Page 64 of Reign of the Beast

“Then ask him to facilitate your connection with her. Having him there will put her at ease.”

“All right, my beloved.”

“Thank you.”

I smiled and tightened my hold on him. “We’ll get through this tumultuous time and overcome these hurdles. And then we will prevail. All will be well.”

He murmured his agreement against my chest. “I believe you.”

13

~Mia~

Finally!

I’d done it.

My magic was finally stabilized.

Now I could move on to the next step.

For us to succeed, for the Covenant to be solidified, I needed to go beyond my comfort zone.

I was to become the vessel for the joining of extreme power, but I was also to become the wielder. I couldn’t balk in the face of channeling that.

In fact, I had to be ready to welcome it.

I needed to learn to revel in my magic.

And now was as good a time as any.

“Here goes nothing,” I murmured to myself, as I fired my magic into the night sky.

That familiar warmth rushed through me and I watched as a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors sparked into being, lighting up the sky in an awe-inspiring series of magical fireworks.

I smiled, savoring the stunning sight.

I rarely ever used my power for frivolous things. It hadalways been about need, rather than want. I’d used my abilities for battle, for Guardian tasks and missions. Professionally, rather than for my own pleasure.

It had left me disconnected from my magic, with that entire side of it left unexplored. It was like getting to know only the professional side of somebody and the job that they did, instead of their non-work persona as well.

I needed to be at one with my magic, to embrace all its facets, in order to increase my stability and control over it, in spite of whatever may come my way and try to challenge that.

“Breathtaking,” a voice sounded all of a sudden. That velvety-smooth voice that had an almost hypnotic quality.

I pulled my magic back, the fireworks dissipating, the sky returning to its dark blanket with a light sprinkling of stars providing some partial illumination.

“Just doing a little experimenting,” I said, turning to face Lucian.

He arched a dark eyebrow. “Experimenting?”

I pulled my silver silk cardigan closed against the chilly night air and folded my arms across my chest, as I settled in to live up to my recent goal of being more transparent. “I’ve always been very rigid about my magic usage, only really using it as a necessity. Ryker revels inhis. It’s a true part of him. He’s extremely comfortable with it, use to pushing the envelope. He doesn’t hold back. He was even able to access next-level power without anydarkconsequences. That’s pretty much the opposite of my experience. So, it occurred to me that, perhaps, I need to bask in it more like Ryker, use it for fun and personal pleasure, rather than just as a weapon or a tool to complete a task.”

“An interesting theory.”

He was smiling, but it was a tight, polite smile. He seemed to merely be humoring me, not on board with it.

“You don’t agree?”

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