I’m acutely aware of Bastien crossing the clearing, his steps strong and confident. I used to love that about him, but right now it’s driving me mad. I hold out my hand and he stops less than ten feet away. “Please. I can’t…”
From upside down, I see him raise his hands in surrender. I suck in another breath and count to ten. It doesn’t help so I hold out for a full twenty count before I release my breath.
“Does she always do this?” Bastien asks.
“Never seen this before,” Eamon responds.
I rise back up, my ponytail whipping past my vision as I take my time to glare at both of them. “I’m standing right here.”
Bastien’s eyes narrow, but he says nothing. Eamon starts to protest but cuts off when I shoot him a withering glare. “I want answers and I want them right now.” I plant my hands on my hips, widening my stance in attempt to keep my knees from quaking. My control of my powers is tremulous right now. Ripples of energy vine down my arms in waves, sparking over my clothes.
“Illyria…” Bastien reaches out his hand toward me but draws it back.
“Start talking, Eamon.” My fists clench tightly against my hips, my nails carving deep ruts into my palms. I can feel the warmth of the blood that spills around my nails, seeping between my fingers, but I don’t release my grip. I can’t. Not until I have myself under control.
Eamon clears his throat and I try to focus on his face. He is paler than usual, making the ruddy tint to his cheeks all the more prominent. “Kyan hinted that someone from Bastien’s base would be coming to collect you. I swear I didn’t know he would come himself.”
“Of course you did,” Bastien growls. I can feel the pent-up anger writhing beneath his calm exterior. Perhaps he isn’t as amused as I first thought. “Do you really think I would entrust her safety to anyone else?”
Eamon kicks at the ground, obviously less than thrilled to be put on the spot. “I didn’t think––”
“Exactly,” I roar, leaping into the middle of their conversation. “You didn’t think.”
A strong gust whips my hair against my neck. A second sends a flurry of icicles lancing toward the ground. “Illyria?” Bastien shifts.
“I’m on it.” I grit my teeth and take another round of calming breaths. It helps, minimally, but I’m still ticked at Eamon’s deception. Bastien is right. He should’ve known.
I try to focus on things other than the frustrations simmering within. Like the fact that Bastien’s hair has been cut short and spiked up at the front. Why didn’t I notice that when he saved me back at Drakon’s hideout? I liked him better with longer hair.
Another stark change is his eyes, deep sapphire and filled with emotion. The dull, lifelessness of them has haunted my dreams for months. The day I chose Eamon over him, the glow was drawn from his gaze. It hurts now knowing I’m not the reason for bringing that life back to him.
A new scar runs down the hollow of his cheek, still bearing the reddened signs of new flesh. Another faded scar appears over his right eye, a few shades lighter than the warm tone of his skin. He is bathed in a bronze glow that speaks of hours spent in the sun.
Gone is the boy who swept me off my feet not so long ago, showering me with kisses that could’ve melted the ice caps. Standing before me now, I see a battle hardened man who seems a bit too adept at keeping his thoughts in check.
As the winds die back down, Bastien releases a breath I hadn’t known he was holding. His hand shifts away from his side and I realize with a start that he had been reaching for a stun gun.
“You would have shot her?” Eamon rages, surging past me to face off with Bastien, whose gaze never leaves mine.
“I remember what happened the last time she lost control.” Finally, he shifts to look at Eamon. “Have you forgotten?”
“Of course not. I seem to remember you were the exact reason she nearly wiped Thalar off the map.”
“Exactly,” Bastien growls, rising to his full height. “Which is exactly why you should have warned her ahead of time.”
Ice and fire go toe to toe yet again. I hold my breath, silently pleading for an end. I can’t do this again. I just can’t!
“Enough!” Both men turn to look at me, then shift their gaze beyond me. I look to my left and groan, realizing when I threw out my arms, I also tore the trees on either side of me up from the ground by their roots. “Oh, for goodness sake,” I grumble and chuck the maple trees aside as if they were mere sticks instead of hundred-year-old timbers.
“You two bickering like the old days isn’t going to solve this. Bastien is here to take me back to his base and I’m ready to leave.”