Page 102 of First Ritual

“S’okay,” I slurred.

Part of me tensed when I felt his inquiry at the gate of my third and blocked affinity. I’d expected a blast of some kind, but there was no drilling. No explosion. No black pouring down my throat.

He exhaled just after me and started working to the center of my magic for the third and last time.

When Wild reached the block, I felt it too.

“I can’t get past,” he murmured. “What can you sense?”

Looking inward, I frowned at the dam in my affinity. I’d known the block was there, but with Wild’s magic encasing the area, I could sense the outline and damage with ease. Using my apothecary affinity, I pressed at the barricade.

I’d never come across a barrier I couldn’t crack, but my own proved too strong.

“Use your battle affinity,” Wild urged. “It’s stronger.”

“Apothecary is my strongest affinity,” I replied.

He didn’t answer.

Eh, worth a try. Switching channels, I approached the block with my battle affinity and searched again.

I hummed at a tiny fissure. A fissure so tiny I wasn’t sure it was anything. “Maybe here. Ease back.”

I didn’t need to explain further. Wild pulled his magic away. Just slightly. I eased my battle magic in to surround the barricade in my divination channel.

Ever so gently, I pressed.

Boom.

Claws. Teeth. Black eyes. Agony.

On my back on the stone floor, I stared up at the cave’s ceiling.

“Tempest.” Wild kneeled beside me and slipped a hand under my neck.

I dragged in a breath, staring at the ceiling. “I’m okay.”

Claws. Teeth. Black eyes. Agony.

Wild forced me to look at him.

I couldn’t speak. There was a creature in my divination affinity. Was it the creature who killed my family?

My inhales came fast and shallow.

“What happened?” Wild pulled me into his arms.

She’d attacked me to protect her home inside me. There was something living in my body. In my magic. Fuck. What should I say?

I licked my lips. “I don’t know.”

The words hung in the air.

Wild searched my face. “You don’t remember any feeling or…”

He was suspicious. My pulse quickened. “Just anger. I’ll need to see if that fissure got bigger. Another time. I’m not doing that again before I’ve rested.”

Some of his frown eased, and excitement replaced suspicion. “Maybe the journeys to your past should wait until you use battle affinity to physically weaken the barrier to your divination magic. Your battle magic is so strong. This could be the answer.”