Page 21 of Too Dangerous To Die

I hate howeffortlesshe makes it look.

"You have power now," Rhaegar murmurs, still circling, stillwatching."But power without control is just?—"

I move before he can finish.

Faster.

Sharper.

I aim for his throat, channeling the strangenew magic in my blood, twisting it into something sharp, something lethal.

But Rhaegar moveslike a shadow breaking apart.

One moment, he issolid, the next, he is behind me, hisclaws curling around my wrist, twisting me until my back is flush against his chest.

A sharp inhalecatches in my throat.

His breath is warm against my neck, his gripiron-clad, inescapable.

"You hesitate," he murmurs, voice dark withsomething close to amusement."You hold back."

Ishudder, hating how my body reacts to the closeness, hating the way thebond pulses, thick with something Idon’t want to name.

I struggle,but it’s useless.

"Let go," I grit out.

"You want to fight?" His voicedrops, low anddangerous."Then fight me."

A slow,mocking challenge.

I move on instinct, twisting out of his hold, using my momentum tostrike, my magicsnapping like a whipthrough the air.

This time, Ihit my mark.

Asizzling burnblooms across his ribs, not enough to wound, but enough toshock him.

Rhaegarlaughs.

The soundtwists something deep inside me becauseit isn’t amusement.

It’ssomething darker.Somethingsatisfied.

I hate the way mypulse betrays me, how my chestheaves, not just from exertion, but from something else.

SomethingI refused to entertain and delved into.

Becausethis isn’t attraction.

This ishate, fear, and power all at once.

"Good," Rhaegar purrs, rolling his shoulders as if he actuallyenjoyed the pain."You’re finally waking up."

I swallow hard,staggering back, creating distance.

"You’re not training me," I say, voice raw. "You’retwisting me."

Rhaegar’s golden eyes flash.

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