Page 88 of Rising Out of the Darkness
Her gaze shifted from mine, finding the ceiling above. Delicate fingers clenched into fists.
“And when you love…” I paused, my voice cracking under the rush of unexpected emotion. Lena’s cheeks pinkened as I tried to cover my slip with a cough. “When you love, does your entire being not feel like it’s no longer yours to control? Does everything feel overly sensitive to touch?” My fingertips brushed against her arms as the tension sparked in the air between us. “Do you feel your heart become so enlarged that it aches against the cage of your ribs? Is there warmth that radiates throughout your entire body, so strong, so intense, like an insatiable hunger that begs to be fed?”
There was no hiding the flush of deep red that burned her face. The sight of goosebumps trailing up her arm made a wicked grin spread wide across my face.
“Our emotions are not only feelings, but they also manifest physically within our bodies. Each of those reactions are signs of our dynamis building beneath our skin. To become in tune with your power, you must allow yourself to feel the physical presence of emotion within you. Once you feel it, you must hold onto it with every fiber of your being. Only then will you be able to master the fury of power within you, Lena.
“Give it a try,” I coaxed as I wrapped my fingers around her wrist and flipped open her palm. “Reach deep and find the emotion that will make this glow once more.”
“I’m scared I won’t be able to control it,” she breathed.
“You are more powerful than you allow yourself credit for, Elena. Trust in yourself.” I took a few steps back, distancing myself from the pull towards her—that familiar pull of the bond that threatened to tug me under if I wasn’t more careful. The air in this library had become heavy with the intoxicating tension between us.
Elena steadied herself and took a deep pull of air before her focus shifted towards her palm. Concentration furrowed her brows, and the glow within her palm began to flicker.
It faded in and out as a huff of frustration fled her lips. Instead of jumping in to help, I let her stumble and recover. I wanted her to feel empowered by her own resilience, the inner strength that she had shielded away from herself.
One more deep breath passed over her lips as she tried again. Brighter and brighter her palm began to glow. Gathering my shadows, I darkened the space around us, allowing the golden glow to illuminate her entire body. I’d been alive for several centuries and the glow that happens when her dynamis flared still astounded me.
A single tear slipped down her cheek as I brushed my thumb over it to capture it.
“It’s b-beautiful,” she breathed.
“It’s mesmerizing,” I whispered, glancing not at her dynamis, but at the most enthralling thing inside this room.
Elena.
Chapter 34
Elena
Still reeling from the earlier events inside the library, I made my way down the stairs to meet everyone for tonight.
After making myself glow in training, I’d dashed up to my room to ease my turbulent emotions and change out of my hideous dress. Nothing could have prepared me for the secret of our dynamis that Declan had revealed today, or the way I’d felt when he’d helped me control my dynamis for the first time.
Control had evaded me my entire life. It slipped like grains of sand through my fingertips, no matter how hard I tried to grasp it. Today had empowered me in a way I never thought possible, and I owed Declan for guiding me through it.
The crisp night air nipped at my bare skin as I trudged down the hill towards the four somber figures awaiting below. Each of them wilted under the weight of the task we were about to embark on. The mood was as heavy as the baskets of food that hung from each of their arms. They dipped their heads in silent welcome. We turned and began our journey over the stone bridge to the far edge of the city.
“It’s good to see you again, Elena.” Nayla joined her arm with mine as we walked down the hillside and over the stone bridgeinto town. “I hear we’re to be training next week while Declan is away?”
“Yes, I believe so.”
“I’m looking forward to spending more time getting to know you, oh great Light Phoenix.” Her ruby lips twitched up ever so slightly, a welcome attempt at levity given the anxiousness that churned within me.
We were walking further into the city than I had gone last evening. Each street was vacant of the warmth and liveliness of the prior night. Doors were closed tightly, no merchants were out on the streets, and even the lights seemed to have lost a little of their luster.
Liam must have noticed my observations, because he scooted over to the other side of me and hooked his arm in mine. A low grumble arose from Declan behind us, which Liam shrugged off. “We ordered a temporary curfew until we get these attacks under control.”
That made sense. A curfew would ensure no one else would get hurt by these beasts that had somehow managed to breach the city’s walls.
As we walked towards the farthest edge of the city, only the sounds of our heavy footsteps over the cobblestone streets rattled in my ears. Declan and Killian had taken up walking in front of us, until they came to a stop in front of a door painted a vibrant shade of blue. Declan knocked on the door. The window curtains next to the door parted a smidge before we heard rustling behind the door.
“Go away!” A snarl rang from inside.
“Please, I understand your feelings, but we wish to offer our condolences.”
“You’ve never apologized for any of your atrocities before. Why start now?” the voice grumbled from within.
