House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2)

by Sarah J. Maas

Hunt’s is the best form of it.” “Damn right it is,” Hunt growled, earning a smack on the arm from Bryce. “Do you think the power will … stay in me if I don’t use it?” she asked Dec. “I don’t think so,” Dec said. “Your power came from the Gate—with a shit-ton of firstlight mixed in. So your magic—beyond the light, I mean—needs to be powered up. It relies on firstlight, or any other form of energy it can get. You’re literally a Gate: you can take in power and offer it. But it seems the similarity ends there. The Gates can store power indefinitely, while yours clearly peters out after a while.” He faced Hunt. “And your power, Athalar, as pure energy, is able to draw from her, like she did from the Gate. Bryce, when you draw from a source, it’s the same way the Gates zap power from people using them to communicate.” Bryce blinked. “So I’m like some magical leech?” Declan laughed. “I think only of certain kinds of magic. Forms of pure energy. Throw in the Horn, which relies on a blast of power to activate it …”