I shut my eyes and exhaled slowly.Hello, world. It’s me, Serafina. Are you there?Alaric’s deep breaths gusted behind me. The air held a chill, feeling cool and damp. Mold, dust and decay filled my nostrils. Beyond that, the world was a black void.
My shoulders sagged, and I opened my eyes. “It’s this place. There’s nothing here to even work with. As if every drop of life has been sucked out of the land.”
Alaric scowled, a dark shadow shifting behind his eyes.“Then we’ll work with the innate magic you carry inside of you. Earlier, you mentioned you’d summoned an explosion of power when the steward attacked.”
“I guess. It all happened so fast. I have no idea how I did it.”
“Think back to that moment. Replay it in your mind.”
An icy chill raced down my spine, and I rubbed thegoosebumps from my arms. “Already, I have nightmares of that day.” Mortis had been a monster even before The Dark One twisted him. No way did I want to relive that.
I eyed the doorway behind Alaric. “I’d rather start with something easier. If I worked outside of the mountain, I may be able to channel more power.”
“Not outside. Here. Now.”
I stiffened at the sharp bite of command in his voice. “But Mortis—”
“You’re not leaving this room until you’ve summoned your magic.”
“You’re kidding?” I scowled, noting the way his massive body blocked my escape.
In answer, he lay down, resting his chin on his front leg.“Try again.”
Oh, to be a dragon and simply lie down to get your way. “Fine,” I snapped.
“Start at the beginning. Tell me about the moment he took you from the apothecary.”
Teeth gritted, I explained every step of my capture. Right up to the point Thorne arrived.
“And that feeling. Close your eyes and see his face. Feel his hands on your body. The slice of his blade across your flesh.”
Icy sweat made my skin clammy. I pictured the attack. The sensation. Mortis’ putrid breath in my face.
Nothing happened. My skin didn’t glow. No light. Flames didn’t ignite my being.
Again.
And again.
Fail. Fail.Fail!
My temples pounded, Alaric’s bellowed commands that I keep trying ground my molars together. To my folly, I’d started to bellow back.
Nothing I tried worked. Different hand positions, wigglingmy fingers. Whispering, shouting. Before I knew it, half the day had passed. With no results.
Argh!I was done. Over it. And beyond ready to leave this place. To return to my quarters and scrub away the images of Mortis I’d conjured.
Brimming with frustration, I stormed to where Alaric rested, barking his useless orders. “This is pointless,” I shouted. “I can’t summon a blast of magic at will.” I dared to stab my index finger into his chest. “And may I say, shouting commands at me to keep trying isn’t teaching. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’re as clueless as I am.”
“Clueless.”Alaric’s lip curled, teeth flashing.“You dare to call a king clueless?”
His tail whipped out, smacking my ass and sending me sprawling. Stones shredded my hands and knees.
“Bula hole!” I snarled at the sting.
“I’ll have you know I trained a number of warriors in my day.”His powerful voice echoed throughout the arena, causing me to scramble to my feet.
Alaric uncoiled, black scales rippling over thick muscles. His anger pressed down like a crushing fist. Instead of cowing me, it stoked my temper. “A thousand pardons, Your Highness. I didn’t mean to insult you.” Except I did and would have said more if not for that damn tail.
