MARCUS'S POV
(NINE WEEKS INTO TRAINING)
Everyone else had broken through.
Everyone.
Finn, Zara, Kira, Ash, Reed and Willow together, even Sera with her quiet mastery.
Just us. Just me and Lucas. The last ones. The failures.
"Stop thinking that," Lucas said from across the training room. We'd always been able to sense each other's thoughts—twin bond mixing with shared corruption.
"It's true. We're the only ones left."
"Then we'll break through together. Like we do everything." He formed an illusion—a simple butterfly. It has been held for nine minutes now. Better than yesterday's eight. But still not a breakthrough.
"What if nine minutes is our limit? What if we never achieve more?"
"Then we keep trying anyway." Lucas released the butterfly, watching it dissolve. "The Queen believes in us. Tor believes in us. We can't give up."
"But what if belief isn't enough?"
