Page 90 of Rising Out of the Darkness
“On three, we do this together.”
I nodded.
“One …”
I dug down deep, reaching for the warmth hidden within.
“Two …”
When I called to it, the dynamis dancing underneath my skin became even more alive. It flooded my entire system, and my hands became heavy as stone. Power waited to be unleashed; all I needed to do was to open the gates.
Please, don’t harm him.
“Three …”
Closing my eyes tight, I released it.
The feeling was unlike anything I had ever felt. Warmth enveloped me. My body felt entirely at peace, as if nothing in the world could ever harm me. Strength flowed through every muscle as my soul hummed.
Wild and all-consuming. It made me feel… invincible.
“Open your eyes,” he breathed. We were standing so close together now that I could feel his warm breath tickle my forehead.
Violet tendrils of light shimmered between us, wrapping around our palms and rippling along our arms.
“Wh-what is this?”
“This is us.”
His grin ripped down every wall I had been trying to build. Everything else melted away. Every fear. Every worry. Time stood still, and in that moment nothing else mattered.
Our eyes collided, his vibrant green eyes aflame with an intensity that stole my breath. Declan raised our right hands up towards the night sky, then released my palm while motioning for me to the same.
“Push your dynamis, Elena. Let it flow and release it into the night.”
I did as he said and let the warmth cascade through my fingertips. A beacon of violet light flashed into the sky, launching all the way to the stars. Laughter tumbled out of me, my grin so large it was hurting my cheeks.
Our display had caught the attention of the three captains. All of them made their way back to us, eyes wide and mouths hanging open.
“By the gods…” Nayla whispered.
“How is this possible, Declan?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but maybe you were right.”
“Right about what?”
“Maybe we really are the perfect balance of light and dark,” he said. “You are my guiding light in my realm of darkness, Elena.”
My heart stumbled, colliding right into the man right in front of me. I let down my ward to let the feeling in and pushed mine out towards him. It felt warm, like the rays of the sun that danced across my face on a sunny day. Or like the cool lick of water as it rippled over your skin. It was like the sting of the thorn of a rose; though it hurt, you couldn’t help but be entranced by the beauty it had created.
Everything about this man was so familiar. I felt as if I needed him just to breathe, as if our souls were so connected that our hearts even shared a beat. I feared that I was falling in love with Declan Stallard.
Collecting myself, I mustered the courage to say the words on my lips. “Together, we shine the brightest,” I breathed as he reverently stroked his fingers though my hair and cupped the back of my neck.
“Indeed, we do, love.”
Before I could respond, the air around us became numbing cold. The eerie feeling made every hair on my neck stand at attention. Something wasn’t right.
