A small tendril of relief snaked through Celina as the door creaked closed.
Standing up, the captain circled behind Celina. “Look at me,” he ordered.
Celina hesitated. Tipping her head back and exposing her throat went against every instinct she had to protect herself. When she remained still, his hand came around her throat in a firm hold, making her suck in a startled breath.
“Your choice,” the captain said. Sudden pressure cut off her air. Her body jolted in panic as the hand around her throat squeezed tightly without letting up.
Across from her, Lieutenant Devryn stood witness, making no move to intervene. His image began to blur and fade as spots darkened her vision. Her body jerked with frantic movements, making her thrash against her bonds. Pain bloomed in her head. Air, she needed air.
Releasing the pressure around her throat, the captain slid his hand down to rest on her collarbone in silent threat of reprisal.
Wild fear and relief cascaded through her as she dragged in desperate gulps of air. She coughed after each ragged breath aggravated her abused throat, body shaking with the effort as her lungs heaved. Tears wet her face, blinding her as she restabilized. Before she was ready, her captor’s calm, steady tone sounded again.
“Look at me.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, Celina took an encouraging breath and found her courage. Trembling, she raised her chin. When her head was tipped all the way back, she opened her eyes to obey the command.
Captain Darrett smiled at her with satisfaction. “You’re going to be a very interesting captive.”
EmotionsravagedRodric,imagesof death rearing up in his mind as he stared into the dense greenery. Damien’s broken body. Avery’s hands drenched in blood. Any time he considered using magic, the images haunted him. Dangerous. It was too dangerous. Flames cracked in his mind, turning any hope of attempting to use magic into ashes.
A hand on his shoulder made him jerk in surprise.
Sev’s eyes drilled into his with stark understanding. “Get on your horse, we’re going for a ride.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you once ran my ass into the ground when I was drowning in grief, nearly destroying myself and my life in the process. I’m returning the favor.”
Rodric looked at Zora, whose serious expression matched Sev’s. She was completely free—no saddle, bridle, or gear of any kind. His brows dropped in a frown, driven by confusion.
“Daya says emotion will drive your magic until you learn to control it. You need to purge it and find your center.” Sev petted Zora’s neck with a loving hand. “Riding free will help you do that. Get on your horse, Rodric.”
Vision still hazy from old memories, Rodric mounted Zora, gripping her copper mane with one hand. Light pressure of his legs had her taking off through the trees at a pace that required him to focus. Sev was right about that—riding bareback required him to be completely in sync with Zora, synergistically connected and aware. It had been years since he’d done this with her.
Part of his mind took on the sole purpose of communicating with her as she weaved through the trees. He didn’t pay an ounce of attention to their direction, letting Zora choose the path with Sev herding them from behind. The wild shades of green and purple became a blur around him.
Letting go of his tight hold on his emotions, he let fear, pain, and grief flood him, drowning him with bruising force. Instead of blocking the emotion and caging the memories in the dark shadows of his mind, he let go, forcing himself to feel everything as Zora ran.
Avery’s death. His mother’s. Damien’s. Both their families destroyed by magic. His father turning his back on everything his mother stood for—had died for. Brenna. The spark of light that had brought him back.
Shaking with the force of pent-up emotion, he asked Zora to stop. Sliding off her back, he dropped to the ground and collapsed beside a nearby tree, head in his hands.
Sev sat quietly next to him and waited. A silent sentinel to his grief. Barrier destroyed by everything that had happened the past few weeks, Rodric began to talk, sharing the darkness with his friend.
“Death and destruction—that’s all magic has ever been for me. I’d do anything to save Celina. But what if I destroy her instead?”
“What if you don’t? All life is risk, Rodric.”
He contemplated that in silence, staring at the mossy ground beneath his feet. A soft head butted his shoulder with enough force to knock him off balance, shoving him into Sev. After he righted himself, Zora lifted her head and blew in his face before continuing to rub her face all over his neck and chest. His tension broke with a crack, and he smiled, petting her neck and head.
“Alright, girl. I hear you.” Pushing her away, Rodric heaved a sigh and leaned back against the tree. “How? How do I do it?”
“How did you do it before? I saw your face when Connor spoke. You were afraid and hurting, not surprised. When have you successfully connected to Celina?”
Rodric thought back over the progression of his magic since it appeared. Discounting the actual healing, he focused on the connection that was unique to her, to them. He’d shared emotions with Celina more than once, but usually with her initiating it. The only time he’d ever connected beyond simply sharing her emotion was…
“This morning. I was upset, and she took off into the woods, made me chase her. I snapped into hunting mode. She hid in this strange-looking plant that reminded her of her friend Sam. I heard her thoughts about him. It enraged me, and l latched on to her, pinpointing her exact location and speaking into her mind.”
