Page 19 of The Dark Mage
He glanced away, muttering to himself.“Probably from that ass in the manor who can’t keep his hands to himself, regardless of what his womenwant.”
The statement hung in the air, half a question.Ren’wyn’s pained gaze answered it.His eyes narrowed, and his hands clenched into fists.
“You’re imperial,” she whispered, hating how breathless and young she sounded.
Another mirthless chuckle.“‘Were’ is more accurate than ‘are.’I’m no longer welcome at court.”
Ren’wyn breathed slowly through another wave of nausea.“Do you have any water?”
Without a word, he reached into his cloak, unhooking a water skin from his belt, and slid it toward her.He moved close enough to place it in her outstretched hand before retreating across the fire.She noticed how he never took his eyes off her, as though wary she might lunge for him at any moment.He’s as cautious of me as I am ofhim.
She drank deeply, the cool water clearing her head and mouth.At last, she broke the silence.“I’ve never met another.”
He raised an eyebrow.“Another?”
“Someone with magic,” she clarified.“I’ve never met another who wields power while on myown.”
His expression darkened.He turned his face away, cheeks flushing slightly as he took a slow, deliberate breath.She recognized the instinct: defensiveness born of a life spent hiding magic, shielding it from accusations of evil, greed, and hunger for innocent blood.
“Very few have ever seen it before,” he admitted, his voice low.“And certainly not likethat.”
Her eyes widened.“Like…what?”
“No one has ever drawn it out—or used it for themselves,” he said pointedly, his hazel gaze locking ontohers.
The accusation—or challenge—hung between them like a chargedwire.
The memories crashed into her: the flight through the forest, her ankle giving way, the overwhelming pain, the Void’s feral hunger, the guards’ panicked screams.Her stomach turned over, bile rising as the recollection of her actions washed overher.
She gasped and retched, her body heaving as the guards’ begging filled her ears.The ancient roar began again in her bones, coaxing that dark power to rise, the shadows trembling at the edges of her vision.
Oh gods, I killedthem.
They had planned to harm her, true, but they were people—men with dreams and goals, lives that had ended by her hand.Never before had she used her power to kill, and the weight of it crushed her.Her heart wrenched as violently as her stomach, and she gasped against the physical pain of it.They were gone, and it was her fault.
Cool hands pulled her damp hair from her neck, twisting it up against her scalp.That strong arm slipped beneath her chest, steadying her as she heaved and coughed.The roaring magic inside her receded to a low thrum, leaving her shaking and drenched in sweat.
“The first time is the hardest,” he said quietly, his voice steady.“It cuts deep.You extended them mercy with quick deaths.Those men deserved far worse.You will never forget them—or the act itself.”
His strong hand rested on her shoulder, a gesture of solidarity.
“I’ve never met one of your kind,” he said softly, releasing her and leaning back on his heels.She sagged as he propped her against the cool stone of the cave wall, sliding a soft, sturdy pack behind her for support.
“I’ve known berserkers.Druids, wights, empaths.Once, even an oracle.Butyou…”
It wasn’t a question, but she heard the curiosity beneath the words.
“A dark mage,” she whispered, bracing herself for his reaction.
His hands stilled as he tucked the blanket back around her, but he didn’t recoil.Instead, his gaze met hers—wary, perhaps, but not afraid.
“You are not what I expected,” he said simply.
Ren’wyn gave a hoarse, broken laugh, a sound that teetered between hysteria and disbelief.
“What did you expect?A tall, terrible mage with soulless black eyes?A force of nature cutting down everyone in his path?”She gestured weakly to herself, her smile faint and bitter.“Not a young woman fleeing through the forest at night?”
His silence stretched, his unspoken thoughts pressing on the air between them.Closing her eyes, she let herself sense his magic again.It was bright and steady, its presence like the warmth of a fire on a cold night.
