Page 33 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

“No? Is she as powerful as you?”

“No.”

“Then how is she training you?”

“Who do you suggestshouldbe training me?” Tessa drawled.

“Someone at leastcloseto your power level,” he replied. “And they should be training you to use your magic and fight at the same time.”

“Why do you care?”

“That’s what you’re doing here, isn’t it? Starting a war? If you’re going to start a war that will be the death of tens of thousands, you should at least have the common decency to fight in it,” Luka said, taking a step towards her.

“I thought we weren’t talking,” she gritted out as he took another step closer.

“Only if you win,” he replied. “You don’t want to spar? Fine. We can train with our magic,” he added, summoning his black flames.

She swallowed her gasp as her power surged, rushing to the surface, and she couldn’t control it. Not as her light flared to life, a golden mist swirling around her. It tugged at her, reaching for Luka, and he fucking smirked at her.

Fine. He wanted to play? She would play.

“If I win this match, you speak with me about these important matters. If you win, I will not ask to speak of such things with you again. Do we have an accord?” Luka asked.

Before she could register what he said, she answered, “Yes.”

Then she silently cursed him when she felt the telltale sensation of a Bargain Mark on her forearm.

Godsdammit.

She threw her power in his direction. There was no finesse. No art or direction. She’d never been able to control it, and Luka was right. Odessa had never been able to help her do so. How she’d trained Dagian or Rordan was beyond her. They were certainly more powerful, and yet she’d somehow taught them control.

Luka’s black flames met her light, wrapping around it before snuffing it out, and she ground her molars as she summoned more magic.

“You can’t simply throw your power around,” Luka chided. “Have a purpose, Tessa.”

“I do have a purpose,” she snapped, energy crackling among the golden power this time. “To shut you up.”

This time her power wasn’t so much of a blind attack. There was some form to it as she sent it at Luka, tendrils branching off to try to pull his attention in different directions. But Luka had been doing this far longer than she had, directing his fire to circle around and chase hers.

“You’re trying to do too much too soon,” he said. “Don’t separate your magic yet. Keep it centered and focused.”

“But Odessa has been telling me the opposite,” she argued, shaking out her arms as she pulled more power to the surface.

“Because they are trying to figure out just how powerful you are,” he replied. “Don’t move.”

“What?”

But then he was behind her, having stepped through the air and appeared there. She jolted in surprise when a large hand landed on her forearm, and then he cursed when a jolt of energy went through him.

“Should have expected that,” he muttered, but he didn’t release her. He adjusted her wrist before pushing her other arm down to her side. “Focus on this one spot,” he said, tapping her upturned palm. “And while you let your power pool there, think of where you want it to go. What you want it to do.”

Then he was gone, appearing where he’d been before. And she wasn’t focusing on the power in her palm, but on the sudden loss of heat on her arm where he’d been touching her.

Her magic took advantage of her momentary lack of focus, flaring bright and leaping for Luka once again.

“Focus, Tessa,” Luka commanded.

“I can’t when it’s just me,” she argued, putting her arm back in position and starting over.

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