The Gift was similarly single-minded—easily commanded by its owner, but defiant to the will of anyone else. The first time he tried to take hold of Gemma’s Gift, it slipped through his fingers like mist. The same thing happened the second, the third, and the twentieth time. The thirtieth time, it wriggled through his fingers like a fish, and the fiftieth time, he held on to the barest threads of it before it tore through his grip.
Frustrated didn’t even begin to describe his feelings on the subject.
* * *
“Come on, Jamie,” Eva shouted, not bothering to hide the anger and frustration in her voice. “Get it together!”
Three weeks since they’d first set eyes on the blasted Gem Nexus. Three weeks of endless failures. The fact that he had been unable to light up the diamond between him and Gemma meant that Eva had spent three weeks watching him struggle, forced to the sidelines. Jamie could hardly blame her for finally losing her cool. In fact, knowing Eva as he did, he was surprised it hadn’t happened earlier.
“Eva,” Pete admonished, “you know that doesn’t help.”
Eva spun toward him, her hands fisted at her sides. “Save your diplomatic bullshit,” she yelled. “Better yet, why don’t you shove it down your throat. Because your gentle approach isn’t working. Three weeks and we’re no closer to getting this done. And somehow, I don’t think we’re going to like the consequences of failure!”
“Eva…” Gemma said softly.
“Really, Gemma?” Eva mocked. “Now is the moment you choose to grow a spine? You really want to go toe to toe with me on this?”
Gemma shrank back, and Jamie stepped out in front of her, facing Eva. “Fine,” he said evenly, “what do you suggest, Eva?”
Eva took a deep breath, fighting to control her anger. “Jamie,” she said, shaking her head, her voice suddenly low and tired. “You need to stop fighting it. Give in to your Gift. Let the flow of it carry you away.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Jamie snapped back. “Stop talking in riddles. Do you really think I don’t want to get this right? That I’m blocking it?”
“That’s exactly what I think. I think you’re hiding something, keeping something from the rest of us. Scared that joining your power with ours will somehow spill your secrets. So, you continue to fail—maybe subconsciously—but ultimately, you are responsible for your failure. For our failure.”
“Thanks, Eva,” Jamie said sarcastically. “I can always count on you for encouragement.”
“I’m not here to comfort you. You chose this, remember. The Cleaners gave you a choice—the soft, safe life or this. You chose risk and danger and thrill. Man up and live with your choice. There’s no room for fear here, and stop making us all live with the consequences of your regret.”
There was stark and painful truth in her words. Something beautiful about her unflinching approach to it. Every word a knife breaking apart the shield of secrets he’d created around himself. Peeling layers from him like an onion. He wasn’t ready to be laid bare before them, so he attacked as best he could, gathering righteous anger and throwing it back at Eva.
“And how am I supposed to trust you, Eva?” Jamie shouted. “You’re sleeping with Marcus. You came into my life because he told you to. So where do your loyalties lie?”
Gemma grabbed his wrist. “Jamie…” she murmured, a sharp tone of warning hidden in a single word.
“No,” Eva said quietly. “I have no secrets. Yes, I slept with Marcus, and yes, I became your friend because he told me to. But he did that only because he wanted to recruit you and Emma into the Cleaner Army. He wanted information on you for that reason alone, and now you’re here, and there’s nothing sinister in that.”
“That’s not what you said to me at the Elemental Trials.”
Eva rolled her eyes. “I was angry Jason was still in it and I wasn’t, and for a brief moment, I was paranoid. But trust me, there’s nothing more to it.”
Jamie laughed bitterly. “Trust. There’s that word again, but somehow, I just don’t think it can be applied to you.”
Eva shrugged. “That’s up to you, Jamie, but I’m not the one keeping secrets here.”
“You’re sleeping with Marcus.”
“I was sleeping with Marcus, and that’s not a secret. I’m not ashamed of it. He is the Elemental High Master and I liked that. And he was amazing in bed,” Eva said smoothly, drawling out her words languidly.
“Damn, Eva, we really didn’t need to know that,” Pete said with a grimace.
“And why not? Let’s get all our secrets out on the table. In fact, allow me to get us started,” Eva said viciously. “Gemma, you pretend like you’re the ultimate rebel, with your purple hair and dalliance with the kitchen staff. But secretly you can’t stand the fact that your brother is so much better than you at everything that matters. That your parents don’t even see your little rebellions because they’re so busy worshiping the ground at your brother’s feet. You’re desperate to have your parents see you—that’s why you entered the Elemental Trials, and that’s why you’re here.”
Eva spun on her feet and pointed to Pete. “And you, Peter Andrews—rich and handsome, and by all appearances, the perfect heir apparent to the Andromeda fortune. So why are you here? What are you running from?”
Pete strode over to Eva and grabbed her by the shoulders. He towered over her, but she refused to back down.
“What, Pete?” Eva taunted. “Scared that I’ll spill your little secret? That everyone’s going to figure out why you don’t have a wife by your side, making little grandbabies to carry on the Andrews
