The Rising Power

The Rising Power
Chapter 24

The Rising Power

The forest was quiet that morning, but quietness did not soothe me. It was oppressive, like a tangible force. Every crunch of leaves, every trill of a bird's song reverberated more sharply, almost unbearable. My skin was bristled, as if flames seethed beneath it, coursing through my veins.

I had known it previously — in battle, when the rogues attacked. At such times, anger summoned something out of me, something wild and untrained. But after the blood oath, that energy became restless, clawing at me even when I was not in battle. It whispered, begged to be unleashed. And I feared it.

Ronan and Adrian were a pace or two behind, giving me time to catch my breath. They'd had a row only moments earlier — yet again — over how to train me.

"She's pushing too hard," Ronan explained, his voice calm but firm. "If she loses control, it won't be Kael she'll destroy — it'll be us."

Adrian sneered, his feet shoulder-width apart, arms crossed. "And if she fails to master it, Kael will destroy her anyway. Wiser she learns what she is capable of now than later. Power isn't cowed and controlled, Ronan. It's seized by will."

Their words clashed like swords, but the only sound I could hear was the rumble in my own heart. I shut my eyes, digging my nails into the palms of my hands, cursing to myself, Steady… steady…

But the whispers came no matter what.

You are weak… you are hesitant… you cannot win like this.

The voice was not mine. Cold, crisp, almost familiar. Sometimes it was Kael. Sometimes. my father. The confusion tore at me.

"I'm ready," I labored out, though my voice trembled.

Ronan crept closer, his eyes never leaving mine. "Selene—"

"I said I'm ready," I cut him off.

Adrian smiled weakly, gratified. "Good. Then show us."

He launched a training blade in my direction. I caught it, but the metal burned against my palm like it was aware of the blaze within me. Ronan stalked around, cautious, and Adrian stood over to one side with his arms folded, ready to see what happened to me.

We began.

Ronan's punches were measured, deliberate — not to harm me, but to test me. I parried, swung back, dodged. Each movement heavier, each breath louder. The fire in me flared, fuelled by each tide of rage.

And then, in an instant, Ronan brought me down. My sword flew from my hand and stuck in the ground.

I lost it.

Power flowed through me, unbidden. My hands pulsed with a gentle light, white-hot sparks dancing over my skin. My eyes spun. The voices increased in volume.

Strike him down. Show him you are not weak.

"Selene!" Ronan's voice broke in, shocked.

I swung by mistake. My fiery light hand flicked towards his chest. His eyes went wide, but he didn't stir. He didn't even lift a hand to protect himself. He just regarded me — steady, calm, accepting.

At the last possible moment, I drew back, the power radiating into the ground instead. The earth cracked, dirt flying, the power knocking Ronan off his feet. He crashed down, coughing, the air around us rippling with heat.

I was frozen where I stood. My hands were trembling. My body was convulsing wildly.

"I—I didn't mean—" My voice cracked. "Ronan, I'm sorry, I didn't—

He hauled himself up with slow effort, his chest heaving with struggle. But his eyes were serene, no blame, no fury. "It's all right. You stopped yourself."

Stopped myself? No — I hadn't. I had nearly killed him. If I had delayed even a breath longer…

I was replaying the what-ifs in my head before I could fall into deeper spirals, and Adrian's voice sliced through them, cold and uncompromising.

"Don't apologize."

I shifted toward him, amazed. "What?"

Don't apologize for being powerful," he said, stepping toward me. His eyes burned with intensity. "That power is yours. You think Kael will baby you because you're scared of it? No. He'll play with it. Spin it. The only way to kill him is to wield it without fear. To own it completely."

I shook my head vigorously. "You didn't see—I could've killed Ronan!"

"And you should have," Adrian snapped.

The words hit me like a knife. Ronan stiffened, his jaw locked.

"She's not a tool to be unleashed," Ronan said, his voice steel. "She's a person. She's Selene. And if she gets consumed in that fire, she won't be fighting Kael — she'll become him."

Adrian snarled, pushing forward until they were well-nose to nose. "And if she clings to fear, she'll die before she ever even gets a chance. Do you want her to turn out like her father? Broken? Dead?"

"Enough!" I thundered, shaking. The sparks from my fingers had been burned away, but the fires in my chest raged hotter than ever.

They fell silent, both of them staring at me. I breathed in gasps as I struggled to wring the words out. "I am not your tool. I am not your cause. I am Selene. And if you both think that you can decide for me how I will fight, then you are wrong. I'll decide. I'll use this fire — my way."

Silence hung in the air. The forest fell silent on either side of us. Ronan's eyes relaxed with a something that resembled pride. Adrian's jaw flexed, but he gave one jerky nod.

I turned away, too embarrassed to meet their stares, and into the trees. I needed space. I needed air. The whispering went on, clawing at my head.

You are mine… you can never leave me…

I put my hands over my ears, but that didn't help. The voice grew in power, in clarity, until exhaustion finally pulled me into restless sleep.

—

That night, the dream came.

I was standing in a vast blackness, the air thick with the acrid smell of ash and smoke. A figure towered above me — tall, broad-shouldered, molten-metal eyes.

Kael.

He smiled, cold and familiar, and drew near. His presence crowded the air, thick, overwhelming.

"You run," he breathed. "You hide. But you can't escape what you are."

My gasp caught. "You're not real."

He chuckled, the sound low and malevolent. "I am in your blood, Selene. In your flame. All of your fire that you wield answers to me, whether you like it or not."

I shook my head, stepping back. "You don't own me."

His grin expanded, blade-sharp. He leaned over, his breath hot on my ear.

"You are mine. Even now."

Pain seared my flesh. I gasped, grabbing my arm close to me. A burning bruise crept over it, fiery red-hot like a brand. His brand.

I screamed—

—and jerked awake, soaked in sweat. My arm was tingling, still displaying the white-hot mark etched into my skin.

Kael knew.

Kael had touched me, even from a distance.

The whispers weren't in my head.

He was in me.