Page 264 of Blade of the Nightking

A chill crept over my skin despite the heat.

"For thousands of years, it never had to share." He paused. "And I don't think it likes sharing."

"So what does that mean for me?" I asked, almost breathless.

"You're something entirely new, Eidra. Nothing like you has ever existed before." He reached for the shirt from where he'd left it in a heap beside him and shook the sand free. "What that means, you'll have to discover for yourself."

"What do you think?"

He studied me for a long moment. "Why do you care what I think?"

I gestured around us. "Because look at everything you can do." I shook my head, awed. "You can hold dozens of minds all at once⁠—"

"Hundreds."

I gaped. "Hundreds?!"

He grinned, the dimple deepening in his cheek. Heat unfurled low in my belly at the sight.

"Are you impressed now?" he asked.

"Maybe a little terrified."

He winked—winked. My mind went completely blank.

He pulled the shirt over his head, the broad planes of his chest disappearing beneath the fabric, then leaned back on one hand. A bead of sweat slid slowly down his throat and vanished beneath his collar.

My mouth watered.

"Tell me what happened with your magic," he said. "That night in Illyra."

The words doused every heated thought in an instant. How could I possibly explain the storm that had consumed me after he'd disappeared into the alcove with Elyndra? And after what I'd done in front of him... how could I possibly speak of that?

He watched me expectantly, a fierce, almost feverish intensity in his gaze.

"I… I was angry with you."

"Why?"

I ground my teeth together. "Because you dismissed me. Like I was your servant."

"Was that truly all?"

The question lodged beneath my ribs like a fishhook.

No. "Yes."

He regarded me for another long moment, and I found myself shifting under that unwavering stare. "What else?"

"Please, Rìan." I couldn't stop the plea from slipping into my voice. I was humiliated enough already. Putting it into words would only make it worse.

He held my gaze for a long moment, something unreadable passing through his eyes. Then he relented, his expression shuttering as cool detachment settled once more over his features. Something in me dimmed.

"What happens when it comes?"

I drew in a slow breath.

"It..." I searched for the words. "It feeds on whatever I'm feeling. The more it consumes, the larger it becomes, until it fills me completely. Then I can reach it. Shape it. Wield it. But…"