Page 67 of The Rebel and the Rose
‘Admit what you did! Admit what you took from me!’
‘Go to hell!’ Sera slammed her knee into Nadia’s back. Itcrunched. Fear and rage entangled in her chest, stoking her magic like a poker. That roiling heat raced through her, until she felt it in her palms. Power consumed her, and this time, shelet it. Now the Dagger would pay. She swung, reaching for the end of Nadia’s ponytail.
‘SERA, NO!’ yelled Theo.
Sera’s fingers met with thin air as Nadia was yanked off her. Ransom swung her behind him. She was still spitting when Theo moved in to restrain her.
Sera collapsed to the ground, trying to catch her breath.
Ransom peered down at her, horror-stricken. ‘What the fuck was that?’
‘Self-defence,’ huffed Sera, but her voice was small. She was trembling now, her magic rushing out of her as quickly as it had reared its head. She got to her feet, furiously scrubbing the tears that leaked from her eyes. A moment ago, she had felt feral.Dangerous. Now she felt like a cornered mouse, frightened of the dragon that lived inside her. The monster that she had almost unleashed on Nadia. All but proving her point.
‘I’m not scared of you,’ said Nadia, from behind the wall of Theo’s body. ‘Try that again and I’ll jam my heel through your skull.’
Before Sera could reply, Ransom spun her around, promptly marching her out of the alcove.
She fought against his hold, but his hands on her shoulders were a vice, steering her through the towering stacks. His voice was low and hard in her ear. ‘If I’m not allowed to kill innocent scholars with my Shade, you’re not allowed to scald my second-in-command.’
‘What are you doing?’ she said, swatting at him.
‘Putting you on ice, little firecracker.’
The gall! She jerked her head back, aiming for his nose.
He chuckled, easily avoiding the blow.
She continued her weakening protests.
‘Easy, spitfire,’ he murmured. ‘Let’s not do a murder.’
‘She started it!’
‘By all means, command the moral high ground, like I didn’t just watch you try to burn her scalp off.’
‘I was going for her ponytail!’
‘Nadia would tell you that’s just as grievous.’
No shit.
He swung her into an abandoned alcove at the end of the row. This one was smaller and darker than the one they had come from, with barely enough room for a desk. Folding her arms, she slumped against it. Still heaving.Seething.
‘Should we do some breathing exercises?’
She had to crane her neck to glower at him. ‘You must have a death wish.’
‘Something like that,’ he said, flashing his teeth.
‘Ugh.’ She flung a paperweight at him. It bounced off his hard chest. He didn’t even flinch, his hazel eyes warming like he found it endearing.
In their tiny alcove his scent surrounded her, that heady rush of woodsmoke and sage snatching at the edges of her anger, making her damn knees weak.
As if sensing she was about to sag, he picked her up, lifting her easily onto the desk.
‘Feel better?’ he said, bracing his hands on either side of her. Caging her in. ‘Or would you like to throw that ink pot at me too?’
‘I’m seriously considering it,’ she mumbled.
