Chapter 1
Chapter One
Lailah
The wind whipped through my hair, whisps flying across my eyes and blocking my vision as I ran for the sea.
The call of the ocean was stronger now that my powers had awakened.
I laughed, whispering to the winds to push me faster to my destination.
Nuri shouted behind me, attempting to snatch my dress and pull me back, but I was one with the wind in this moment.
I sucked in a breath, licking the salty air brushing across my lips.
We raced through the trees toward the beach.
Dariava Palace was surrounded by dense forests but still relatively close to the sea.
It was our favorite place to go. This particular beach was more remote and heavily guarded for the royal family’s use.
There were some perks to being a princess, at least.
“I’m going to catch you!” Nuri shouted behind me, and I grinned.
“The sea is mine!” I taunted her, leaping over a fallen tree and slamming my feet into the soft white sand. My wings itched to unfurl, but that would be cheating.
The rules were only minimal powers while we raced and no transformations. I coaxed the winds to keep my feet steady and fill my lungs with enough oxygen to outrun my best friend.
Nuri and I were competitive from the start, but in the best way.
She was my favorite being in the entire world.
More than my sisters, for sure. We had a connection I couldn’t explain, at least not until I turned sixteen and our powers truly emerged.
Daemons and lumens were born with affinities to the elements, but our abilities to manipulate them fully manifested at the Vis-El Ceremony, the rite of passage for every creature.
When the stars blessed Nuri and I at the ceremony, our powers awoke and a thread of purest gold unfurled within me, connecting directly to her.
I never told her about it. The force of it was intimidating.
My mother, of course, asked if I had any bonds forming after the ceremony.
She always had that sly smile when she spoke about Nuri.
Aurora Valdis was the greatest Seer in all of Stella Terra.
Her power was renowned throughout the clans of witches, daemons, and lumens.
There were whispers it was a power I would inherit, but I didn’t want anything to do with it.
When I gained access to the Vis-El, our power, and the visions didn’t come forth like they had for her, I was beyond relieved.
No super serious future duties for me. Well, almost. But my mother handled that disaster of a situation, and now here I was.
Free of royal betrothals and ready to explore the world with Nuri at my side.
Waves crashed against the shore, drowning my thoughts and bringing me back to the competition at hand. One I was clearly going to win.
“Victory is mine!” I shouted, leaping into the air and ready to feel the ocean before us. But just as I leapt, the waves whooshed out to sea and nothing but sand remained beneath my feet.
“Not today!” Nuri shouted, rushing by me and diving into the sea, using her affinity for water to call the ocean to her instead.
Her dark hair disappeared beneath the waves, and I growled in frustration, kicking the sand. Nuri’s head popped up, and seconds later, a massive wave crashed over me, pulling me out to sea. Air wrapped around my head, allowing me to breathe under the water.
I spotted Nuri’s silvery blue eyes flashing underwater and dove toward her.
Where I was fair haired and golden eyed, Nuriela was dark haired and had shining silver eyes.
She was my starry night, and I was her rising sun.
Nuri reached for me, and when our hands clasped, power zipped between us.
I shivered under the water at the feel of it.
We swam together, reaching the surface with bubbling laughs.
The ocean was clearest blue and green, going on for miles around us. Being in the water was almost as cozy as being in the sky.
“You win.” I grinned, splashing her while we treaded water.
“I know,” she teased, letting go of my hand to float on her back. “The sea will always choose me. Just like the winds will always help you.”
My body floated next to hers, and we stared up at the bright-blue sky. Puffy white clouds drifted above us, and I ached to join them. While I could manipulate water almost as well as Nuriela, she was right. My connection to air was stronger.
“For now,” I teased. “My control over the sea is growing.”
“And so is my connection to the sky,” she taunted, smirking back at me.
“Let’s make a bet. By my next name day, I bet my powers are stronger than yours.”
Nuri laughed, and the sound stirred butterflies within my stomach. “Not a chance. I’m already stronger. In a years’ time, I’ll be twice as badass as I am now. I’ll take your bet.”
She wasn’t wrong. Nuri was crazy powerful.
But I was a Valdis and more than confident my powers would, at the least, match hers.
The first year after the ceremony was the most important.
Our connections to the elements and the magic pulsing in every living expounded over time.
Some lesser daemons or lumens didn’t gain any further power or bonds after their awakening. But I wouldn’t be one of those.
My eyes dropped to her lips, perfectly pink and heart-shaped. “Deal.”
She cocked her head, gazing at me inquisitively.
But I wasn’t quite ready to cross that line.
It was stupid, really. I knew she was meant for me, and I for her.
Whether it was written in the stars for us to be fated mates or not, my heart belonged to Nuriela, now and always.
And yet I hesitated. It wasn’t like we never touched, but those touches were innocent.
Friendly. I longed for more, dreamt of it every night.
But how does one go from having a best friend to a girlfriend?