Chapter 29 #2
Eventually, I reached the windswept cliffs where crystalline waves crashed against black rock formations below, the spray catching the morning light like splintered diamonds.
Salt mist kissed my cheeks as I lingered there, letting the roar of the sea fill the hollow spaces inside me.
I stayed there the longest before finally heading toward the stables to visit the elk.
When I stepped inside, they were awake, lifting their heads toward me as if I were someone worth noticing. Their fur shimmered in shades of blue and silver-grey, and their massive antlers stretched wide enough to frame palace gates.
Their eyes glowed faintly, lit with a curiosity that almost mirrored my own. Taking slow, measured steps, I approached the one closest to the door. His breath misted in the cool air as he shifted, and for a moment I thought he might move away, but he stayed.
I closed the final distance and reached out, my fingers sinking into fur that was warm, thick, and impossibly soft.
Beneath my palm, his heart hummed in a gentle beat, luring me to listen closer.
I couldn't resist. I pressed my forehead to his side and closed my eyes, the deep, steady thud filling my ears.
For a moment, the world beyond this stable didn't exist.
“I thought I'd find you here,” said a soft voice.
It was Arielle.
I straightened and faced her. Today she wore clothing similar to mine, her hair pulled to the side in a loose braid.
I gave her a small smile, feeling a flicker of embarrassment at being caught. I hadn't done anything wrong, but she was giving me that look. The one that told me she could see how deeply I was falling for this place.
“Hey there.” I gave the elk one last stroke. “I just wanted to see them.”
“No worries at all. We're starting today's session with lessons on being at one with nature, so it's good you're getting a head start.”
I smiled back at her. “That sounds exciting.”
Her eyes brightened. “It's one of my favorite lessons. You'll love it. And you're dressed perfectly.” She gestured toward my clothes with an approving nod. “Practical and comfortable. We're going to be outside most of the day.”
“Thank you for the clothes. And shoes. I really appreciate them.” I gave her a grateful smile. “You gave me an entire wardrobe.”
She chuckled softly. “I'd love to take credit, but that was all Wolfe. He got my seamstress to sort you out.”
Heat prickled up the back of my neck.
Wolfe. He'd gotten me the clothes? The thought threw me. I tried to ignore the flutter in my chest, but it was impossible.
He'd given me clothes to wear on the ship, but this was different and... well thought out. Still, I forced my focus back where it belonged. I needed clothes, so he got them. It was as simple as that and meant nothing more.
“Were they okay?” Arielle looked me over.
“Perfect. Thanks.”
“Great. Well, let's get going.” She waved me forward. I glanced back at the elk and moved to her.
We walked out of the stables. The day had brightened substantially, and all the morning dew was gone.
“How are you feeling today?” Arielle glanced back at me.
“I'm much better.”
“Now that you're stronger, your powers should be more aligned. There's no telling what we might be able to achieve today.”
“That would be amazing.”
We went to a clearing in the woods, far from the manor and the noise of the day.
Arielle spread a blanket across the grass, and we sat opposite each other like we had yesterday.
She reached into the basket at her side and drew out a black, leather-bound volume.
It reminded me of Grandmother's grimoire, but this one hummed faintly in my hands, as if it already knew I was meant to open it.
She held the book up, showing me the title—Principles of Arcane Harmony. “This is for you.”
My eyes widened. “Me?”
“Yes. Every mage, no matter where they come from, has a copy of this book. This is the first book we read at Hyxian. It's so integral to the fundamental teachings they send it to you a year before your studies begin.”
Arielle handed it to me. I took it and held it as though it were my last meal. “Thank you. I've never had my own magic book.”
“I thought that was the case, so I got this copy from Hyxian for you. It will teach you absolutely everything. There are more advanced books, but this one is the heart of every spell we learn.”
“Wow.” I pressed the book to my chest. “Everything I learned about magic was from my grandmother's books. But those were mainly notes she'd gathered over the years. It would have been great to have a book like this.”
She laughed. “I'm sure it would, but this book is banned in the mortal lands. There are spells that even humans can perform. Though I doubt your grandmother left hers in the Ravenwood. I can't imagine a mage making such a sacrifice. It's even more valuable than a grimoire. “
“It would be just like my grandmother to hide such a thing in an astral pocket.” I smirked.
