Page 45 of A Dance With Fire
Clay’s voice held humor. “Go ahead and ask, I can see you're dying to know.”
“What powers do you all have?” She’d never known many more Fae besides her parents and Davina. Davina’s power had been obvious, but her parents had been powerless. Was it rude to ask about powers?
She stared at Clay, but he didn’t seem offended.
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Well, you know Valerio can glamor the mind, create illusions.”
She knew all too well. She still felt the spectral images buzzing around her mind, like they were shadows ready to spring to life at the most opportune moment.
“Uric can open portals through time and space.”
At that, Shula blinked. “If that’s true, why do we have to walk through the mountains? Why can’t he just portal us there?”
“‘Why can’t he just portal us there?’” Clay mimicked then laughed. “Because, Fire Dancer, using that much power can take a toll on his body. The price of his magic is his age. He could become as frail and weak as an ancient human male and it could last for days. To use his power on so many Fae at once isn’t a good idea, and he likes to save his strength in case of emergencies.”
Shula supposed that made sense. She didn’t have experience with her own powers. Now she knew that there was no price to her magic, she wondered how far her own well of power could go and how she would feel after she used it. As soon as the thought came to her mind, she shoved it away.
She didn’t want to use her powers, even among the Fae. The more she gave into those urges, the more she’d want to stay. And to stay could mean death.
“And you?” she asked curiously.
“Oh, this and that.” He smiled demurely, and a single dimple quirked the side of his mouth.
This man was kind of perfect, Shula thought. He held himself so carelessly in a way that made him absolutely beautiful. Perhaps the only imperfection in him was the slightest indent on his chin, but even that looked endearing.
Shula wondered how much of it was a façade, and how much of it was real.
“I’m sure you’ll get the opportunity to see me in action, Fire Dancer.”
His vague answers only made her more curious and more nervous. If he wasn’t telling her, could it be he was powerful? Or could it be that he was messing with her and had no power at all?
Shula thought about that in silence when Clay chuckled again.
She shot him a glare. “What?”
“I just noticed you didn’t ask about Ryker’s powers…”
She’d done so deliberately, but she hated that there was insinuation in his tone. “That’s because I don’t give a fuck about Ryker.” Even as she said this, her gaze was fiercely on the Fae in question. His broad back tensed suddenly, as if he possibly could have heard her. Maybe he could with his Fae hearing.
She didn’t care.
“Aw, what did he ever do to you?”
He’d helped kidnapped her. Shit, he hadn’t done anything that Clay hadn’t, but she still liked Clay more than the brooding asshole of a Fae. It was his tone, his growling, biting words. The way he acted like he was better than her.
He was infuriating.
She ignored Clay’s question and he didn’t elaborate either, probably sensing that she really didn’t care or want to know what Ryker’s power was. That was probably her being petty and stupid. She knew that she needed to know everything, down to the price of their magic, but she couldn’t bring herself to think much more about the scarred man. He’d made it abundantly clear what he thought of her. He was cruel and rude, and the easiest way to deal with him was to ignore him.
Yet her eyes strayed to his back again.
Almost as if he could sense her watching, Ryker turned, his dark eye breathing her in.
And, damn her, she couldn’t bring herself to look away.
Because he was dangerous, deadly, more than any of the others. She didn’t know how yet or why, but she didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him.
And by the murderous look in his eyes, she knew that he felt the same.
