Page 66 of Rising Out of the Darkness
“What the?—”
“Is something wrong?” Declan interrupted before I could finish my string of curses. I glared at him, hoping he could still feel it while his eyes remained shut. His body was still, except for his raised eyebrow.
“Why do I feel like you have a hand in whatever is going on here?” I replied bluntly.
His eyes rolled open. “What are you trying to insinuate, Wildfire?”
A frustrated snarl passed through my clenched teeth. “You’re telling me you know nothing about whatever slapped me across my face, then pulled on my braid?”
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. I thought you’ve had extensive training in meditation, Elena. Perhaps I should have started with something a little easier for you.” He gave a devious smile before he shut his eyes again, ending the conversation.
My body trembled with rage.Just who does he think he is? Growling as I bit my lip, I tried to coax away the anger that was stirring the dynamis beneath my skin. Every part of me wanted to prove Declan wrong. Show him that I wasn’t that naive little woman who needed protecting.
Shoving down my rage, I blew out a breath and forced my eyes shut. Rubbing my forehead, I resumed my mantra. Eventually, everything faded back to normal, causing me to question whether I had made up those events in my mind this whole time or not.
Until I was hit with a barrage of attacks from all sides. I opened my eyes, but not fast enough, as I was shoved face first into the smooth sand in front of me.
Sand filled my mouth as I snarled into it. Digging my fingers into it, I shoved my body up, spitting the sand out as I went. Sitting back on my knees, I wiped away the rest of the sand so I could look upon my opponent. Whoever had just done this was about to come face to face with my wrath.
My head swung from side to side until I realized there was nothing but an empty shore in front of me. Where had he gone? My heart was racing as I spun around.
A little too late, again. Freezing water splashed my face, drenching me. A roar of laughter spewed from a few paces infront of me. The dynamis within me sizzled back to the surface and I swore steam emanated from my skin where the residual water resided.
Suddenly, my entire body became swollen with power. It felt as if I might spontaneously combust if I didn’t release it soon. The taste of metal hit my tongue as I bit my lip to distract from the increasing pain of my dynamis.
“HOW DARE YOU, DECLAN STALLARD!” My hands curled so tightly in fists that my nails were biting the skin of my palms.
“That’s it, Wildfire. Glad to see you finally joined the fun.” He shot out a blast of his shadows, aiming straight for my legs.
The shadows swept underneath the back of my legs, launching me onto my ass. My dynamis pulsed in tune with the rapid beats of my heart, begging me to release it into the world. It was time for Declan Stallard to learn a lesson or two.
We circled each other. Our eyes blazed with so much intensity it was predatory, both of us intrigued to see who would be the first one to strike.
“Meditation is one way to find the dynamis within you, Elena. However, you won’t be able to stop and meditate to call it forth when you need it,” he said as we continued to circle each other. Whips of shadows taunted me as I dove around them while still trying to hold my stance. “You need to learn how to pull from your dynamis, no matter what’s happening around you. Whether you’re in the middle of a sword fight or struggling against the hold of an assailant, you need to be on the ready.”
Another stream of shadows leapt towards me. I narrowly dodged them.
“Remember in the forest? You managed to pull the strongest of your power while simultaneously attacking a massive, unearthly beast. Elena, if you can do that, then you can surely call forth your dynamis right now to halt a few of my shadows…” He taunted me again with a mischievous smirk. “Maybe.”
Pulling on the well of my dynamis I felt burning inside of me, I decided to try to force it out, just like I had done before with the unwanted emotions. Perhaps I could create a blast of wind swift enough to knock him on his ass.
I began to call forth my dynamis, until unease crept into my mind. What if I accidentally released the light power that had burned through my hands on the night I’d melted the beast?
Don’t get me wrong, I was furious with the man in front of me, but I didn’t want to incinerate him...yet. A dangerous smile pulled at my lips at the thought, and Declan lifted his brows.
Shoving out my emotions alongside a wisp of dynamis, I launched it forward with everything I had. The blast of air was so strong it ripped the leather off the end of my braid, releasing it into the wild wind I had created. The rapid rise and fall of my breaths gradually simmered to a calm, just like the dust and wind from the gust I had created.
My breath hitched when I saw the powerful gust of wind had flung the prince all the way down to the shore. He lay still and unmoving as the tide rolled against his body. Damn!Too far, I went too far.
I scrambled over him, fell to my hands and knees and pressed my head against his chest.Breathing, thank gods. As the waves crashed against my thighs, I pushed my fingers against his wrist and counted the beats of his pulse. My grip on his wrist stirred a groan from him, and I sighed in relief.
Leaning over his listless body, I placed my palm across his cheek. It was amazing how peaceful he looked while unconscious.Maybe I just need to knock him out more often?
I chuckled to myself, placing my palm against his chest to push myself up. I’d need some help getting him back up to the castle. There was no way that I was carrying him up those steps. I was halfway up when strong arms shoved me to the side and I tumbled over him, falling flat onto my back.
In the blink of an eye, Declan was on top of me, caging me in with his arms and legs. A devilish smile danced across his face. I rolled my eyes, my head sinking into the wet sand beneath it. This man was truly infuriating. How either of us was going to survive training together over the next month was beyond me. The idea of him becoming a pile of ash had become more appealing.
“Never underestimate your opponent, Wildfire,” he said, as a cocky grin spread across his face. His gaze rolled lazily over my body beneath him as I huffed and rolled my eyes. Declan leaned closer, halting my attempts to get out of his cage of arms. “How brave of you, Lena. You know, we’ve talked about you rolling your eyes.” A low growl rumbled deep within his chest.
