The world went still with my revelation.
With that stillness came reason.
“Holy fuck!” I shrieked as I stared up at the giant wolf. No, not a wolf—a Ladrin of the Wolf Clan. My mind screamed,murderer! “Get off me! Get the fuck off me!”
The wolf leapt away and bounded off into the forest.
I sat up, panting, and stared after it, my whole body trembling. The power I had summoned didn't disturb me, not at that moment, nor had my near-fatal tree interaction. It was the wolf. My hands shook uncontrollably. All my mind saw was a villain. A cold-hearted murderer. It didn't help that the wolf's eyes had been the same color as the Corrupter's.
“Ember?” Rath came to me and knelt by my side. “Are you all right?”
“Holy fuck,” I whispered, fear finally leaving to allow me to remember what else had happened. And to process it. “What did I do?”
“You just exceeded all my hopes and expectations,” Master Daeli declared.
Chapter Thirteen
We spent several hours out there, honing my skills until I was able to harness Earth Magic without losing myself to it. By the time we were done, it was getting dark, and I was way past starving. Someone—I won't name names but he has horns—insisted on working through lunch. But at the end of the day, Master Daeli was pleased, so I guess that was all that mattered.
I trudged into the dining hall behind Rath, then dragged myself up the center aisle, the sight of the laden buffet table urging me on. Despite my exhaustion and hunger, something tickled the back of my neck. An awareness. I looked to the left and locked stares with Lord Xaedren. I controlled the urge to cringe and started to look away, but something about his eyes stopped me. They had changed. The pale blue didn't seem so cold anymore. They weren't reminiscent of the Corrupter, whose eyes were such a pale blue, they were nearly white. No, Xaedren's eyes were the color of a robin's egg. As clear and pure as a mountain lake. Refreshing. Inviting. Beautiful.
And an exact match to the eyes of the wolf who had leapt upon me earlier.
With a gasp, I tore my gaze away. “What the fuck?”
“What?” Rath looked back at me, saw how far I'd lagged behind, and waited for me to catch up. “Did you say something?”
“What color is Lord Xaedren's wolf?” I asked.
Rath lifted his stare to look over my head, toward Xaedren. “White.” He looked back at me. “How did you know it was him?”
“His eyes.” I grimaced. “Shit, I feel awful. He was trying to protect me, wasn't he?”
“Yes.” Rath glanced back once more, then resumed walking.
“And after I attacked him on my first day. Shit. I should apologize.”
“Eat first, then apologize. Come along, Ember.”
I followed Rath to the buffet, my stomach growling when the scent of food hit me. Suddenly, I found the strength to forge on, and I used it to fill my plate, then practically run to the closest table. I didn't care who was sitting there, I just needed a place to put my plate and my ass so I could eat.
“Ember,” Lord Keltyr called brightly, then scooted down the table to sit beside me. “I heard you made the world shake today.” He looked up, nodded at Rath, then nudged my shoulder. “And you stopped a tree mid-fall. That true?”
“Uh-huh.” I went back to eating. Then groaned. “Why is food so much better when you're starving?”
“Tomorrow, I'm insisting that we stop for lunch,” Rath said.
“Good. I can't deal with another day like today.” I looked up just as Lord Xaedren stalked by, heading for the buffet to refill his plate.
He turned to look at me and held my stare as he passed by.
“What was that about?” Keltyr asked.
“What?” I looked back at him.
“That.” He nodded after Xaedren.
“Lord Xaedren attempted to protect Ember today,” Rath said stiffly. “From that falling tree. His assistance wasn't required. Ember righted the tree before it could crush them. Still, it was admirable.”
