Page 51 of A Monstrous Claim, Part 2

I can’t let it destroy me.

I’m vaguely aware of the thought, as I imagine pushing the pain away with my thoughts. I want it off. I want to escape.

I’m still not entirely convinced I have any magic in me at all, and that somehow Ignatius got it wrong, when something sparks in my consciousness. I don’t know exactly what it is, but it’s warm and tingly and I latch onto it, trying to bring it forward.

It’s slow going, but eventually the spark swells, starting somewhere in my chest and blossoming outward, slowly rolling through every part of my body. It fills out my arms and legs, beating against the pain gripping me and lessening it. That, or I’m hallucinating from the torture now and I’m seconds away from death.

Either way, I don’t hurt nearly as bad, and the relief ignites my hope even more.

I focus on the tingling feeling, my heart, soul, and mind pulling at it, tugging at it, begging it to explode. Something innate in my bones tells me it should, and I want it to burst out into the room. I want it to shake everything around me, stretching and filling every nook and cranny of the space until I’m entirely consumed by it.

A minute later, just that happens.

An explosion of energy wracks through me, shoving away the pain once and for all until I’m numb, floating. I can’t feel anything at all. The power is swirling around me, dancing across my skin, and I force another breath into my lungs.

Power.

I can feel it. Raw, unbridled power, even though I have no idea what the hell I’m doing with it. At least I can acknowledge it’s there.

What’s better, it made the pain go away.

Another breath, and I feel like I’m coming back to life. It’s then that I hear Ignatius’ voice calling my name from far away. It’s barely an echo, shouting at me from somewhere in the dark void, getting louder and louder until I’m inclined to open my eyes.

At first I’m blinded by brightness, yellow and gold flickering around me as I slowly regain my senses.

Then the room gets warmer, swiftly feeling like I’m inside a tanning bed and my skin is drying out from too little tanning oil. It’s scorching hot, the heat licking at my exposed skin like a barbed tongue, and I have no idea what the hell is happening.

Finally, after several seconds, reality clicks into place and my mouth drops open.

The entire room is on fire, and I have a feeling I know whose fault it is.

ChapterTwenty-Six

DEVYN

Iscream, the heat from the flames biting my skin as my pulse slams into overdrive, but before I can pull myself up off the floor or do anything rational, Ignatius is on his feet. With a wide wave of his hand, a burst of energy explodes, rocking the living room and dousing the fire with invisible water.

The flames die out immediately, but smoke churns through the room, curling and twisting off the scorched furniture, burning my lungs. With another wave of his hand, Ignatius dispels the smoke, waving it out of existence and leaving me staring up at the ceiling in disbelief.

I gasp, frantically running my hands over my exposed skin to ensure I wasn’t burned. It’s tender to the touch, but I’m fine.

The important thing is we’re both alive.

And I’m confused as hell.

“What. The. Fuck.” Each of my words is punctuated with a breath, and I cup my face with both hands.

Fractions of thoughts whiz through my mind, but nothing sticks as I try to regulate my breathing. I’m in shock, barely functioning, when Ignatius steps over and offers me his hand.

“Well, that was exciting,” he says, helping me to my feet. He’s seemingly unbothered by the fact that I just destroyed his living room and half of his belongings. Or if he cares, he doesn’t show it.

“I don’t think our ideas of excitement are the same.” I stagger before I catch my balance. “I’m so sorry, Ignatius, I–”

He holds up a hand to silence me. “No apology needed. We accomplished what we intended to.”

“But…” I look around the room, taking a mental inventory of all the charred items around us. I’ll make sure Rafe replaces the things I destroyed, if only for my piece of mind. “I’ll replace your things.”

He merely shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m more concerned with how you feel. Are you okay? Can you feel your power?”

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