Page 51 of Tempest Rising

Before I could react, Kane reached out, his hands closing over mine.

The moment his skin met mine, a jolt of energy crackled between us, my magic twisting and surging in response. A shiver ran through me as the power coiled tighter, not in resistance, but recognition.

Kane’s grip remained steady, his blue-violet eyes darkening as he studied the energy coursing between us. His gaze flickered to the golden and purple hues in my magic, something unreadable shadowing his expression.

“This shouldn’t be possible,” he murmured, more to himself than to me. His fingers tightened slightly, grounding me as my power hummed in response to his touch. “Light and dark magic don’t naturally coexist like this. They repel each other—clash. But yours...” He trailed off, tilting his head as if listening to something beyond my comprehension. “Yours is balanced.”

I swallowed hard. “Is that... bad?”

His silver-blue eyes flicked up to mine, sharp and assessing. “It’s dangerous.” The words were quiet, but they carried weight. “Most magic users struggle to control even one affinity without it consuming them. But you—” His thumb brushed against the inside of my wrist, sending another ripple of sensation through me. “You’re holding both. And they aren’t fighting you.”

I exhaled slowly, my pulse still racing. “Maybe they know I don’t have time for a magical identity crisis.”

Kane huffed a quiet breath, almost a laugh, but his expression remained serious. “You’ll need to learn control. Mastery. If you lose your grip on this balance, either side could overwhelm you.” His voice dipped lower, more intimate. “And I doubt the world is ready for what happens if you break.”

I met his gaze, something electric passing between us in the charged silence.

“Then I guess I better make sure that doesn’t happen,” I said softly.

He didn’t let go. Instead, his fingers tightened slightly, grounding me as my energy continued to hum between us. The air felt heavier, charged, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

"Now," Kane said, his voice softer, more intimate, "let’s see if you can do more than make it look pretty."

I huffed. "You really know how to motivate a girl."

Ignoring my sarcasm, he lifted a hand, and a faint shimmer of elemental energy flickered around his fingers. "Try a spell. You’ve practiced accessing your magic, but can you shape it into something useful?"

I hesitated. "I mean... I think so? Thalon showed me how some of them work, but I haven’t exactly had time to test all of them properly."

"Then now’s the time." Kane's voice dropped to something quieter, something edged with challenge. "Focus on the way your magic moves—how it flows. Instead of letting it simply exist around you, direct it. Envision it wrapping around you like a veil."

I inhaled deeply, letting his words settle. Then, closing my eyes again, I focused. I'd try the Invisible Shroud spell.

The golden and purple swirls of energy shifted, responding to my will. I imagined them stretching outward, twisting into a fine mist that wrapped around me, bending light and shadow until—

"Holy shit," Raze muttered from somewhere nearby.

I opened my eyes. Or at least, I thought I did. The world around me looked the same, but something was... different.

"Tess?" Mason’s deep voice rumbled with something akin to awe.

I turned toward him, only to realize that his gaze wasn’t quite meeting mine. He was lookingthroughme.

I looked down at my hands—except I couldn’t see them.

A grin spread across my face. "Oh," I breathed. "That actually worked."

Kane stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he studied where I stood—or where he assumed I was. The scrutiny sent a shiver down my spine.

"Not bad," he admitted. "Your form isn’t perfect. I can still detect a slight distortion if I focus, but for a first attempt? Impressive."

I let the magic slip away, allowing myself to become visible again. The shift was almost seamless, as if I had simply stepped back into the world rather than fading into it.

Mason gave a low whistle. "That’s going to come in handy."

Raze smirked. "Yeah, especially if she wants to sneak off and—"

Kane shot him a look, and Raze held up his hands. "Fine, fine. No inappropriate jokes. But seriously, that’s a hell of a trick."

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