So unlike herself.

She opened her eyes and clutched the front of her dress, remembering their conversation from this morning. What did he think of her now? Disgust? Revulsion? Her cheeks burned at the thought.

“Lord Damien, like his father before him, is a follower of the Old Ways. Using his gift is one way he worships the Light.”

It took Selene a moment to realize Taegis was referring back to their conversation. She glanced back at the window. “Why does he follow the Light?”

“Well, that’s a question you’d have to ask him. But one thing I do know: the Light gave him his gift, and so he offers it back to the Light.”

Was it possible the Light also gave her the gift of dreamwalking? Was there a way to find out? It couldn’t be as simple as asking. Or was it? After all, her mother communed with the Dark Lady. Perhaps the Light was like the Dark Lady, a being of higher power. But the Dark Lady only spoke to the priest and her mother. How did one speak to the Light? And would he even speak back to her? She was nothing like Damien.

“My lady?”

Selene blinked, bringing her mind back. Damien still stood on the cliff outside, his legs spread front and back, his hands high. White spray flew up across his boots. He looked like a grand lord of House Maris, standing there with his arms raised and waves bursting across the cliff’s edge, his muscles bulging at the effort.

A strange heat filled her belly.

Selene turned away from the window and swallowed.

“Are you ready, my lady?”

“Yes. Please lead on, Taegis.”

He nodded and started down the hallway, Selene close behind.

That night Selene lay curled up on her side and stared at the door that led into Damien’s room. Whenever she closed her eyes, she could still see him standing on the cliff, raising the water with movements that looked almost like a dance as seawater sprayed up around him.

It was beautiful. So achingly beautiful.

Did the other houses use their gifts in similar ways? She could imagine House Luceras, with their gift of light, worshiping the Light with their power. And House Vivek filling books with the wisdom granted to them. Even House Friere could use their gift of fire and earth to make items of worship.

But what place was there for a dreamwalker? What purpose was there in visiting a single mind? Yes, she had been able to soothe Damien when nightmares had invaded his feverish mind. But that was only one person. And it wasn’t that amazing.

She rolled over and sighed. Perhaps the only true power of a dreamwalker was in secrets and death. If it was true that the Light gave the Great Houses their gifts, then what purpose was there in hers?

Selene curled up into a tight ball, pulled the covers up close to her neck, and squeezed her eyes shut. A sudden burning desire filled her chest, a desire to speak to the Light. To ask him or it or whatever this being was about her gift. But how?