Page 50 of Tempest Rising

"Roughly twenty-five miles," he said, opening his eyes. "At our current pace, we won't make it before nightfall. We'll need to camp and start again before dawn."

"If we leave two hours before sunrise," Mason added, "we should reach the guild with time to spare."

"Assuming we don't run into more of Valen's surprises," Raze said, his hazel eyes scanning the treeline.

As we set off again, the tension in the group began to ease. Mason kept close to me, his steady presence a silent reassurance. Kane took the lead, his sharp eyes scanning the path ahead with the precision of someone who trusted nothing and no one. Raze brought up the rear, his usual swagger undiminished.

We trudged along the muddy trail, each heavy step accompanied by the squelch-squelch of damp earth stubbornly clinging to our boots. The aftermath of the skirmish lingered in the air—the metallic tang of blood mixed with the wet, earthy scent of the forest and traces of dissipating magic that shimmered faintly in the humid light breaking through the trees above.

Kane walked slightly ahead of me, his posture rigid, his movements precise. Every so often, I caught the flicker of his gaze in my direction—assessing, calculating. The intensity of his attention sent a ripple of awareness through me.

Finally, he slowed his pace, falling into step beside me. "You're reckless," he said, his tone cool and clipped, but there was something else beneath it—something almostcharged.

I scoffed. "Nice to see you're warming up to me."

He didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he angled his body just slightly toward mine, enough that the space between us felt almost deliberately measured. "You nearly got yourself killed back there," he continued, his voice lower now, edged with something close to frustration. "You're supposed to be the first human Dragon Rider. You won’t last long if you don’t learn how to use what you’ve been given."

I sighed, rolling my shoulder where the dull ache of our earlier fight still lingered. "I’m aware, Kane. But in case you haven’tnoticed, I don’t exactly have centuries of magical training at my disposal."

He stopped abruptly, turning toward me with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. His eyes—cold blue-violet, sharp as cut glass—locked onto mine. "Then it’s time to start."

The weight of his gaze held me in place, the air between us suddenly taut.

"Your bond with Thalon gives you an advantage. Magic isn’t just about power—it’s about control, perception. You need to start paying attention."

I folded my arms. "And let me guess, you’re volunteering to teach me?"

His lips pressed into a thin line, as if the very idea irritated him. "You need structure, not improvisation. If you want to survive, yes, I’ll teach you."

There was no warmth in the offer, no reassurance—only stark, logical efficiency. And yet, there was something about his voice, the way he spoke with absolute certainty, that made my pulse quicken.

I exhaled sharply. "Alright. Where do we start?"

Kane nodded, satisfied, and resumed walking, though his strides were more measured now, deliberately keeping pace with mine. "First, by refining your awareness. Magic isn’t just about casting spells—it’s about understanding the world around you." His voice dipped lower, almost intimate in the quiet space between us. "You rely too much on sight. That’s a human weakness."

"Gee, sorry for having basic biology," I muttered.

He ignored the comment, stepping closer—just enough that the heat of him brushed against my arm. "You have other senses. Use them. Listen for sounds that don’t belong. Feel the shift in the air, the vibrations in the ground. Your bond with Thalon enhances all of it, whether you realize it or not."

I swallowed. His proximity made it harder to focus, the crisp scent of him—something cool and faintly like cedar—curling around me.

I dropped my gaze to the uneven terrain, my boots sinking slightly into the damp earth. "Right now, all I feel is mud."

"Then you’re not focusing."

His voice was sharper now, but beneath the edge, there was something else—expectation.

"Show me."

I hesitated. I hadn’t exactly demonstrated my magic in front of the others yet—not properly.

But Kane wasn’t someone who asked for something without reason. If he wanted to see it, it was because he thought it would help.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and reached inward, searching for the familiar thread of power that had been growing in me since I bonded with Thalon. It came easily now, no longer the fleeting, slippery thing it had been in the beginning.

A flicker of warmth ghosted over my skin as I summoned the energy, golden and purple light swirling to life around my hands—vibrant, pulsing, alive.

A sharp intake of breath.

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