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“Yoa!” A sphere of water rose from the ocean, sucking all the waves crashing along the sand. Thicket grabbed at more, funneling it into the massive ball, collecting it, storing it. Her body trembled as she fought to hold onto the power. It bucked against her control, fighting to be set free as it swirled faster and faster, gathering more and more water until the entire shoreline was gone, leaving a wall of water where the waves had once spread across the beach.

“Princess,” Marcellus said warningly.

She ignored him. When she felt her control starting to slip, she let the sphere of water fall.

Bern stared open mouthed. Marcellus cursed.

“Vynt!” Elian cried, encircling himself in a bubble of air in a last attempt to shield himself.

But the water never hit him. Thicket redirected the sphere away from Elian, letting it crash back into the sea. The force of the collision propelled a wave towards them. Bern shrieked, covering her face as it neared. The wave arced over their heads, drenching the entire beach and climbing halfway up the steps leading to Sleeria before sliding back down, joining with the ocean once again.

Elian, to Thicket’s utter disbelief, was still standing. Water mixed with blood, trickling down his body in trails of diluted red. For one, horrifying moment, she thought he was going to continue.

Elian took a step, wavered, and collapsed.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Elian!” Thicket sprinted as fast as she could, boots slipping on the drenched sand. “ Gayir.” Slowly, the cuts along his face and arms sealed.

“Good job,” he panted, looking up at her through strained eyes. “You focused on… on evading my attacks until you—” He winced. “Until you could tire me out. That was a good strategy.”

It hadn’t been a strategy at all. She had just done what she could to survive. He had been relentless from the very beginning. Maybe because it had been Elian, ever smiling, ever positive, she hadn’t been prepared for it, but he hadn’t given her a second to think. If her power hadn’t outmatched his, she would have fallen almost immediately.

He was powerful. Far more powerful than she had imagined. Her mind flashed back to the intense look he had worn right before the fight started. He looked as though he had been preparing for a real fight. Had treated it like one, too.

Once the last scrape had sealed, Elian forced his trembling torso to rise. “Thank you, Thicket.” He threw a hand over his shoulder. For once, the careless gesture looked… off. Forced. Maybe even fake. “I didn’t mean to get so beat up.”

Thicket examined him. Droplets of red-tinged water clung to his hair and sides of his face. He may not be injured anymore, but his body had taken a toll. There had been no need to go as far as he did. Marcellus had only wanted her to practice fighting against someone with magic. The moment she captured him within the glass it should have been over. Yet he risked himself and kept fighting.

“Why?” she asked. “Why did you push yourself so hard?”

Elian smiled, but it filled her chest with something aching and hollow. “I want to be worthy of being next to you.”

“You already are,” Thicket insisted.

“No.” Elian’s eyes flicked in Marcellus’ direction. The latter narrowed his eyes, meeting Elian’s stare. “I’m not.” Elian’s fist bunched for a brief moment before flattening, propelling him off the ground. “I need to get some rest. I will leave Bern to help with the rest of your training. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”

“Elian, wait!” She ran after him. Neither Marcellus nor Bern tried to stop her.

Thicket doesn’t need anyone to save her.

Those words… It wasn’t just him believing in her.

I want to be worthy of being next to you.

It was him believing he wasn’t good enough.

Elian didn’t slow, maintaining his brisk pace as he marched beneath a cliff arching over the beach. Thicket’s breath was stolen by the sight beyond.

The entire beach glittered with thousands of small shards, each stained with a variety of frosted greens, pinks, blues, reds, and the occasional orange. They streaked across the shoreline like a fallen rainbow.

The Sea Glass Ocean certainly lived up to its name.

Elian didn’t stop to ogle the sight.

“Just tell me what’s wrong,” Thicket called, ankles wobbling as she tread across the beaded sand. “I know something has been bothering you.”

I just let some of my old insecurities crop up. It is my fault for not managing it better.