Page 274 of The Throne Seeker
Her arms went limp.
She almost didn’t believe her eyes. More than fifty soldiers emerged from the tree line, racing towards them on horses. She didn’t want to look at who was leading them.
Tristan.
The storm brewing underneath his skin had finally exploded into a dark typhoon. He had no intention of letting her go.
Tristan… No.
Xavier cursed beside her.
“I knew the bastard couldn’t do it,” Roman growled.
“What do we do?” Xavier asked. “We can’t fight them all.”
Rose’s mind scrambled for something—anything—to get them out of this mess. Without force would be preferable. She didn’t want any more bloodshed. Violence would be her last resort.
She scoured their surroundings in the dark, seeking any form of escape. As her she turned to the giant waves, her eyes lowered to the water beyond the jagged rocks, reminding her of the third succession challenge?—
She had an idea.
Knowing it might be a fool’s errand, she approached the cliff’s edge, looking down to the rocky shore beneath her feet.
“Rose, what are you doing?” Roman yelled over the wind, taking a nervous step toward her, her mother’s unconscious body still in his arms.
Rose shut her eyes, concentrating on the crashing sound of the waves below. The vast open space caused the wind to whip her bloodstained cloak aside.
She extended out her hand, searching the power she knew lay hidden within her. Delving into the depths of her mind, she uncovered a bubbling, vibrant pool of magic, calling upon it.
A powerful jet of water defied gravity as it surged from the ocean’s depths into the air, splashing up to meet the palm of her hand. The smooth, cold water felt like a shock of energy.
A bolt of lightning struck nearby, followed by a deafening crack of thunder.
Neera,she called to the sea beast through the void.Neera, if you can hear me, I need you. I need your help.
After a brief pause, she opened her eyes, daring to look back into the tumultuous sea. Seconds ticked by and… nothing. Nothing but enormous waves crashing into the rocks below.
Rose’s heart faltered, letting the large stream of water fall back into the sea.
It hadn’t worked.
“Rose!” Roman called to her again.
She whirled back. Tristan and his men were practically upon them.
She fought to stay calm as raindrops slid from her hair down to her brow. If Tristan captured them again… there would be no winning scenario. Roman was in no condition to fight again. Even with her magical abilities, she didn’t know how to use them, at least not enough to wield them as a weapon.
But she had to try. She had to dosomething. She attempted to bundle and wound the magic within her, wield it as she?—
A loud, trembling rumble erupted from below.
Rose whirled, but there was nothing but dark ocean waves.
A deafening screech pierced the sky.
Tristan and his men skidded to a stop, their heads snapping upward at the terrorizing sound.
Lighting flashed again as the sea beast’s silhouette appeared in the sky.
