“It would seem Riven is right about my ability. Unfortunately. At least with this text. It’s only three hundred pages, but I read it twice. So I’ll pick another, a larger one, and test his theory again.”
“Wait a second, you just read that whole book?” Thayla asks.
“Yes. Twice as I said. Took me two and a half minutes each time. My reading speed was already at half a second per page, but that would tire me out to push it to that. I don’t feel tired or drained in the least, so I suspect that was my ability reaching its max.”
“Why do you look so shocked?” I ask her, then drag my teeth against her neck.
I smirk as a shiver and goose bumps tear across her skin.
“I don’t know. I knew he could read fast as fuck, but damn, not that fast. That’s impressive.”
“Thank you,” Amick says, picking his nose out of the next book he already got into.
That’s as long as his distraction lasts.
The other two go back to fucking off, while Thayla gets situated on my chest once again. My hands continue their mindless roam over her stomach, and I wish my mind would go back to only thinking about the way she feels.
Regrettably, Riven’s words have burrowed deep into my thoughts, and I can’t get rid of them.
I wasn’t nearly as nervous this time about getting more power like the last, but now I’ve got some doubts.
Gaining back what I lost is one thing. New abilities sprouting up is another. I know what to do and can get a sense of the differences in what we had in the Abandon compared to what we have now.
I’m…less angry.Irritable might be a better word.
The taint that lingers over the Abandon influences you regardless of whether you want to acknowledge it or not. I sure as fuck sense its absence. Control over what I’ve been given doesn’t feel impossible.
The uncertainty of what I have now does.
My chest grows tighter the longer I think about it, and if Thayla’s head wasn’t in my way, I’d rub the sensation away.
A grunt to my right draws my attention to Kyzen and his furrowed brows. He holds his hand up for Riven to stop as he massages his chest. His eyes meet mine, and we both narrow our gazes.
“Did you feel that?” I ask him.
“Yeah. Was that you?”
Fuck if I know.
“What’s going on with you two?”
Before we can answer Thayla, a vibration passes over us and I hop off the couch, dragging her with me. Kyzen, Riven, and Amick whirl around just as Ellian hauls ass into our living room.
“Oddian is under attack!”
Thayla goes unnaturally still beside me for a split second. Then in the blink of an eye, she’s a foot in front of him.
“What?” she asks low.
“I got word about ten minutes ago. I went straight to Gladian. He and a handful of Valtrues have already departed.”
She spins on her heel, running toward her room.
“Do not tell Lambrit.”
She yells over her shoulder just before disappearing down her hallway.
“Why can’t Lam-the-man know?” Riven asks.
