The gazebo was silent save for the quiet bubble of the springs beneath our feet and the gentle breeze winding through the marble pillars. The prince stared at my outstretched hand. Small streams of starlight glittered around my fingers.
"To know the future is a burden of itself," I murmured, "Hope has no place in the heart of one who sees what is to come."
Prince Benjamin took a deep breath and touched my palm with his fingers. A spark leaped from the contact, traveling through our bodies, making my tail curl.
Adaptive Resistance awoke, warming the depths of my soul. Starlight swirled around my arm, traveling toward him. Instead of fighting it, I let it flow unhindered. It came as natural as breathing, with none of the discomfort that had assaulted me before.
