Page 11 of A Tempest of Intrigue
My spine stiffened. I didn’t know what he was about to say, but I suspected it might lead to an argument. “I did what was necessary to save you and the others.”
He smiled as he stroked his fingers down my cheek. “Easy, I’m not arguing with you about that, but I’ve never seen your power like that before. I’ve never seenmypower like that. You were surrounded by lightning andlevitating. Your eyes were also white… completelypurewhite.”
My fingers went to the corner of one eye as he revealed this last bit. “They were?”
“Yes. I’ve seen your eyes when you’re using your power, and they normally turn black with lightning flashing through them, like mine, but not last night.”
My gaze flicked to the window as I recalled the feeling of my power swamping me, taking over, and becoming… “Something more.”
“What?”
“It was becoming somethingmore. I’m not sure what, but it felt like my power was taking me over.”
A muscle twitched in his jaw, but their steely gleam had eased. He wasn’t upset; he was concerned. “Has that ever happened before?”
“No, but outside of our training, I’ve rarely used my lightning ability, and I’ve never used it in a battle like that before… unless you count when we fought off those trees together.”
“That was a fight but not quite the same.”
“When we fought those trees and our powers fed off each other, my ability felt a little out of my control, but it also feltright.”
“It did,” he agreed.
“Did you feel a little out of control that day too?”
“Yes.”
“But you could rein it in.”
“You did too. And you did again last night.”
“With your help.”
“We’ll train more and try to get you to feel that intensity again. That way, you can learn to control your power better,” he said.
“And what if I lose complete control and can’t come back?”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“Ryker—”
“If you lost complete control, do you think I could still get through to you?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Ellery
I ponderedhis question as I recalled the panic taking me over, my inability to remove my hood, and the terror clawing at me like rats in garbage. Despite the sensation of spiraling into madness, Ryker’s voice had been a calming, welcoming balm that broke through it all.
“If anyone can get through to me, it’s you,” I told him.
Clasping my face in his palms, he lifted it to kiss my nose. “Always.”
“Always. Have you ever had the lightning encompass you like that before?”
“No, but I’ve never harnessed that much of it before. You’re also more powerful than me.”
I blinked at his strange assessment. He was so strong, and he’d endured so much in his lifetime. He was the Scourge of the Ghouls, a warrior, survivor, and the only other lightning bearer in this realm.
