“How do you know that’s his daughter?”
“Well, apart from just looking at her…” He glanced at me again, silently asking, and I nodded. “I believe she has his magic.”
The crowd went into an uproar of denial.
“That’s impossible!”
“King Vaelor was the Storm Bringer!”
“She cannot have that power.”
Ewan and Rogue both turned to me simultaneously. The blood drained from my face as I realized they wanted me to demonstrate.
My mouth went dry. There were too many eyes. Too many expectations. Too much weight on my ability to control any part of my magic.
I can’t control it. I never have.
I lifted a shaky hand, staring at it, begging it to do something—sparks, electricity, lightning, anything. But when nothing happened, the crowd began shouting again.
“She isnothis daughter.”
“This is no Storm Bringer.”
“A pathetic attempt to trick us.”
My heart raced as sweat formed along my spine. It was too loud. Too many eyes on me. I couldn’t focus.
I squeezed my eyes shut and Rogue grabbed my hand, rubbing his thumb along the back of it. Raising my eyes to his, he nodded in encouragement.
I took a shaky breath and closed my eyes, blocking out the roar of the crowd.
Ravaryn needs this. I need this. For once, I will not let myself down.
But nothing happened. My hands trembled and I took another slow breath, inhaling the scent of men and mead—wishing it was the scent of rain instead.
For once, I need control.
And the realization hit me like a ton of bricks.
If I cannot control it, maybe it doesn’t want to be controlled. I knew I didn’t. I had spent my entire life strictly under the thumb of someone else and I had wilted under it. Maybe my magic needed what I needed…
Release.
Choice.
Freedom.
Help me, I silently pleaded to the power seething inside me. To the sky above. To the energy surrounding me. I jerked my hand from Rogue’s, snapping my eyes open, just as I felt the surge and accepted it. Accepted all of it.
Electricity lit my irises, sending energy racing down my spine and to my fingertips. I held my face to the sky, closing my eyes, reveling in it as blue sparks illuminated the room, bouncing from finger to finger.
From outside, lightning cracked and thunder rumbled, shaking the building. The crowd gasped and went silent, grabbing onto whatever was closest as the roar of pounding rain filled the room.
The energy moved through me. Filled me. Healed me. Closed the gaps in my soul.
Finally.
Finally, we were one.