Page 36 of Rising Out of the Darkness (Divine Guardians Duology #1)

Elena

A fter making a sizable dent in my breakfast, I tugged on my training leathers and boots and made my way out of the castle.

Tossing my hair into a quick braid as I sauntered through the halls, I couldn’t help but feel gazes on me.

A few guards watched me with stern expressions, clutching the hilt of their swords.

Servants paused their work to bow, bursting into whispers after I passed.

By the time I approached the back doors of the castle, I let out a small sigh of relief.

Tying a leather band around the end of my braid, I shoved the doors open, stepping into the morning light.

The sun was finally rising, setting the sky ablaze with color.

Shades of yellows, vibrant oranges and crimsons were painted across the sky.

It appeared the gods had decided to spend their morning using it as their canvas.

A cool breeze whipped across my face, tickling my nose with the salty smell of the sea.

Waves hummed back and forth beneath the cliff.

Everything about this moment felt peaceful, a welcomed change from the stressful events I’d endured recently.

Surprisingly, there was no sign of Declan yet. I made my way over to the cliff and lowered myself down to dangle my feet off the edge. Time seemed to fade away as I lost myself in the serene view around me.

A few moments later, a deep voice cleared its throat behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and took in the exquisite man who towered above me.

“Why am I not surprised to find you here, dangling inches away from your death?” Declan huffed, notably quite a few paces behind me.

“Well, if you’re so worried about me falling to my doom, perhaps you should come sit beside me?” I patted the smooth edge of the ground beside me.

The lines creased between his eyebrows as he shook his head. “I’m perfectly fine enjoying the view from here,” he said sternly.

Could I have just discovered something that the Lord of Shadows is afraid of?

“You’re afraid of heights, aren’t you?” I turned my head back towards the horizon to hide my smirk.

All I heard was a grumble from behind me, leaving me to chuckle inwardly at his refusal to answer.

“Come on, we have much to do today.”

I scoffed and gave one more longing look at the picturesque view in front of me before shuffling to my feet.

As I stood, some of the rock gave way. Panicking, I released a shriek as my arms waved through the air.

In seconds, something caught me and whipped me back towards the grass, tossing me several feet away from the edge of the cliff.

It happened so fast that I hadn’t even realized that Declan’s shadows had pulled me away from the edge. As the shadows slithered their way back towards their prince, I stood up with a laugh, dusting myself off. “Well, thank you for?—”

“Dammit, Elena!” He stalked towards me.

“I—I’m sorry, I—” My voice cracked as Declan grabbed me by the shoulders.

His harsh tone radiated through me. “Why do you keep putting yourself into these positions? Stop being so naive and start using your brain. What if I hadn’t been here to save you?”

The words hit me like a slap in the face. Back once more was the frustrating, hot-headed Shadow Lord.

“Get off of me!” I shoved my way out of his grip.

The beats of my heart became erratic, as though it was about to leap straight out of my chest. We both stood glaring at each other, no sounds but the crashing waves from below. Damn him for calling me naive.

If my memory served me well, I seemed to remember that not too long ago that same naive woman had saved his life.

He had struck a nerve far deeper than he would ever know.

No matter how much I fought to be strong and independent, somehow, I always ended up needing saving—an ever-present reminder that I was a failure.

Anger surged within me, calling forth my prickling dynamis.

“You’re mad at me? Good. Maybe now you’ll take your training seriously.” He stormed off towards what looked like stairs that led down to the beach.

Fuming, I paced back and forth until I felt the prickle of my dynamis crawl back to its depths.

Begrudgingly, I forced my legs to follow him.

He might be the worst person alive right now, but I needed to learn how to tame the unstable swell of this power within me.

Swallowing my pride, I made my way down the stairs and traversed the sand to the now seated prince.

“Sit,” he said a little more calmly, but there was no denying it was still an order.

Tiptoeing around him, I sat cross-legged in the warm sand across from him. My eyes roamed over him. Eyes closed, legs crossed in front of him, palms resting on each thigh. Meditating.

Wonderful . How was I supposed to fall into a state of calm in the presence of this man? Letting out a grumble, I rolled my neck, releasing the pressure forming beneath. I closed my eyes, gathering all my teachings from Bri, and began to chant my mantra inside my head.

