Page 224 of A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue
At first, it felt like a simple tingle. A whisper in a sea of sensations, gentle and slow.
Then it turned in a caress, more insistent. I relaxed into it, as if Ryker himself touched me.
My eyelids fluttered his way as my body swayed under his power. My own wound vanished in a gust of air, skin binding back, unscathed.
Heat rose in my back, blazing the pain away with ease.
But my body wanted more.
My lips parted as a carnal desire flowed through me. Demanding. Insatiable.
This was true madness.
All it took was a brush of his essence against mine and I wanted him. Even surrounded by all these people, even in the middle of a ritual.
It was lunacy.
My body felt molten. Even as his magical touch didn’t stray from the surface.
My powers tugged on his, ravenous for more.
Not now.
My eyes flew open, attaching to his beyond the fire. There was a warning in his gaze, even as I could feel his own desire as plainly as if it were mine.
But he held back. After all, he led the ceremony, I was merely a willing participant.
And I wanted to dive in even more.
The well of power inside of me stirred, eager to join.
But I feared it was too much, too soon. The warriors had never seen my Protectorate magic. Might not welcome it in their sacred ritual.
Do it.
I swear it sounded like Ryker had whispered in my mind. But that was impossible. He stood on the other end of the fire, watching me with a triumphant grin.
Waiting.
Encouraging.
In the middle of these otherworldly howls, which seemed to call out to the gods themselves, my blue tendrils snaked around my arms, blazing my skin as they coiled. But this time, they didn’t take energy from me.
They fed off the surrounding frenzy, impatient to enter the fray.
I raised my hands to let them swish around the fire, drawing everyone’s attention. Gasps erupted through the howls.
“The Protectorate princess offers her own blessings,” Ryker declared, gaze not leaving mine.
Just when I began to doubt this display, cheers followed. The tendrils rose high into the sky,, as if reaching for the stars, before plunging into the fire, coating the flames in a blue hue and making them swell.
The warriors raised their weapons high in the air, shouting in reverie. I felt more at home in Solkar’s Reach than I ever did, even back in the crypt.
I was no longer something to be gawked at, only tolerated because of the Commander’s goodwill.
Now I had joined them.
Now I truly belonged.