Arielle's eyes lit up with delight. “Oh, she sounds like she’s quite a character.”
“She is.”
She gestured toward the book with awe. “Read it and fall in love with it. People say the book connects with them in different ways, depending on your needs.”
“I look forward to diving in.”
“Good. Ready to start with a rebalancing exercise?”
I nodded, feeling more enthusiastic.
“Okay, show me some power.” She rubbed her hands together with excitement.
I set the book down next to me, took a deep breath, and thought of the exercises we'd done as I held out my hands to feel the air.
The connection I'd felt yesterday was instantly there, as was that spark inside me. I spoke the incantation, and the white flame appeared in my palms, bright and wonderful.
“Very good. That flame looks much stronger today.” Arielle looked impressed.
“My magic feels stronger.”
“Perfect. I think I can take things up a notch then.”
“In what ways?” I asked, moving the flame from one palm to the other.
“I think we can jump straight into arcane magic exercises.”
I gasped, and my flame sputtered out. Arcane magic was the most complex of the magical disciplines. It was the technique mages used to draw energy from the Fray and bend it to their will. “Are you sure I can do that?”
“I don't see why not. You said you've levitated things and made flowers grow.”
“Yeah, but that was hardly anything. I could just about lift a stick off the ground by five inches and keep it in the air for about a minute. And the flowers... well, they bloomed and died instantly.”
“It doesn't matter. You still tapped into the basic essence of the technique. Today you'll just learn a little more about how to use the technique to invoke the magic from everything around us.”
She gestured to the trees and the sky. I could see now what she meant about being at one with nature.
“The Fray is the wild heart of magic. It's raw, untamed, and dangerous.” Arielle spoke with intrigue. “Arcane magic allows us to shape it. And that can be into anything you want.”
My nerves spiked. “Anything?”
“Anything. Think of the Fray as a raging river. Arcane magic is the vessel you build to sail it. Without the craft, the river will tear you apart. But with skill, you can guide its current to move stone, stir wind, or breathe life into flame. The Fray is the power. Arcane magic is the discipline that bends it to your will.”
That gave me goosebumps. They flushed over my skin from head to toe, filling me with that sense of earnest belonging again. I leaned forward, my pulse quickening. Every lesson with Arielle felt like stepping closer to a truth I'd been searching for my entire life. “How do I do it?”
Her smile widened with a dash of mischief. “The best way is to call on creatures that share our world,” Arielle said. “Not to control them, but to invite them into trust.”
“Trust?” It sounded so simple.
“Yes. You'll see what I mean. First, close your eyes and breathe. I want you to align your focus with the Fray energy.”
I did as she said.
“The Fray will feel raw and wild when you first connect.
Like grasping pure lightning. Don't be afraid of how overwhelming it might seem.
Let that raw energy flow through you to connect with your powers.
You should feel a tug in your core once you're connected, and then a knowing feeling.
Like you're part of something infinite.”
I inhaled, slow and deep, focusing. Through the air I searched until a flicker of something electric pulsed through me. Then it grew. Wild energy, primal and endless rippled over my skin.
This was it. The Fray. The legendary source itself, thrumming with untamed power that had existed since the beginning of time. I let the raw current wash over me, until that knowing feeling Arielle spoke of warmed my heart, and I knew I was connected.
When I opened my eyes, Arielle looked pleased. “You feel it, don't you?”
“Yes.”
She nodded toward the tree line. “Now reach out with your powers and call for one who wishes to answer with these words: naveria eun lamer.”
I followed her guidance and spoke the words. At first, nothing happened.
Then, like a whisper of wind against my consciousness, I felt it. A presence.
Moments later, leaves rustled and a flutter of wings broke the stillness. A small silver-feathered bird emerged from the canopy, no larger than a sparrow, but unlike any I'd seen.
Its feathers shimmered in the light like polished metal as it circled above us in slow, deliberate spirals before drifting down, the air stirring with its descent.
I drew in a sharp breath as it hovered before me, its dark gaze locked with mine with something that felt like reverence.
“It's an Ashwing Sparrow,” Arielle whispered, as if speaking any louder might break the spell. “Put your hand out and hold it.”
My lips curved with quiet pride as I raised my hand slowly. The sparrow drifted closer, its tiny talons brushing my skin with a featherlight touch before it settled on my finger.
I stood, and Arielle rose too.