Staying Power Book Novels & Stories

“You should have walked away.” “I tried,” he said. “You didn’t let me.” A small smile tugged at her lips. “I have that effect.” He returned it, briefly. Then his expression softened. “I won’t blame you if you leave now.” She stood and crossed the room, stopping in front of him. “Do you really think I’m the kind of woman who runs because a powerful man disapproves.” “No,” he said. “I think you’re the kind who stays and demands honesty.”

“Fair. I want to know how far you’re willing to go before you realize what staying costs.” Lucian’s voice dropped dangerously. “This conversation is over.” “No,” the man said softly. “It’s just begun.” He stepped back, gesturing toward the darkness. “Think about it, Sienna. Power always demands payment. The question is whether you choose the price—or let it be chosen for you.” Then he disappeared into the shadows. Silence crashed down around them. Lucian exhaled slowly, jaw clenched. “We’re leaving.” Outside, Sienna’s legs felt unsteady. “That was a warning.”

I shook my head once. “But I’m not your success story. I’m what happens when people survive what you tried to turn them into.” That landed. “You think power comes from control,” I said. “From forcing the world into something you can manage.” My gaze shifted briefly to the Council then back to him. “But real power comes from something else entirely.” I took a deep breath. “It comes from people choosing to stand with you. Not because they have to. Because they believe in what you’re building.” The fracture came fast after that as voices rose not in chaos but in division.

I was done messing up. I closed the book gently and whispered into the empty room… “I’ll stay. Always. No matter what.” Then I added again, voice stronger but simple… “You opened your door to me. So I’ll guard it with my life.” No matter what storms assemble. No matter what wars knock. No matter who undresses in his office again. I wasn’t running anymore. I was staying. And staying doesn’t need complex grammar. It just needs a body that refuses eviction from a heart that already signed the lease in blood.

His shoes whispered against the rug. “You’ll break eventually,” he murmured near my ear. “They all do. Some scream. Some beg. Some try to cut deals. It doesn’t matter. In the end, they all learn who holds the power.” I kept my eyes forward, my smile gone but my voice steady. “Power isn’t keeping someone in chains. Power is surviving the chains and still being yourself.” He stopped behind me, silent for a moment. I could feel the heat of his presence, the weight of his attention. Then he let out a slow laugh, cold and humorless.

“As if wanting to stay means giving something up.” Claire smiled. “Sometimes wanting to stay is the bravest thing you can do.” I felt it then, the shift. Subtle, but undeniable. Like a lock turning. “I want a future with him,” I said. The words felt steady. Grounded. “Not just moments. Not just alignment. I want something that lasts.” Claire squeezed my hand. “Then let yourself want it.” I exhaled shakily. “What if it changes the balance?” “Then you rebalance,” she said. “Together. Power only becomes dangerous when one person is afraid to name it.”

And in that moment—it was enough. Later that evening, Sophia stood alone in her office. The city stretched wide beyond the glass. The lights sparkled like illusion. But inside, her fire didn’t flicker. It smoldered. This wasn’t glory. This was responsibility. A throne of flames. She opened her journal. And wrote: Power doesn’t change people. It reveals them. I didn’t come to decorate these halls with activism. I came to burn away what hides in shadows. Let the system squirm.

##Chapter 2: Cassidy Book One: Stay I don't know what's going on with me, but I can't stop staring. And when I say staring, I mean full-on checking him out. It's embarrassing. Although honestly, I don't think I've ever seen anyone as beautiful as the guy standing before me. Okay, so maybe beautiful is the wrong word. I don't think guys really like being referred to as beautiful, but there isn't another word to adequately describe him.

and mom would always tell me that no matter where I end up in life its my choice to be who I want to be, and if I fall no matter what, get back up, remember who you are and try again. “Remember who I am and try again.” I muttered to myself. Who am I? That's what I needed to know. I needed to find myself before I could start over. It is what it is and I have to come to terms with that. For the past seven years I spent my life with Becca. Could I forgive her for hiding all of this from me? Even I wasn’t as forthcoming with her. I hid my powers from the world, even my family. Only one person knew of my powers at that time and it was Bruce. So yes. “Yes I will forgive her.” As I came to this rea

“What happened daddy?” I heard the tremor in her voice and felt bad. “I think we lost power baby.” I let my eyes get accustomed before I walked back over to the couch. “Will you stay here will I go downstairs and check with the lobby staff, see if they might have a power generator?” “Yeah.” I grabbed my phone and my key card, making my way towards the door. “Hold up, you need to change.”