Page 96 of The Storm of the Empire

I had to have faith and keep going. The Goddess would protect us. She had this far, and I trusted her.

The fibers finally unwound, and I pulled, snapping the chain.

As it fell away, the steps also faded into the distance, and I jumped at him, praying I wasn’t holding out false hope that he would have some magic in him.

He wrapped his arms around me and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Should I be feeling different?”

Disappointment flooded through me, and my stomach dropped. I was so hopeful, but maybe I was on my own. “Maybe it takes a minute?” I hedged.

“If I had magic, wouldn’t it, like, come out immediately?” Doubt came with his words. “Seems suspect.”

I realized with a jolt the last thought came mind to mind. This couldn’t be possible, could it? I bit back a squeal, clapping a hand over my mouth. “I heard that!”I shouted into his mind. Then I stared, waiting for his reaction.

His eyes went wide, and in a sudden rush, threads seemed to pull from my chest. I could feel them knitting with his, binding us tighter than I’ve ever been bound, by even my own magic. They threaded themselves so tightly, it was hard to know where I ended and he began. Warmth flooded through my veins. This was more than I ever thought possible.

He stared at me, his gaze going from my unmoving mouth to my eyes and back. “You’re shitting me?”

“I can hear you loud and clear.”

“What does that mean? That’s not normal magic, is it?”His heart rate picked up.

I put my hands on his face. “Breathe. And don’t freak out. It means you’re my ryder, Luka!”

“So—so— not only do I have magic, but I’m a ryder?Yourryder…”

I nodded bracing for his reaction. He almost staggered back, taking in my words. I could hardly believe them myself. I was just hoping he would have a little power I could use to boost my own to break us free from this cell, and now, I had the ryder I’d waited my whole life for—and it was Luka! That had to be why I was drawn home. It was the call after all, but his pendant was muting it.

“And all this time, the pendant kept me from you?”

“I think so.”

He closed his eyes and mentally whispered,“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”I rubbed my thumbs over his cheeks, wiping away the single tear running down his cheek.

“Because I’ve been stubborn, and it has stopped this. All this time… It could have been so much easier.”

“Look at me,”I said, but he didn’t open his eyes. “Hey, come on. Look at me please.”

Reluctantly, he opened them.

“We can’t dwell on that. It happened when we needed it most. Now we really have to get out of here before they come back with that shit they used on Kol.”

He let me go and looked around. “How?”

“Close your eyes and feel your energy. It should be like a low hum all around you. Sometimes it has a color or a shape.”

“Okay.”He closed his eyes.

“Do you feel it?”

“Maybe?”

“Push it at me. If you follow it, you’ll find our connection.”It was a strong connection. I could feel it’s pull without even searching for it. I didn’t tell him what I thought it meant. There would be time for that later.

A rush of power hit me, and I stumbled back. “Woah.”

Luka caught me. “Are you okay?”

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