Page 98 of Seducing Hope (The Hope Legacy)

She throws her hands up. “This is ridiculous; my humor is wasted on you. I miss Duncan.”

“And if Duncan had been successful in your training, we wouldn’t be here.”

She scowls. “You’re an ass.”

“And you have a stubborn streak a mile long with a sarcastic mind and a sassy mouth you hide behind when you’re scared.” I snap my fingers as the emotion driving her power becomes clear. “Zac!” I call. This time, he thunders through the door, slamming it behind him.

“You have your phone?” I ask Natia. She nods, grinning at Zac. “I need a speaker for her phone,” I tell Zac.

He disappears and reappears twenty seconds later with a large Bluetooth speaker that resembles a boombox from the nineties. “Thanks for playing fetch, Zacy.” Natia smirks as he bends and places the speaker at the side of the room.

He stands, swivels, and stalks toward her. “Don’t call me that.”

“Zacy? It’s cute… a nickname for a friend.”

“Zac! Leave!” I shout. He mutters some curses before disappearing. “Tell me what you’ve understood so far.”

She folds her arms and glances to the side. “That magic is an extension of myself. I need to use it as a compliment to my fighting and be careful of how much I use. That I should time it to my heartbeat and try to pull it into myself.”

I nod to the speaker and head toward the door. “Good enough. Pick something to train to.”

Grabbing her phone, she picks the music, and the beginnings of “Natural” by Imagine Dragons echoes in the room. Flicking the light switch, I plunge the room into darkness. “You weren’t just pissed the times you managed to call your power, Natia—you were scared.”

Her breathing picks up as I come to stand behind her. “Focus on your heartbeat, on your connection to the power, the adrenaline pumping through your veins. Now, let’s see what you’ve got.” Cranking up the music, the bass drowns out any other sound. Her only choice is to focus on her magic; without her other senses, it’s her only defense. Breezing past her, I slip her braid over her shoulder, before moving to the other side of the room. Her foot snaps out in the air, missing me by inches.

I initiate our mental connection.“Too slow. You’re not utilizing everything you have.”Rushing forward, my foot loops her ankle, and her back hits the floor.“You’d be dead right now. Stop letting your fear rule you. Fight me, Natia.”

She anticipates my next move, rolls, jumps to her feet, and ducks, avoiding my fist.

“Better. Now, let’s see some of that power.”

My magic runs a hot length up her spine. She flinches but doesn’t strike—at least she knows I’m nowhere near. She needs a push. I risk her wrath and tease underneath her breasts, pooling an almost unbearable heat there. The air crackles, and the scent of a breaking storm floods the room. A flash of sapphire eyes gives away her location, and I teleport to the other side of the room. Her magic tracks me, and the air slams me against the wall. I stay in place but use my shadow to pull her feet from under her. She spins as she tumbles and douses the invisible darkness with water.“What the hell was that?”

“Do you always know the capabilities of your enemy?”

“Apparently not.”

I pin her to the floor with velvet tendrils of midnight. Her panic coats the room, the tang of ozone my only warning before lightning strikes around her, slicing the strands and freeing her.“You’re defending. Attack—”I grunt as my lungs expel the air shoved out of me; my hands grip my chest from the force of the invisible punch.“Better.”

Wrapping my magic around her body, I constrict her movements and let a ribbon wind around her throat.“You think Lawrence will wait around while you figure this out?”I taunt. A crack in her shields appears, and sunshine briefly drowns the shadows before she slams it shut and follows the lyrics to the music. I blink, not sure what I’ve just witnessed.

She grunts as the earth rumbles around us, cracks appearing on the wooden floor. A storm rages, and forks of lightning ignite the room as I tighten the noose and get close. My fingers skim her jaw.“You can’t hurt me. Let go.”The floor breaks into a thousand pieces, and wood shavings scatter the floor as the pieces sharpen into stakes. They swivel in the air as the brightest emerald eyes I’ve ever seen catch mine, before they turn and point in my direction. She’s not only strong; she’s controlling multiple elements at the same time.

“Let me go, Archan.”

Allowing a teasing smirk to appear, I give her the final push by brushing my lips over hers. Deafening thunder drowns out the music as the stakes stream toward me. Grabbing her body, I drop my magic from her flesh and form an impregnable bubble before delivering a kiss that steals her breath. The stakes splinter as the raging storm continues outside our sphere of safety. She wraps herself around me like I’m her lifeline.“Do you feel the connection, Natia?”

She draws back, sliding her hands to cup my face.“Do you?”Frowning, I pull back.

The door slams open as the men pile in, each jaw dropping in turn as they take in the chaos.“Is this part of hertraining?”Zac asks, as Jed grins at us.

“It was necessary.”

She glances at the ceiling, watching the elements collide in the world she’s created.“I did that?”

I nod.“You’ve accessed it; now, it’s time to control it. I don’t want you to just let it go—close your eyes.”Uncharacteristically, she follows my command.“Now grab hold of it and tame it. Let it run through you like water over rocks.”Grasping her hand, I press it to her heart.“With each heartbeat, allow the power to become quiet. Recognize its difference and allow it to become part of you.”

The room quietens, allowing the bass of the newest tune to carry through the room. I drop the shield and step away from her. She blinks her eyes open and takes in the destruction—the charred walls, wet ceiling, and torn floor. Someone cuts the music.

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