Page 66 of Light and Shadow
I rub my bruised esophagus, wishing I could get to my sword before anyone stops me. “No. I thought you would.”
“Maybe you knew Aaran wouldn’t let anything happen to you?” Jax’s voice is soft, and he leans forward. The rage that always seems to be present in his eyes is gone, replaced by regret and interest.
Beginning to see what he’s getting at, I think about it. “Maybe.”
While Aaran’s magic soothes my bruised neck, Jax reaches forward, and with one cool touch, the pain is gone.
It takes all my will not to flinch, but I won’t give him the satisfaction.
My reward is his rare smile. “So, you wish for a way to combat danger that will harm another, and that is the only time you’ve seen your magic?”
“No.” My head clears, and my heart rate returns to a normal steady beat. “When we were still in my world, and Aaran told me about the shadow demons, the idea terrified me. I prayed that I never lose my soul like that.”
His gaze shifts between me and Aaran. “What happened?”
My cheeks heat with the memory of glowing like a rainbow.
“She glowed with the most beautiful aura I’ve ever seen, but it could only be seen in her reflection in the mirror.” His voice softened. “I’ve never seen anything like her and how those colors glowed outward from her skin.”
Blinking, Jax gapes at Aaran.
Wishing we were alone, I look over my shoulder, and I am unable to keep the blush from spreading to other places. Shaking those thoughts away, I return my attention to Jax. “I glowed in the mirror. I only started glowing without a reflection when we arrived here in Domhan.”
Cara and Dorian stand a few feet away. Cara points to Dorian, poking him in the chest.
Stepping forward, Dorian says, “Cara thinks that while the magic in Harper is based on desire, she can be taught to conjure and use it.”
With a slow nod, Jax draws a deep breath. “I agree. She killed a shadow demon, so there is defensive and offensive power.” He leans in so close our noses are practically touching. “Think about the way you feel just before you conjure magic. What happens inside you?”
“I was afraid.” Even though Jax is intimidating, my instinct to face him toe to toe takes over, and I keep my gaze locked with his.
“Be more specific,” Jax commands.
Cara comes close. She touches her head, her chest, and then her abdomen. She grips and releases her hands before making a circle around herself.
“I understand.” I think back to the least violent moment when my magic happened. It seems insane to even think the wordsmy magic, but there’s no denying the things I have seen and done. Closing my eyes, I put myself back in the hotel in New England. I remember the story about the shadow demons. “My stomach knotted, and my chest felt as if there was a weight on it. My pulse quickened, as if I were running away from danger, and I knew being turned into a shadow demon would be a fate worse than death.”
The gasps from many force me to open my eyes. Everyone is staring at me with wide eyes and shocked expressions. Some look afraid, and others shocked.
I hold up my hand and colors flow over my skin as if I’m standing inside a rainbow reflecting every color like a prism. The colors shift from red, orange to yellow, blue, to green, and purple before white light radiates from my palm.
Whispering in my ear, Aaran asks, “Do you see the small crate near the anchor chain?” He points, and his finger cuts through my light but does not dim it.
“I see it.” My heart races, but rather than try to calm myself, I accept the tension and excitement.
“Lift it off the deck and bring it here.”
There’s no lid on the crate, but at this angle, I have no idea what’s inside or how heavy it might be. I extend my arm, palm away from me and call the crate to me.
It rumbles against the deck, rocking from side to side. It drags on the wood, moving an inch toward us before gaining some air between the two surfaces and jerking forward. A six-inch steel chain link clatters to the deck. I realize the crate is extra links and probably weighs over a hundred pounds. It crashes to the deck and shatters, scattering a few dozen links and making several people jump out of the way.
Embarrassed, I rise to clean up the mess I’ve made.
Jax grips my upper arm. “Well done. Why did you drop it?”
Three elves rush in to clean up the wood and metal.
His gaze burns into mine, and I remember the moment I lost control. “It was too heavy.”
