Chapter 16 The Taste of Power
Sienna's heart raced as she stood in the dimly lit hallway of the old stone structure. She could feel the curse's weight on her, like an invisible storm cloud that never really went away. As she proceeded toward the chambers, her fingers brushed against the cool, smooth walls. The sound of her footsteps echoed with the low murmur of voices far away. The Council was meeting tonight, but Ryder, her mind was on something else. She had learned the hard way that power had a sickeningly sweet and coppery taste that stayed on her tongue long after it left her lips.
The last time she saw him, the smell of it was still in the air as he broke out of his bindings and almost tore her apart. She couldn't stop thinking about him now. She couldn't quite put her finger on what Ryder was. Dangerously dark, gloomy, and magnetic. And tonight, she would see him again. But this time, the air felt different, and it made me uneasy. She paused in front of the door to his cell and thought for a moment. She could hear his heavy breathing from the other side, and the air become thicker with strain.
A dark cloud seemed to be gathering over him, holding on to the space between them like the calm before a storm. Her hand was cold against the metal as she grabbed for the door handle. But as soon as her fingertips touched the door, it swung open, and the strong smell of wolfsbane hit her. It hurt her throat and made her nostrils sting like a bad memory. Ryder's eyes met hers, and for a second that felt like the whole world held its breath. "Why are you here?" His voice was rough and had a strong edge that made her knees want to give out. She wouldn't exhibit any weakness, though. Not in front of him.
"I came to visit you," she continued, her voice calm, but it sounded like the words had been pulled out of her throat. She felt her heart race as she moved forward. He shook his head and let out a sour laugh. "You shouldn't have come." Not right now. "Not when..." His eyes turned black for a second, and he lost control. His humanity faded into something deeper. The curse had a hold on him. She could see the dark veins of power coursing through his flesh, twisting and swirling like they were alive.
It was the same curse that had broken his soul and turned him into a monster and a man. It was something she could feel and even taste, as if it had been in the air they breathed. Sienna moved closer, and the strong smell of wolfsbane filled the air. She felt like she was about to throw up, but she forced herself to stay where she was. Ryder's eyes were riveted on hers, and for a brief time, she felt the pull of something, something deadly, something basic. It was a profound, unending yearning that might take over her whole body. She muttered,
"I'm not afraid of you," and she could not recognize her own voice. It was softer than she had planned, more of a confession than a statement. Ryder's lips twisted into a smirk, but it wasn't funny. He never took his eyes off of hers. "You should be," he added in a low voice that sounded more like a snarl. Then, all of a sudden, the power that had been building up underneath the surface burst out. It moved forward with such force that Sienna fell back, her chest squeezing as the energy swirled around her like a fatal storm. She tried to protect herself by raising her hands, but the power was too powerful and too much.
The curse's force pulled at her, making her eyesight blurry and taking her life away. She gasped and shook as the darkness got closer. It seemed like she was drowning, like an unseen force was pulling her whole being away, and she couldn't do anything to stop it. Ryder's eyes were black and had no human quality at all. Sienna felt like she was losing control and her legs were giving out. The force that flowed through her was like nothing she had ever felt before: raw, out of control, and crushing.
"Stop," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She stretched out to him, but the curse pulled her away. The power between them crackled with an almost physical fire. But Ryder's face stayed the same. He stayed there, as if he were watching her slowly come apart, as if the power he had wasn't enough to really hurt her. The curse was still in charge, and it brought with it the taste of power, something old and scary. Then, almost as swiftly as it started, the whirlwind of energy went away. Ryder's eyes went back to normal, but they were clouded by something darker than before. He staggered back, groaning in pain as he fell against the wall.
The curse was clearly taking its toll on his body, which was shaking. Sienna was on her knees, panting for oxygen. Her chest rose and fell with each desperate breath. The force that had almost ripped her apart was still in the air, heavy and oppressive. Ryder looked at her for a second, and there was something almost... sorry in his eyes. "I told you," he said, his voice rough. "You shouldn't have come here." She didn't answer, even though she knew it was too late. She had already gone too far to go back. Ryder wasn't simply a guy; he was a weapon, a vehicle for something much more lethal than she had ever thought possible.
And now she was stuck behind it. Sienna sprang up, her legs shaking and her mind racing. The taste of power stayed on her tongue, and the sour aftertaste burned into her psyche. She didn't know how she had made it through, but she had. And she knew deep down that this was just the beginning.