Only one way, really.
Inhaling deeply, I close my eyes and call the igni to return. At first, their music is tinkling and distant in my mind, then quickly growing rich and loud. Child-like laughter rings in my ears; my mouth quirks with a smile. Having them return is like welcoming an old friend home.
I raise my right palm to shoulder-height and open my eyes. In my mind I know Lincoln is near, but he seems blocked behind a white haze. The skin on my face cools; my irises glow bright blue. Igni materialize around my hand, appearing even faster this time than when I called them in my house. The tiny lightning bolts swirl about my palm before arcing to the ceiling in one great geyser. Once they hit the wooden rafters, the igni bounce and tumble to the floor like so many snowflakes, disappearing before they touch the ground.
I focus on Lincoln. When the haze around him clears, I find he’s standing a few yards away, his face still as stone. I meet his gaze. “Possible or not, I am the next Scala.”
“Myla, I—”
I raise both hands at him, palms forward. “No, I need to say something first. Now that my Scala powers are active, I have to go into hiding. I don’t know when I’ll resurface, if ever. Walker told me about all the things stacked up against us…How the Earl wants you to marry Adair. And I heard what you said to Kamal and Horus before. Unifying the lesser Houses? You’ve got enough to worry about without adding me to the list.” I hug my elbows. Here comes the yucky part. “What I’m saying is, if you want to see someone else, that’s okay with me.” I roll my eyes. What am I saying? “Not that we’re really dating in the first place.”
I’d face-palm myself if it didn’t make me look dumber. That was about the worst speech in the history of ever.
Lincoln’s face is unreadable. “May I ask a question?”
I pretend that it’s very important to check for dust on my ghoul robes. Anything not to look in his eyes at this point. “Sure.”
“Do you love me?”
Holy cow! I did not see that coming, at all. “Um, well, I…”
Fuuuuuuuuuck. I have no idea what to say right now.
“Alright, I’ll ask a different question.” His face stays still as stone. I have no idea what he’s thinking and damn, that’s annoying. “When did this happen?”
Okay, that question I know how to answer.
“It’s been happening for a while, but I didn’t know it. The ceremony at the Arena actually awakened me, not Adair. Then, I was angelbound last night when we—” I bite my lower lip.
Lincoln watches me for a long minute, then his mouth does something impossible: erupt into the biggest grin I’ve ever seen. He rushes toward me, wraps his arms around my waist, and pulls me against him. “That’s wonderful, Myla.”
Wait a minute.
I look at Lincoln out of my right eye. This is unbelievable. “So, you’re not worried about what I just said?”
“No. Should I be?”
Although it’s not in my best interest, I’m not dropping this point for some reason. “But I have to go into hiding. Who knows when I’ll resurface? Don’t you want to, you know, move on?”
He grips my waist tighter, spinning me around in a circle. I can’t help but laugh. He kisses me once, gently. “Of course, not. You’ve made me very happy.”
At those words, the light bulb in my brain clicks to ‘on.’
“You just heard blah-blah-blah ‘getting angelbound means Myla loves me like crazy’ blah-blah-blah. Am I right?”
“Yes.” We’re so close, I can feel his heart beat against my chest. “And I love you too, Myla. Like crazy.” His mouth brushes along my jawline. Desire churns through me. “Now you say it back to me.”
I stifle a grin. He can be such a hot bastard sometimes. “I love you, Lincoln.”
“There now. The rest of it doesn’t matter.” His hand cups the back of my head, gently guiding my lips onto his. Our mouths meet in a slow kiss. My knees go all wobbly again.
“Ahem.” A voice sounds from across the room.
Lincoln frowns. “That would be Mother.”
Did he just say ‘mother?’ My face burns about a thousand shades of red. “I didn’t hear anyone come in.” I pull my hood low and take a huge step away from Lincoln. “Does she always sneak around like that?”
“Pretty much.”
I pat my cheeks; my killer blush isn’t going away any time soon. This wasn’t how I pictured the Queen finding out about me and Lincoln. I was hoping for more of a ‘let’s meet up after battle practice’ scenario versus her catching us snogging in the dark. Ugh. Not to mention my new powers. Lincoln may not mind that I’m the Scala Heir, but who knows what his parents will say?