Page 25 of A Tempest of Intrigue
“Ryker,” I breathed, “it’s coming from withinus.”
“It is.”
“Has that ever happened to you before?”
“No. I’ve always had to draw lightning from the sky and earth; it’s never come from within me.”
“It’s never happened to me either.”
But it was happening now as something within us ignited the spark that created this energy. He rolled off, wrapped his arms around me, and pulled me against his chest.
“Living things generate electrical signals within their bodies,” he said. “In a sense, we’re all beings of electricity.”
“Yes, but why couldn’t we do this before?”
“Because we didn’t have each other before. Our powers are growing and changing; they’re becoming stronger because togetherwe’restronger. I don’t know what it is, but there’s a reason forus.”
“There’s a reason you’re mine.”
“Yes.”
As swiftly as it came, the power withdrew into us and vanished. I was strangely bereft without its beautiful glow, yet I still felt it simmering within me.
“The more our powers combine, the stronger they become,” Ryker said.
I didn’t know why, but I knew he was right.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Ellery
I was loatheto pull away from Ryker, but there was still a lot of work to do on the farm, and we couldn’t stay here all day. Anyone could walk in and find us here, or a rider could arrive.
I was curious to know what had happened with the smoke, but judging how Ryker was when I first encountered him, I decided to tell him about what happened here. I’d ask him about the fire again afterward.
“Scarlet’s really mad at me,” I told him as I slid my foot into a boot.
He stopped pulling on his pants to look at me.
“I think she would have forgiven me until I told her that you knew before she did. She walked away after that.”
When he started to say something, I kept speaking.
“She’s been my best friend since I was born, and I hurt her…badly.”
“Not on purpose.”
“No, but that doesn’t make it any better.”
“Does she understand what we are to each other?”
“She understands we love each other, but she’s alsoveryaware that we’ve hurt each other a lot too.”
“That’s our past.”
“I know it is.” And neither of us would ever go back to those days. “But she doesn’t understand what it’s like when we’re together. She loves deeply and always has, but she’s never been in love before, and she couldneverunderstand what our lightning does when it connects.
“How could she understand when we don’t either… not really. As far as I know, other amsirah who fall in love don’t experience the joining of their powers the way we do, even if they share the same ability.”
