Why are you asking me? As if I encouraged this?"
His attention is once again fixed on me when he curls his lip, furrows his eyebrows, and approaches me. "I'm not using -"
"I have a lot of fears, " I interrupt, snatching his wrist the moment he is close enough, and see the trepidation in his eyes. "Fears I need to conquer."
"Not like this." His voice is broken, almost pleading.
"For weeks now you and your king have been telling me that war is inevitable, that Bastian will find a way to reopen the portal to the underworld and release Drogon. For weeks you have demanded I push myself and learn the extents of my magic. We don't know what kind of army Drogon has at his command. What if he has a shadow wielder like you who has mastered Nox?"
"You don't know what you're asking of me," he whispers.
"I know you're scared." I slide my hand in his and squeeze. "I am too. But if Oryn and Naya had the same affinities that we do and used them to save the realm a thousand years ago, shouldn't we at least try to prepare ourselves to do the same?"
"Do you know how their story ended?" he asks softly.
"Oryn sacrificed himself…" I hate thinking of what happened to a grief-stricken Naya, but Atlas presses onward, answering for me when I trail off.
"And Naya went mad with grief and drowned herself."
"We're not them, Atlas." I say it with the utmost confidence, but an unease deep in the pit of my stomach cries out that I'm wrong.
"No, we're not," he growls, "but for some reason you want us to be."
"You said it before, we aren't lovers." I snatch my hand from his, matching his tone. "Naya's grief over losing Oryn was what propelled her to take her life. We have no such compunction."
He rakes his hand through his hair and shakes his head. "I can't."
"Please. Whether we want to admit it or not, it seems we need one another."
He rolls his eyes. "Don't sound too excited."
"I'm serious." I plant my hands on my hips, sending him the non-verbal message that I will not budge on this. "We owe it to the people of Dalerin who may be in need of our power to master our magic. And if not for them, then for ourselves. Don't you want to be free of your own fear?"
Atlas silently walks toward his desk and for a brief moment, I don't think he's going to answer me.
Suddenly, he spins to face me. "If we do this," a seriousness washes over him, "I need you to promise me that if it becomes too difficult for you to handle, that you will tell me."
