Page 56 of Destined to Fight

“Fabian, Kade, up here now!” Ginna yelled, panic in her voice.

Kade was at her side instantly, and a burst of power surged through the room. It hit Kelly like a lightning bolt, and as quickly as the air had left her lungs, it entered them again, quenching her body’s thirst for oxygen.

“Kelly, are ye okay, lass?” Kade’s hand cupped her cheek, and he stared down at her with concerned amber eyes.

“Your eyes.” She barely got the words out before a coughing fit took her.

Fabian appeared in the doorway to the library, sword at the ready. “What is going on?” He asked, urgently.

“I honestly have no fucking clue,” Ginna answered, exasperated. “She got upset and her power was flowing from her in waves, so I coached her through feeling it out. Then I told her to bring it in, and she landed on the ground like she’d been hit by a truck.”

Fabian sheathed his sword and came into the library, standing at Kelly’s feet. “I felt Kade’s power. Why?”

Kade answered, his eyes remaining on Kelly, “I saw her on the ground and it just happened. I dinnae mean to release that much.”

What felt like a long silence followed, and it made Kelly’s skin itch. She hated awkward silence.

Forcing her arms to work, she pushed herself upright. “Y’all are overreacting. I’m fine,” she said, then downplayed the coughs that followed.

Kade scooped her up into his arms and placed her in one of the chairs. Kelly noticed he made it a point to keep his eyes from Fabian. “I’ll go get ye some water.”

She wanted to tell him it wasn’t necessary, but he was gone before a single word made it from her lips. Leaning forward, she put her head in her hands and tried to breathe slowly so she wouldn’t cough any more. Her lungs didn’t feel fully functional yet.

Fabian knelt on one knee in front of her. “Look at me, Warrior.”

Kelly did as he asked, seeing his light eyes filled with worry.

His hand came to her neck, feeling her pulse. He took her hands and turned her palms up, his thumbs tracing her fingertips.

“Your pulse is strong, and for the first time, I do not feel any power coming from you at all. Tell me everything that happened.”

She did, being careful to explain the way she’d pictured and felt her power and how she’d reined it in. She told him about Kade’s power and how it seemed to reset her lungs. His eyes didn’t seem pertinent though, so she left that detail out.

Fabian stood and paced the room, deep in thought.

Ginna moved over to the other chair and sat, not bothering with any sort of grace.

More awkward silence ensued.

Kelly moved to get up and only made it about halfway to standing before she realized that wasn’t a good idea. A moment of imbalance hit, forcing her to maneuver back into the chair.

“Don’t push it, Rookie. We’re not sure what’s going on, and you’ve used quite a bit of energy. Remember, there is a cost to using your gift.”

Kade was back then, holding an open bottle of cold water in front of her face.

“Drink,” he ordered.

“I’m fine. I’m not coughing now.”

“Drink.” This time, he growled a little.

She took the water without further argument and sipped at it.

Fabian moved his questioning to Kade now. “When you came in, what did you see? What did you hear? Why would you have let that much power go?”

“What is this, twenty questions?” Kade asked in annoyance.

“No, I am simply trying to figure out why things played out the way they did.”

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