‘Food is ready,’ he says.
Kyor glares. ‘She doesn’t need food just now. She needs to get a grip on this.’
Ruben scoffs. ‘And it’s going well, is it?’
‘No,’ Kyor agrees between gritted teeth, ‘but that’s because it’s going to take practice. Hard work. Discipline. Something she’s perfectly capable of showing, if you don’t keep interrupting us. Of course, you’d know nothing about that.’
I don’t doubt that most people would hear the threat in Kyor’s voice and leave, but rather than retreat, Ruben squares up to the prince. ‘Fuck you. She’s tired. We’ve had several long days on the road. She needs someone to take care of her. She needs food and rest, not you breathing down her neck.’
Kyor’s teeth grind together. ‘Iamtaking care of her. The way she actually needs. This has nothing to do with you. How about you leave the people withactualpowers to discuss what Rose needs.’
My temper spikes. What I need is some men in my life who don’t talk about me as if I’m not there and let me make my own fucking decisions.
‘She needs to eat,’ Ruben repeats.
‘What she needs is?—’
I don’t hear what Kyor’s suggestion is. Instead, a loud growl rattles from my throat,and I throw my hand out. Ice coats everything in a ten-foot radius as bubbling anger and resentment roar through me. It is pouring from me, and I can’t make it stop.
Kyor’s fingers touch my wrist.
‘Take a deep breath, Thorn,’ he instructs in that silky voice of his. ‘In and out. Low and slow. Just like that,’ he says as I do as he suggests.
Slowly, the ice stops.
He pulls his fingers from my skin, and my flesh instantly misses his.
‘Thanks,’ I croak.
He offers me a small smile. ‘I know you, Rose Kultavaris.’
And damn him for that.
I take a few more deep breaths, and then I turn to the men, mostly to check that I haven’t frozen them too, but what I find is even more shocking. Ruben and Kyor are standing there, eyes glinting, grinning at one another like co-conspirators.
‘Yup, it’s definitely anger that makes her let loose,’ Ruben notes.
My mouth hangs open. ‘Oh fuck off! Did you two actually just work together to deliberately piss me off?’
‘Needs must.’ Kyor shrugs. ‘You know I’d do anything to help you.’ He smiles at me. ‘Proud of you, Thorn.’ He looks away, his eyes going distant. ‘Elska is calling. I have to go.’ He walks off and willingly leaves me alone with Ruben.
Ruben waits until Kyor is out of sight. ‘I get you were out of my league before, Rosey, but this power’s incredible. You know that, right? If I had just a hint of it …’ I hear the wistfulness in his tone, the naïve belief that having magic and power are all you need to fix things in your world.
I thought that once too. But now I have more power than I ever dreamed possible, and my world is still broken.
‘Trust me, if I could take some of my magic and give it to you, I would.’
I don’t say it just to appease him – it’s true. If I could take even a jot of the power I have and transfer it to him, I would. I would pour it straight into him.
My stomach grumbles. ‘Come on, let’s go get something to eat … unless that was pure fabrication on your part?’
He laughs. ‘No, that was real. The food is ready.’
I place my hand on his shoulder, my thoughts still focused on the desire to shift the magic into him, and it feels like something unhooks in my chest. Like a latch giving way. Ruben abruptly jumps away from me, shifting my hand from him.
‘Rose … you’re doing that, right?’ His voice is questioning and I see why. The ice that coated the ground moments ago is visibly melting, rapidly disappearing before our eyes. ‘Rose?’
As he turns and looks at me, I step back. ‘I … I’m not sure? I don’t think so, but my magic …’ I can feel something flowing through me. Something new. Unworldly. ‘I don’t know,’ I admit.
