“We swap weapons.”
Swap weapons? It was an odd request, but not one of any genuine concern. I nodded and followed him as he moved into the courtyard's center.
He passed his sword from one hand to the other so fast I barely saw the exchange. Tension coiled in my muscles as I thought of the coming exhilaration of battle. Then, another sensation, this time, something different—my blood was humming again, and it was rapidly intensifying. It flowed through me in waves, far smoother than during my encounter with Malakai the night before, as if that had activated something within me. What was this? It was much more intense than a surge of adrenaline. Thirsty to understand, I inclined my head.
Blake effortlessly arced his sword across the air and I caught it firmly by the hilt. I tossed mine, which he caught underhanded, flourishing the blade as he did so. The thrum that was now in the hand with which I’d caught the sword was so intense it was vibrating—no, it was oscillating through his sword and through my hand, extending up my arm.
I drew deep breaths, forcing myself to control it. I lowered myself into my preferred stance, my right hand grasping his sword and my left hand with my palm forward. Then, I met his gaze. He waited for me to make the first move. The clash of our swords was intense. Far more intense than I was prepared for. Everything around us was vibrating—the sword, my body, and the air around us. It was as if it were all subject to our manipulation. When we clashed again, he held me there, forcing me to block his attack in a paralyzed state of holding him off.
“I know you can feel it.”
Right now, all I could feel was my heart pounding in my throat.
“Do you understand now why you are here?” he asked.
Another clash of the blades rang loudly as I held my arms overhead, barely keeping him at bay.
“No,” I said, forcing him back, but he was quick, and his blade was at my throat.
“It’s all around you, isn’t it?” he said, his voice low.
The hum pounded through my veins, and I broke free of his hold, but it was only temporary. His hand on my wrist forced me to release my sword, and he took me to the ground effortlessly, pinning me beneath him with the weight of his body. I felt him all around me, completely controlling my every muscle, and even in places where he wasn’t making physical contact. I didn’t know how to answer him because it wasn’t the intense throbbing in my veins that I noticed, but a heat that was making me lightheaded.
“I feel it, but I don’t understand what it is,” I said between breaths.
The cold blade pressed against my throat, his hands still restraining me as he straddled me in a hold that I had no chance of freeing myself from. His strength was incredible. I’d never been taken down that quickly, except by Derrick.
Derrick’s face flashed through my mind. I’d always hated that feeling.
To be helpless.
Then, the air pressure around me intensified. My breaths were shorter and more labored, and sharp air entered my lungs like they were lined with razor ribbon. What was happening? The sun had nearly set, and the temperature was dropping quickly. There was no one else out here.
We were alone.
And I was entirely at his mercy.
Beware the raven.
“Fear is a normal reaction,” he said, still restraining me. “But you cannot let it keep you from seeking to understand all that is within you. If you do, you’ll always be weak.”
He released me, and without his hold, I started shaking. Alarmed by my total lack of control over my body, I got to my feet and took a few steps back. I could feel his presence as if he still had me in his grasp. His eyes lowered, but his expression gave away nothing.
I was tired of these ambiguous answers. I let the energy rush through me and the flurry of emotions that came with it took over. I ran forward and attempted to shove him back for being so damned confusing, but he grabbed me, spinning me around and holding me tightly against his chest.
“Do you feel it now?” he murmured.
“Feelwhat?” I snapped.
Blake’s hold tightened.
“What it is to have no control,” he said, the warmth of his breath against my cheek.
My heart jolted me into a placated silence. That was it. Even now, I stood here powerless. In his hold or not, by being in his presence, I knew that whatever energy was flowing within me was not my own. At least not currently. It was his.
He had all the control right now, and he had from our very first interaction.
"Who are you?" I whispered. "Did you leave that note in my room? To warn me away from Malakai or Ezreal?”
