Kai was determined not to let the blood of the Nyx weaken him. So, he went into the training room. He pushed himself hard, but the weakness from the blood quickly overwhelmed him. Frustrated, he cursed loudly.
"Fuck!" sending a piece of training equipment crashing to the floor.
Hearing the noise, Damien entered the room, his expression turned curious. "What the hell is going on in here?" he asked.
Kai, panting heavily, glared at his brother. "I can't take this anymore," he snapped. "I hate feeling weak. I don't want to be the useless brother."
Damien sighed, sipping from a cup of blood he held in his hand. "I get it, Kai. Anya's trying to channel her healing abilities. Once she does, you'll be back to normal."
"I can't wait," Kai grumbled, wiping sweat from his brow. "I can't stand this."
Damien leaned against the wall. "Now that we're alone," he said with his voice dropping into a lowered tone, "tell me the truth. And nothing but the truth."
Kai narrowed his eyes at him. "Ask your questions, brother."
"How did Anya's blood really get into your system?"
Kai opened his mouth to respond, but his words faltered. He stumbled over his sentences, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation.
Damien cut him off, his tone was more direct. "You fucked her last night, didn't you?"
Kai's eyes widened, and he immediately shook his head. "I didn't fuck Anya."
Damien smirked knowingly. "I know how you were with May. You'd cut her, lick her blood, and then fuck her. That's your thing, Kai. Everyone knows it."
Kai clenched his jaw, trying to deny it, but Damien continued, his voice was calm yet accusatory. "That's how Anya's blood got into your system. You lick the blood of whoever you're with."
Kai groaned, giving up. He was caught. "Fine," he admitted. "I kissed her. I wanted to do more, but I couldn't. The blood hit me hard before I could even get her naked."
Damien raised an eyebrow. "So, you kissed her."
"Yes," Kai confirmed, wiping the sweat from his brow again. "But don't tell Zephyr. I strongly think... he's in love with her. I can't deal with that right now."
Damien shook his head, chuckling softly. What is it with Anya that has Kai and Zephyr so wrapped up?
"Fine, I won't tell him. You have my word."
Kai breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Damien."
"Don't mention it," Damien replied. "Just get back to work before you lose your edge entirely."
Kai nodded, heading back to his training.
Meanwhile, Zephyr sat beside Anya in the library, the large book, The Grimoire of the Night's Children, was opened between them. Anya furrowed her brows as she read over the section on Nyx healing abilities, her fingers tracing the ancient text.
"This feels impossible," Anya muttered, looking at the injured rabbit lying on the floor between them. It had a small wound on its leg, and Anya had been trying to channel her powers to heal it.
Zephyr, sitting cross-legged beside her, offered a reassuring smile. "You're overthinking it. Just focus on what the book says. Healing comes from within."
Anya sighed, frustrated. "That's easy for you to say. I've never done anything like this before."
Zephyr glanced down at the book, then back at her. "It says here that the Nyx's power is tied to their emotions. Maybe you need to connect with the rabbit's pain. Feel what it feels."
Anya bit her lip, looking at the rabbit with sympathy. She closed her eyes, trying to center herself. After a moment, she placed her hands over the rabbit's wound, focusing all her energy on the creature.
She muttered the incantation from the book under her breath. "From shadow to light, from wound to mend, let life return, let darkness bend."
A faint glow began to emanate from her hands, but then it flickered and died. The rabbit let out a weak sound, it was still in pain.
"I can't do this," Anya groaned, pulling her hands back. "I'm useless."
Zephyr shook his head, his voice was gentle but firm. "You're not useless. You're learning. No one gets it on their first try. Keep going."
Anya looked at him, her eyes were full of doubt. "What if I can't do it? What if I'm not strong enough?"
Zephyr smiled softly and reached out, taking her hand. "You are strong enough. You just need to believe in yourself. I believe in you."
She stared at him, surprised by the warmth in his voice. "You really think I can do this?"
"I know you can," Zephyr replied, with his eyes never leaving hers. "You've survived this long. You've faced things most people would never imagine. Healing a rabbit is nothing compared to what you've already been through."
Anya hesitated, then nodded. "Okay. One more time."
She placed her hands over the rabbit's wound again, this time closing her eyes and focusing not just on the words, but on the pain she could feel radiating from the small creature. She allowed herself to connect with it, feeling its fear, its hurt.
As she whispered the incantation again, the glow from her hands returned—stronger this time. It spread over the rabbit's wound, and slowly, the gash began to close. The rabbit twitched slightly but remained still as its injury mended.
Anya was stunned, surprised and proud of herself that she threw her hands over her mouth as the wound finally sealed. Her jaw dropped and her eyes filled with disbelief, staring at the now-healed rabbit.
"I... I did it," she whispered, her voice was barely audible.
Zephyr grinned, with a proud look on his face. "You did it."
Anya laughed, a sound filled with relief and surprise. "I can't believe it actually worked!"
"I told you," Zephyr said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "You just needed to trust yourself."
She smiled at him, her heart swelling with gratitude. "I couldn't have done it without you."
Zephyr's eyes softened, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand. "I'm just glad I could help."
For a moment, they sat in silence. Then, Anya leaned in and kissed Zephyr's cheek.
"Thank you," she whispered with her lips lingering near his skin.
Zephyr's breath hitched. He turned to face her, with his eyes searching hers. "Anytime."