“You don’t talk much,” he says as he circles around me. I cringe when he trails his hand lightly across my shoulder. “That’s fine. It’s probably better that way.” Pretty face. Nice body. Lots of magic. She’ll definitely do.
“What do you want?” I hesitantly ask him.
“Wouldn’t you like to know, darling.” Why is everyone always calling me darling? “Because it suits you.”
“You can read my mind,” I state. It’s not a question. I know he’s powerful, so it shouldn’t surprise me he has that ability too.
“Oh, I’m more powerful than even you can imagine.” He stops in front of me. “You have a lot of magic in you too. I can understand why the Gadramicks have been having a difficult time with you, but you don’t have enough. You don’t stand a chance against me.”
“The Gadramicks? It sounds like you’re not a part of them.”
He takes a step forward and grabs the end of my hair. I bite my lip to keep from saying anything, but now that I know that he can read my thoughts, the idea seems pointless. “I’m not, darling. They’re weak. All of them. Those of us with power aren’t meant to work amongst others. We’re meant to rule over them.”
“We’re not meant to rule over anyone, Zahtri.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
“No, that’s where you’re wrong.” I grab my hair and pull it away from him. He easily lets it go. His amusement crashes into me. I don’t want to be amusing. I need to change my approach here.
“That won’t work.”
“Stop reading my mind!” I yell at him. Yelling at this man probably isn’t a good idea, but I can’t help it. All the anger in this compound is starting to affect me.
“You’re able to read my mind. If you wouldn’t suppress your magic as much, you’d be much stronger. I know that you recently started unleashing more and more magic, but it’s still not enough. I’ve seen your blood results. You’re magic is embedded in your blood. Only you can release it.”
“I’ve already done that.”
“You didn’t release it all. You have to dig deeper than that. Break down those barriers you’ve erected. You’re a vessel for magic, but you’re too afraid to use it—to harness it. That’s your weakness. If you embraced your magic, you’d be able to stand up to me instead of cowering in front of me.”
“Cowering in front of you? I’ve been stuck in this compound for days. I couldn’t leave my cell for fear of being attacked. I had to have a body guard walk me to the bathroom. I’ve been bombarded with everyone’s emotions. Do you know what that’s like? To have hundreds of people’s anger and hatred move through your body? How would you react to that?”
“I didn’t say you weren’t strong. I can see the strength in you. I’m just saying you’re not strong enough.”
I narrow my eyes and look up at him. A little on the short side though.
“Why are you judging me?” I place my hands on my hips and glare at him. “What are you planning?”
Ahh, Dravin mentioned that she was smart. Zahtri takes another step toward me. My eyes flicker around the room. The only thing that could be used as a weapon is a stinking candle. “You won’t find anything in here. I don’t believe in using weapons.”
Neither do I. It’s easier to use magic.
“See, we do have something in common,” Zahtri says. “I like you, Ryanne, so this can go one of two ways. Tonight, is going to be my big unveiling. It’s time to step into the spotlight.” He stops in front of me and smiles. “Now, the first scenario is that you come with me and stand by my side. We can work together and be unstoppable. No one would dare to go against us. You won’t like the second one as much.”
“I don’t like the first one.”
“Then, you’ll hate this one. The other one is that I bring you in front of all the Gadramicks and kill you. Once they see you dead, they’ll follow me. You’ve been a nuisance to them. You’re the only person standing in their way. Dravin’s been building up your ruthless reputation. If they were to watch your die on stage…they’d instantly pledge their allegiance to me. I took out their biggest threat.”
“Is there a third option?”
“No. Now you can pick or I’ll pick for you. You have potential, so I’d rather not kill you.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet of you.”
“But I will if it comes to it. You’re small. Like you said earlier, I could snap you like a twig.”