Page 148 of Illusory

Blink twice? Why would I need to blink twice? What in the world was he going on about?

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he glanced back at Dominic and whispered, “Something’s not right. Look at her runes.”

My runes? My gaze dropped to my hands still holding the grimoire as I took in the silver marks that ran from the palm of my hands to halfway up my forearms. They were lit up and blazing as though someone was shining a light behind them under my skin, glowing almost as brightly as my eyes had that first time I’d seen them in the bathroom mirror with Gabriel. They looked beautiful…and kind of terrifying.

My breath caught in my throat as the runes continued to brighten, the light spreading under my skin, filling me up and making my body feel as though it was coming apart at the seams. As though a solar eclipse was getting ready to burst out of my chest and blind any one of us who dared look directly into it.

The grimoire dropped from my hands as I pushed off the couch, the light flooding the room with a blinding white glow that forced my eyes shut. A familiar burn flared at my back, but only for a split second before my wings burst free, unfurling on either side of me with the sharp crack of a whip.

Only this time, they hadn’t freed themselves.Ihad freed them.

The light continued to blaze like the sun, overwhelming everything around me. I could no longer tell if it wasemanating from me or through me as it seemingly swallowed the room whole. All I could feel was the warmth against my skin, and the blinding white light pulsing behind my lids. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the light snapped back, retreating into my body like a switch flicking off.

I gasped, watching in awe as the light burrowed under my skin, winding and coiling through my veins until it settled—inside of me. My ears rang like a siren wailing in my head as I blinked at the strange glow shimmering under my skin and through my veins.

“What the fuck was that?” demanded Trace as Gabriel and Dominic stood frozen, gaping at me.

I had no clue what the hell had just happened, or what that blinding light was, but I was pretty damn sure I’d just Ascended.

48. INTO THE STORM

“Jemma? Are you okay? Can you hear us?”

Gabriel rattled off one question after another, his voice unnaturally loud, as though he feared the blinding light had taken my hearing with it when it vanished.

I squinted at him, noticing the strange shimmering auras from earlier had faded almost completely. “I can hear you just fine. And yes, I…I’m okay.” I was pretty sure that I feltmorethan okay, but I didn’t tell him that just yet.

“Can someone explain what just happened?” asked Trace, standing a few feet away from me, his brows pinched as he scanned me. “Was that her Ascension?”

“Of course it was her Ascension. What else would it be?” retorted Dominic, his dark eyes lingering on me with a hint of reverence, as though he were captivated by me all over again.

“All that light…” Trace swallowed hard, his expression softening. “It came from you.”

It didn’t sound like he was asking me a question, but I nodded anyway.

“Did it hurt?” he asked, as Gabriel crossed the room to where I stood and gently picked up my wrist. My veins were still glimmering like I’d been shot up with glitter, though it wasn’t nearly as pronounced as before.

“No, it didn’t hurt,” I answered Trace, watching as Gabriel inspected my arms, turning them over as he followed my runes. “It felt kind of warm and nice actually. What do you think that light was?”

Gabriel looked up and met my eyes. “I have not the slightest idea.” His apprehensive gaze drifted over myshoulder at my wings, taking them in.

“I called them out,” I said quietly, even though he hadn’t asked about them yet. “When the light surrounded me, I could feel them burning at my back, and I wanted it to stop, so I summoned them. All I did was decide it in my mind, and out they came.” There was no masking the pride in my voice. I’d waited a long time for that moment.

Gabriel furrowed his brows, curiosity sharpening his features. “Do you think you could sheath them now, if you wanted to?” he asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

I wasn’t sure why or how I knew, but I was certain I could.

I nodded at him, then turned my head slightly, focusing as I drew my wings back. I watched over my shoulder as they folded inward, vanishing effortlessly into my back. It was no more difficult than deciding to bend my arm.

“That’s an interesting turn of events,” mused Gabriel, sounding like he was speaking mostly to himself. “What about your other abilities? Do you suspect any changes there?”

My eyes slid to Dominic, who was standing in front of the unlit fireplace, watching me, before meeting Gabriel’s eyes again. I lifted my hands and lowered them slowly, as though pumping an air brake in slow motion.

Everything came to a halt, freezing everyone in the room, except for me. I turned toward the darkened fireplace and called up my fire magic, turning my palm up and then blowing gently against it. The air shimmered from my hand to the hearth as the logs ignited into a fiery blaze.

I smiled, giving myself a moment to take in the haunting beauty of it. It wasn’t every day that life went smoothly for me, and even rarer that things went the way Iwantedthem to go. I thought I had earned myself a second to appreciate it.

Bringing my palms back down in front of me, I turned them over and then raised them slowly, reanimating theroom. So much power in just the palm of my hands…