Chapter 108

Ophelia

Flexing my fingers, I let the ropes tighten until the tendons in his throat appeared.

“Sit. Stay.” He stopped thrashing. “Good boy.”

I watched him struggle, feeling out his own clumsy attempts at using his magic. It reminded me of a toddler in the middle of a tantrum. Punches and kicks were thrown but they were uncoordinated blows, too weak to do anything substantial.

“You have magic, but you’re not very good at using it.”

My father swept into the room. His presence silenced the retort Ren had been about to unleash.

“That’s his father’s doing, I’m afraid. He taught Ren what he knew, of course, but learning how to master your magic without ever tapping into it is a hard feat.”

He circled around the back of the chair, causing Ren to stiffen. I rested my chin in the palm of my hand, watching him squirm. My father stopped directly behind him. A strangled sort of sound left Ren’s lips as my father’s hands fell on his shoulders.

“If it’s money you want—”

“Ren’s lack of magic hasn’t s