I am the light. No darkness can bind me. I have it within me to hold and to guide me.

Repeating it over and over, I tried to force my body to fall into a peaceful state.

However, my mind began to wander, a usual occurrence whenever I tried to meditate.

Brietta had tried for years to use meditation to help me with my anxiousness and I’d mimed the part of calm well.

I never had the courage to tell her the truth—that during all our times of meditation, I never actually reached a state of peace.

Instead, I thought of new recipes for healing elixirs, plants that needed tending in the garden, what I was going to make for dinner, or the last chapters I had just read in my book.

Half of the time my anxiousness faded away not from the meditation, but from me being bored to death from sitting with my own thoughts for hours. The memory roused a smile, just as something slapped me across my right cheek. My eyes flashed open as I searched for the culprit behind the attack.

Nothing sat before me but the Shadow Lord. A smug smile had formed on his face. I looked behind me, only to find no one near us at all. Frustrated, I rubbed my cheek, closed my eyes and attempted to meditate once more.

Just as I began my mantra again, something tugged on my braid, forcing my eyes wide open.

“What the?—”

“Is something wrong?” Declan interrupted before I could finish my string of curses. I glared at him, hoping he could still feel it while his eyes remained shut. His body was still, except for his raised eyebrow.

“Why do I feel like you have a hand in whatever is going on here?” I replied bluntly.

His eyes rolled open. “What are you trying to insinuate, Wildfire?”

A frustrated snarl passed through my clenched teeth. “You’re telling me you know nothing about whatever slapped me across my face, then pulled on my braid?”

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. I thought you’ve had extensive training in meditation, Elena. Perhaps I should have started with something a little easier for you.” He gave a devious smile before he shut his eyes again, ending the conversation.

My body trembled with rage. Just who does he think he is ? Growling as I bit my lip, I tried to coax away the anger that was stirring the dynamis beneath my skin. Every part of me wanted to prove Declan wrong. Show him that I wasn’t that naive little woman who needed protecting.

Shoving down my rage, I blew out a breath and forced my eyes shut. Rubbing my forehead, I resumed my mantra. Eventually, everything faded back to normal, causing me to question whether I had made up those events in my mind this whole time or not.

Until I was hit with a barrage of attacks from all sides. I opened my eyes, but not fast enough, as I was shoved face first into the smooth sand in front of me.

Sand filled my mouth as I snarled into it. Digging my fingers into it, I shoved my body up, spitting the sand out as I went. Sitting back on my knees, I wiped away the rest of the sand so I could look upon my opponent. Whoever had just done this was about to come face to face with my wrath.

My head swung from side to side until I realized there was nothing but an empty shore in front of me. Where had he gone? My heart was racing as I spun around.

A little too late, again. Freezing water splashed my face, drenching me. A roar of laughter spewed from a few paces in front of me. The dynamis within me sizzled back to the surface and I swore steam emanated from my skin where the residual water resided.

Suddenly, my entire body became swollen with power. It felt as if I might spontaneously combust if I didn’t release it soon. The taste of metal hit my tongue as I bit my lip to distract from the increasing pain of my dynamis.

“HOW DARE YOU, DECLAN STALLARD!” My hands curled so tightly in fists that my nails were biting the skin of my palms.

“That’s it, Wildfire. Glad to see you finally joined the fun.” He shot out a blast of his shadows, aiming straight for my legs.

The shadows swept underneath the back of my legs, launching me onto my ass. My dynamis pulsed in tune with the rapid beats of my heart, begging me to release it into the world. It was time for Declan Stallard to learn a lesson or two.

We circled each other. Our eyes blazed with so much intensity it was predatory, both of us intrigued to see who would be the first one to strike.

“Meditation is one way to find the dynamis within you, Elena. However, you won’t be able to stop and meditate to call it forth when you need it,” he said as we continued to circle each other.

Whips of shadows taunted me as I dove around them while still trying to hold my stance.

“You need to learn how to pull from your dynamis, no matter what’s happening around you.

Whether you’re in the middle of a sword fight or struggling against the hold of an assailant, you need to be on the ready. ”