Free. I had spent most of my life listening to other people tell me what they wanted for me. Oma wanted to “train” me. Sven wanted to “protect” me. Both wanted to control me. You don’t know what I want.

I know all my children. Hedy was silenced her entire life, so now she has the power to finally be heard. Mattias’s father was murdered by a Talented, so I gave him the ability to remove Talents from those who would misuse them.

People have only ever wanted to use you, Myrthe. Oma. Sven. Even Anouk.

The longer I spent in the water, the more it seeped into my skin. My bones. Cold, then warm, then pulsing like blood in my veins. I don’t want your power.

A warning bell rang in my mind and my limbs remembered how to move. I clawed for the surface, despite how comfortable it was to rest in this conversation. I don’t want a Bane!

I don’t force it on you.

The water around me lightened to a soft purple. Was that because I was near the surface? I kicked harder, but something dangerously sweet pressed against me—like an embrace with a knife blade against my throat.

It’s a gift.

Burning filled my veins. A door opened in my mind, letting in a flood of new knowledge about myself. About this new power crossing my threshold: a power to direct a person’s limbs like a puppeteer.

Scenarios spun through my head as though a forbidden desire deep within me had been awoken—approved. Me being able to stop Coralythe midcurse. My power to force Oma to walk away from the markt. The ability to make Hedy bend over backward until her spine snapped—

My head broke the surface and I gasped.

No matter its promises and no matter my protests . . . the Nightwell had forced a Bane on me anyway.

I sat in the fountain, heavy against the stone base. No more than three feet of water lapped at my shoulders and back. How had I been swimming? Kicking? Sinking in such shallow water?

My shivers had nothing to do with the winter air meeting my wet skin.

Sven, Hedy, and Kees stood surrounded by militairen. Watching me. Wary. Why didn’t they get thrown into the Nightwell water? Wouldn’t Mattias want to control them too?

I eased myself into a crouch, supporting as much of my weight as I could on the fountain edge. The militairen waited for me to climb out of my own accord. I could use the Bane—force one of them to pick me up. Carry me to my next destination.

For that matter I could force all of the militairen to surrender their weapons. Or better yet, guard me against Sven and Mattias.