Kiss of Fire (Imdalind, #1)(86)

“Joclyn, don’t.” Talon’s voice was stern, and I stopped moving.

“Why not? I just... Can I put it back on?”

“No,” Ilyan said simply. “He may be possessing the necklace.”

“He?”

“Edmund.” Ilyan’s voice was like ice.

“So he knows now?”

“I’ll have to see the video to know for sure.”

I nodded, my eyes rolling back over to the pillow involuntarily.

“If he has, will you teach me how to block him from the necklace, from controlling me?”

“I can try; it’s probably going to be more difficult than you are assuming.”

“What do you mean?” My body sank into itself, folding me into a crumpled mass as the weight of everything kept falling over me.

“It’s like I said before, Joclyn; it involves magic you don’t understand yet.”

“But I can try?” I tried to fight the hopelessness of my inability. If only Ilyan had taught me something other than just how to fly.

“If anyone can figure out how to do it, I am sure it will be you.”

I nodded, but had no idea what he meant. I was sure it would involve some training that I had yet to receive, meaning the chance of getting my necklace back anytime soon would be slim to none.

“It’s queued up in your room, Ilyan.” Ovailia spoke from the doorway, making it obvious she did not want him to stay in here. Ilyan stood and dismissed her before walking over to stand next to me.

“May I borrow your necklace, Joclyn?”

I nodded and let him take it, although I did not move from my spot on the floor.

I just sat in silence, staring at the carpet where the impression in the plush pile still marked the place the necklace had landed. I could hear Wyn and Talon shift and whisper behind me, but I ignored them stubbornly.

So, I could speak to Ryland through the necklace; I could connect directly with him. While the possibilities were exciting, I couldn’t help worrying about the other half, about what Edmund could do to me.

I was only vaguely aware of the whispered conversation occurring between Wyn and Talon. Their voices were like chicken scratches in my head, blocking most of my thoughts. I wished they would just leave; I wanted to be alone. I wanted to yell, scream, and figure out how to make things explode. The buzzing under my skin had reached an all-time high, and I actually felt like it might be possible now.

Just as I was about to snap at them and demand privacy, the door opened and Ilyan charged in, necklace swinging before him.

“I can wear it?”

“Yes. I think Edmund just went on a whim with his comment. I can’t sense any consistent connection with Edmund; it’s all residual through your bond with Ryland.”

I took the necklace from him greedily, eager to put it back on.

“Just don’t purposefully push anymore of your magic into it, all right?”

“Why not?” I spoke in a panic; not allowing me to push magic into it was hindering any exploration, any contact with Ryland. My heart froze uncomfortably in my chest.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“How could I...?” I began to ask the question, but Ilyan just shook his head unwilling to give me an answer.

“I’m leaving,” he announced.

“What?” Talon and Wyn asked together.

“I will be back on Thursday, so everyone needs to keep preparing for Friday night.”

“Is everything okay?” Wyn asked quietly.

“I am not sure; I need to check on a few things. But don’t worry; I’ll be back soon.” He smiled sadly at us, his eyes lingering on me before turning to go out the door.

“Oh,” Ilyan added, his head peeking around the doorframe, “I’m terribly sorry, but Ovailia’s in charge.” He winked before disappearing and I felt my insides plummet. I wasn’t the only one.

“Great,” Wyn groaned, flinging herself back on my bed. “There goes my week.”





TwentyEight


“Again.”

I flinched at Ovailia’s voice. I had never really liked her, but now, I felt something akin to pure hatred toward her. I grumbled and flexed my fingers, hoping desperately that the magic I knew was hiding inside me would finally come out. It was no use, my body was already exhausted.

Ovailia had awakened me early yesterday morning, pleased at her chance to train me since Ilyan had left the night before. She dragged me unceremoniously out to the courtyard and demanded I begin producing the energy orbs that I had seen Ilyan and Cail create. At first, I was ecstatic for the opportunity to learn something useful, but it quickly became apparent that she was going to be a relentless teacher. Ilyan had been kind and patient, even going so far as to make the lessons into games so that I could learn more quickly. Ovailia though, Ovailia demanded instant satisfaction and results without even bothering to explain what she wanted me to do first.

To make matters worse, she insisted I keep the necklace on and work through the barrier before even learning the new tasks. I had worked hard all day yesterday to break through the blanket the necklace put over my magic. I was exhausted. I had struggled for hours without meals, only eating a small amount of stew before crashing into bed and falling asleep.

I had planned to wake up early and practice without the necklace on, so that, if anything, I would be able to at least know what I was doing before I had to try to break through the barrier again. My plan was foiled by a loud knock on the door before the skies had even begun to turn gray.