“That he has my back. Nothing to worry about.”
Tharion snorted, loudly, making Evie narrow her eyes at me. “It didn’t sound like that to me.”
“Don’t pay him any attention,” Imogen interjected. “When it comes down to it, Tharion will make sure his prince is safe.”
“He will,” I assured. Shutting up Evie’s doubts with one last kiss, I looked past her and nodded to the others. “I’ll meet you guys later. Take good care of my future queen.”
Evie rolled her eyes, but the guys chuckled, clearing a path for her to pass. My gaze met Kingston’s, finding… appreciation there. He respected the fact that I was not placing a woman we both loved in danger unnecessarily.
“Can we talk later?” I asked, hating the fact that I still hadn’t been able to make things right about dating Evie behind everyone’s backs.
The chief offered me a single nod. “Later.” With a bow of his head, he flanked Evanna, taking her to Willow’s side by the door.
“Finally!” a spirited Willow huffed. “I have been waiting for you to return for hours! We have so much to do. You need to attend crown and dress fittings; we must meet with the newly appointed ladies, and I need to show you all the final details for the ceremony next week. I believe—”
Her voice drifted way as she began to walk ahead of them into the castle, and Evie sent one last glance at me that screamed she would rather be out here with me and the Dragons than dealing with royal bureaucracy.
“I’ll meet you later, Prince.” Imogen bowed, walking after them.
I turned to face Tharion. “Where to now?”
An image immediately awoke in my mind, showing the sanctuary where Spartan had taken me and the Renascentiae Principis was performed. Its translation meant the Rebirth of the Prince, which made sense since I did feel like a new man after I went through it.
“Is he going to let me ride him, or do I need to take Athina with us?” The unexpected voice startled me, and I turned to find Asher standing just a few feet behind me. His apprehensive gaze was set on Tharion.
My brows knitted. “I need to do this alone—”
“Yeah, I heard you the first time. But as you say, ‘there is no way in hell’ I’m going to let my brother go out there alone to deal with such lethal magic. And with a Dragon who might very well let you burn your own ass just to teach you a lesson.”
Wheezed sounds left Tharion, and I glanced up to see his chest shaking. The asshat was laughing.
“I mean, you are not wrong.” I made a face while Asher grinned. “Can he come into the sanctuary with us?”
Without answering, Tharion began to lift into the air.
“I guess that means we are riding together,” I admitted. Giving enough space for us to run and mount Tharion mid-flight, Asher and I lunged for it.
When we settled onto his neck, Asher hissed, scrambling backwards. I turned to find him watching the scales between us—they were shimmering red.
“Tharion, stop it!” I scolded and felt his chuckles rumble under us. The heat instantly disappeared. “I guess mine is not the only ass he wants to burn to teach it a lesson.”
“Try again!” Asher encouraged from the other end of the large cavern while heated sweat dripped down my chest and back.
My arm lifted to wipe the drops sliding into my eyes and making them burn. The arm shield and gauntlets I had worn were long forgotten on the dirt-packed ground. With a nod, every single muscle in my body tensed, preparing to push out the energy as far as I could. My healing ability might be intuitive and easy flowing, yet my Devenish power was everything but that.
Focusing on the golden glow growing in my hands, I gritted my teeth as the intensity built within me. My head throbbed, my throat burned from thirst, my chest tightened until I could barely filter air, and each chord of magic felt like it was slicing my veins open. Yet, I pushed. With every ounce of energy that I had in me, I pushed, until I feared a baby might pop out of my ass.
“Aaargh!” The roar tore through my being, burning its way out while the sphere of golden power built between my hands, and still, I forced myself to push with all my might.
“Good! Now hold it, hold it…” Asher encouraged, his voice echoing in the enormity of the space.
Trembling took hold of my upper body as I held on to the sphere I’d created; its magic too volatile to safely maintain. It felt like I was trying to contain the sun itself within my grasp, its heat licking my skin as though it wanted to carve its way through me. Silvery black scales danced up my arms as the sphere grew, protecting me from my own power, which I was grateful for because Tharion had checked out long ago.
At the moment, he lay down by the entrance of the sanctuary, his eyes closed. A small rumbling noise suddenly came out of him. Snoring.
WTF. Was he actually sleeping?!
Concentrate. My mind interjected, reminding me of the small craters my prior attempts had left through the cave. The evidence of my failure.
“Concentrate!” Asher echoed from the other end when I fell to my knees, struggling to keep the power between my shaking hands.
It was a simple ball born from my energy. That was all. I wasn’t trying to move mountains, only hold my magic in the form of a sphere, but even then, its force seemed stronger than anything I could ever hope to tame. It might as well be a supernova.
“Aaah!!!”
The scream scorched my vocal cords as something seemed to snap inside me, and the golden sphere escaped my grasp, shooting through the space like a cannonball. Pain blinded me, but it instantly took a back seat when the power exploded against a wall, sending splintered rock and debris towards Asher. Luckily, he was far enough away that he had time to get out of its path.
Glancing down, I caught my stomach turning red and purple… I had literally ripped my insides open from the effort.
“Are you alright?” Asher yelled from the other side, his voice echoing in the large cave.
“Yeah,” I croaked, putting one hand on the ground to hold me, and wrapping a shaking arm around my torso.
Closing my eyes, I took a slow, measured breath, flinching with the pain the action elicited. My healing soon stirred, coming to the surface while enhanced by my Devenish magic until the agony eased—only a dull ache left.
“It’s alright, Brother. You can always try again.” Asher’s voice was filled with sympathy and patience, one I didn’t think I had.
The internal injuries and bruising finally vanished, but my frustration grew. I was never going to beat Raithian like this, and I had to stop him. That was on me.
Fuck.
Fuck!
“FUCK!!” My fists slammed against the ground, a wave of anger that I didn’t recognize within myself releasing from my core. A hatred so deep that threatened to consume me, one that didn’t belong in my heart.
Except, what came out of me wasn’t a wave of emotion… It was raw power.
The ring of golden energy exploded out of me when my fists hit the earth, sweeping over the space, and taking everything in its path.
“Asher!” I called, eyes widening, but it was too late.
My magic crashed against him, sending him flying towards the jagged, rock wall behind him. Time seemed to stop as I jumped to my feet and shot towards him, only one thought rushing through my mind.