Page 15 of A Tempest of Intrigue (Tempest of Shadows #4)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Ellery

I found Scarlet in the barn with her father. While I planned to tell her family about my lightning-bearer ability, I had to talk to her first. She’d been my best friend since we were babies; I owed that to her.

Her family knew I’d planned to help free the prisoners last night. Scarlet and I had kept my identity as the Hooded Robber, and her hand in helping me, secret from them before. Once they learned the truth, there was no reason to keep our other plans from them.

I trusted them with my life and would trust them with this secret, but I still couldn’t tell them everything. I wasn’t ready for that, and Ryker didn’t want to reveal that I could control all five weathers yet.

Truth be told, neither did I. I’d kept my secrets for years, and now everyone in the realm knew a female lightning bearer existed. They may not know my identity yet, but they knew I existed.

It was all happening too fast, and I needed time to adjust. When the time came to reveal more, I would like to be better prepared than I was last night.

After I asked Scarlet to walk with me, we left the barn to stroll toward the crops ready for harvesting. Their harvesting was a project for another day… if we made it that far.

“How did things go last night?” Scarlet asked as we entered the cornfield.

“Good and bad.”

“What happened?”

While we walked, I told her everything about last night. When I got to the part about unleashing my lightning to save the others, she stopped in the middle of a row to stare at me with her mouth ajar.

“ What did you say?” she asked in a husky voice.

I took a deep breath and gulped before repeating my words. “I unleashed my lightning on the guards.”

Her mouth fell further open, closed, and dropped again. “How? I… I… I don’t understand.”

“I’m a lightning bearer.”

“Since when ?”

I braced for what would come once she realized I’d kept this secret for years. “Since I was eleven.”

I hadn’t believed it was possible for Scarlet to look more stunned than she already did, but she stepped back as she gawked at me. “Since you were eleven ?”

“Yes, that’s when my ability manifested.”

“Huh? Wait! You’ve known for years and never told me?”

Her disbelief was rapidly turning to hurt as she looked at me like I’d stabbed her in the heart. “It wasn’t that simple.”

“How wasn’t it that simple? I’ve told you everything over the years… everything ! I don’t have any secrets from you.”

“My parents told me not to tell anyone else.”

She didn’t look at all appeased by my words. “And how many things have we kept from our parents over the years? I robbed carriages with you without ever letting my parents know!”

“I’m sorry. I really am.”

Her dismay shifted toward anger. “Who else knows?”

“All of Tucker’s followers know. After what happened last night, there was no way to keep it from them.”

“So, a bunch of strangers knew about this before me ?”

“This wasn’t the way I wanted it to come out. I would have preferred to keep my ability hidden and to tell you about it first, but I had to save them.”

Scarlet rested her hand against her forehead and closed her eyes. “I can’t believe this.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I was scared of what would happen when others found out, and so were my parents. Now that they know a female lightning bearer exists, the aristocrats and Ivan will come after me with everything they have. They would have taken me away if they’d somehow learned about this while I was a child.”

When she lifted her head, her eyes narrowed on me. “I never would have told anyone about this.”

“I know, Scarlet. I trust you with my life. I trusted you with the knowledge of the Hooded Robber, and I trust you with this, but there was no reason to put you at risk by burdening you with this knowledge when you didn’t have to be. And I’m scared of my ability and what will happen to me if they learn I’m the lightning bearer and capture me.”

Some of her ire faded as sympathy shone through. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been living with. I’m frightened for you, but it hurts that you kept this from me.”

“I know.”

When she gave me a tremulous smile, some of my tension eased. She was still upset, but we would get past this.

“Ryker must have almost shit himself when he saw what you could do,” she said.

I shifted uneasily; I’d also have to tell her the truth. “He already knew.”

The look of betrayal that descended over her face caused my heart to sink.