Page 70 of A Court of Ash and Midnight
“Don’t you need to go?”
He shakes his head. “The alternative is that Toryn kills you tomorrow. And I won’t let that happen. Let’s fight one battle at a time.”
I nod and step away from him. “I think I know now how to summon my magic. One that doesn’t involve you and I…” I trail off.
“Oh?” Daemon raises his brows.
I take a few more steps back and I close my eyes. I think back to this morning, to my grandparents and their visitors who want to claim me as one of their multiple brides. In my mind’s eye, I see them leering at me, see the lust in their eyes as if I’m just a possession to be bartered. Fury rises within me once again, and I can feel the heat of it flow through me.
And now I know it’s not just heat…it’s my magic.
I let it build and build and build, feeling it accumulate behind my eyes and in my hands. When it feels like I might actually ignite, I picture Toryn back at Shadow’s Keep, in the garden. Trying to force his way with me, assuming that I needed his protection, that Iowedhim. I feel a rush of energy in my hands, a release. I open my eyes. Daemon is staring at me with surprise and awe.
Two large spheres of golden flame sit in my palms, one on each side.
“Your eyes…” Daemon says.
I know that they’re glowing, the feeling now familiar. And I also feel that kinship with the flame, that sense of belonging I’ve always had when I’m near a fire. Because I am fire, too.
Daemon shakes his head as if coming out of a trance. “Okay. Now, throw your magic at me.”
My focus falters, my thoughts not having gotten this far, and the flames flicker and start to diminish.
“Don’t overthink it,” he says. “You know what to do.”
And I realize Idoknow. Not in my head, but in my heart. My soul.
My flames flare back up and I hurl them both at Daemon. They envelop him for a moment, but then he rolls his shadows around him, and they dissipate.
“Good. Again,” he commands.
We spend the next few hours practicing, improving on the speed of summoning my magic and the force of my throws. When I stagger, a wave of dizziness moving through me, Daemon steps forward and catches me.
“You need to rest,” he says, his eyes flickering with worry.
I lift a hand to my forehead, feeling the throb of a headache coming on. “What’s happening to me?”
“Using magic takes a toll. Especially on humans.” He looks down at me with a frown. “I should have realized sooner…”
“You can’t save me from everything, Daemon,” I say softly.
He pushes back one of my curls. “No, you can save yourself. That’s what I like about you.”
We walk toward the closest path leading down from the peaks. Tomorrow, I’ll either prove him right, or… well, I’ll be dead. Toryn certainly won’t be holding anything back. And even though I’ve made a breakthrough with my magic, I’ll be going up against a fae who can best me in hand-to-hand combat and who’s had years of magical practice. The odds are better than they were before, but they’re still pretty dismal. I keep a brave face for Daemon, though, as we make our way back down to the tents. No matter the outcome of the challenge, I don’t want him to blame himself.
When we reach my tent, it’s late in the afternoon. Daemon turns to the guards outside. “Make sure no one bothers her the rest of the day. And send someone to fetch her food.”
The closest guard, one of the humans, nods and jogs off. Daemon lifts the flap of the tent for me to duck inside. He follows me, letting the flap fall behind us. He takes one of my hands in his. “Eat a big meal when they return and then go to bed early. You should feel better tomorrow.”
I nod. “Thanks for your help.”
Daemon leans in and dusts a soft kiss over my lips. “I’ll be back in the morning to check on you. We should get in one moresmall practice, but not so much that you’re worn out for the challenge.”
After he leaves, I can feel exhaustion tugging at me, but I wait until my food arrives, and then I eat and crawl into my bedroll. Surely, I can’t go to bed this early and sleep the rest of the night. But I slip away into darkness, and next thing I know, it’s dawn.
Daemon makes goodon his promise to practice with me the next morning. I try to inquire about his aunt and uncle, and whether Trianne had told them about us.
“Let’s just focus on today, Embyr,” he says, but I can tell by the tightness in his smile that there’s something he’s not telling me.
