Page 95 of Reign of the Beast

Mia’s eyes hardened, that all-business, fierce side of her surging to the surface.

And then she unleashed her magic, her vibrant blue fire streaming wildly at Ryker.

He jolted violently and bellowed out a curse as it shot through his body making him shudder uncontrollably.

I watched his hands spark.

His green lightning erupted.

Mia pulled back and bolted away from him.

His lightning intensified.

Grew.

Raged.

It spread over his entire body, enveloping him completely, building and building until it culminated in a blinding explosion of luminous green light.

When my vision finally managed to adjust, I was shocked to see Ryker standing strong on the bed before us, radiating strength and power.

He looked out at us as he pulled his magic back.

Off our shocked reactions, he chuckled, “You didn’t really think it would be that easy to get rid of me, did you?”

20

~Mia~

He’d almost died.

If he’d been anyone else, he would have.

And it would have been all my fault.

Ryker had gone inmystead.

He’d fought the battle I was supposed to be fighting.

He’d suffered because of me.

Because of my deep-seated fears of my own power.

To say it had been a wake-up call, didn’t even begin to cover it.

I’d allowed fear to rule me for too long and now it had come at too high a price. I’d been fighting for a way out of the Covenant, of being pressured to unleash my true power, when there wasn’t a way out.

There was onlythrough.

I’d finally been ready to accept my duty, but it had come too late, and Ryker had almost paid the ultimate price for my foolishness.

I wouldn’t let it happen again. I’d rise to the occasion and do this thing.

If I choked on theconsequences, so be it.

First thing was first, though.

Transparency.

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