Flashback ( PDFDrive )

Tam tugged his bangs lower across his eyes. “I think I’ll pass. That
stuff feels way too creepy.”
“It feels as it was made to feel—nothing more, nothing less.
Shadowflux is neither good nor bad. Safe nor deadly. It is all things,
waiting to discover how it will be wielded. What you do with it is
entirely up to you.”
“Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure no one should be messing with it.”
“But they are,” Magnate Leto reminded him. “And if the Neverseen
are using shadowflux, it would be wise for us to learn as much about it
as possible.”
Tam sighed. “Okay, but . . . isn’t there someone with more training
who should do that? I’ve only been at Foxfire a few months.”
“And you’ve shown more potential in our sessions than any Shade
I’ve ever worked with,” Lady Zillah insisted. “And with the right
discipline—”
“See, that’s the thing, though: I’m bad with discipline. Ask my
Exillium Coaches. They hated me.”
“From what I’ve heard about the conditions you endured in that
struggling program, I’d say any defiance you demonstrated was both
deserved and necessary,” Magnate Leto assured him.
“Maybe,” Tam conceded. “But . . . I still don’t think I’m the right
guy for this. I’ve seen what Linh deals with—and I know you’re saying
it won’t be as bad as that. But the thing is: She’s also way more
determined than I am.”
Lady Zillah stepped closer, cupping his cheeks the way a
grandmother would. “This isn’t doubt I’m hearing. This is fear. And
you should never fear your power, Tam. Or yourself. I know our world
makes it hard not to. Very few value our talent the way they should.