Page 116 of Dhampira

The men shared another glance, their expressions grim. “Did you dream of the peddler?” Lorcan asked finally.

My blood froze. “Yes.”

He cursed, and his mouth tightened as he shoved a hand though his hair. “I should have pieced it together sooner.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Delphine is right. Rasimir told me of the peddler’s cart, along with the tiara you touched. He must have pulled those images from your dreams.”

The ice in my veins burrowed deeper. “And you made me relive them on the riverbank the day I drained the merman.”

Lorcan didn’t flinch, but his tone softened as he said, “I did what was necessary, Corinthe, the way we all must do when we play this game. Your father’s crest doesn’t possess any inherent magic, but he obviously placed a spell on your headboard before you arrived. For now, you’re right to avoid the bed. If you dream of the Everless, it’ll be over for all three of us.”

A heavy silence fell, and an awkward heat squirmed through me at what Lorcan hadn’t said. Training with Lorcan and Vander wasn’t the only clandestine activity I needed to keep under wraps.

Sunlight gilded the vial between Vander’s fingers. “Do you think it’ll work?” I asked.

He removed the cork. “One way to find out.”

An hour later, triumph pumped through my veins as the rock in the center of the grass glowed bright blue.

Vander jumped up from the bench. “Fuck me, she did it!”

A short distance away, Lorcan unfolded his arms, a smile transforming his face.

“She did,” he murmured. He looked at me. “You did.”

The triumph soared, laro trembling on my tongue. It was so easy. Just a word. How had I never managed to say it before?

Power lingered on my lips. Turning back to the rock, I thrust out a hand.

Both men leaped forward. “No!”

“Laro!” I cried.

Blue light streaked from my fingertips and struck the rock. It exploded, pebbles and dust flying in every direction. Vander reached me first, throwing his arms around me and carrying me backward. The sound of rocks pelting his back flooded my ears.

“I’m sorry!” I said when he set me down. Squirming from his arms, I found Lorcan. “Are you all right?”

He spit dust from his mouth. “I’m fine. Ruvien charged the blood in the vials with elven magic. It’s potent, and it’s likely to build with each use until it burns out. You’re not used to wielding vors, especially those imbued with Veradorn’s power. You need to go slowly.” He paused. “You could have killed yourself channeling that much energy.”

Exasperation zipped through me. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“I underestimated your…” He looked at the center of the clearing, which was scorched black. “Zeal,” he finished.

“We should give her another vial,” Vander said.

Lorcan and I both jerked our heads toward him.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Absolutely not,” Lorcan said at the same time.

I swung back to him, a spike of irritation pulling my brows taut. “Why not?”

“Did you notice the rock you just obliterated?”

Excitement coursed through me as I looked at the burnt grass. I’d done it. I’d used a vor. All right, so maybe it wasn’t the real thing, but I’d worked magic. It was better than nothing.