Page 18 of A Ballad of Beasts and Brothers

Completely ignoring my teasing, Atlas asks, "What triggers them to change to gold?"

I shrug. "I don't know."

"Well, that's why I'm here." He clasps his arms behind him. "I'll help you figure that out. For me, my eyes shift the moment I use my shadows. Same goes for Finn when he reluctantly uses his affinity."

I remember Finn's eyes turning a bright orange the two times he used his magic in Bava. It was both mesmerizing and horrifying to see that shade of color staring back at me.

"I've seen you use your magic before, and your eyes remained grey." Atlas' voice pulls me back to the present moment. "Shields, barriers, even blasts of light didn't affect your appearance. So, what are you thinking about when your eyes are gold? Does anything else happen?"

I think back to seeing my reflection in the hotel mirror in Bava and not only did my eyes change but my hands began to glow. Hell, it's been happening more frequently now that we're in Tronovia. Even Nyx got his first glimpse before we entered the school. I cast Nyx a look and see he's not reclining like before. He's straight-backed and hanging onto each and every word. Clearly my glowing hands and golden eyes are of great interest to him as well. I wonder if he's going to offer up our encounter earlier in the day, but he surprisingly keeps his mouth shut.

"My hands glow," I admit. "When I touched Vesper's arm, I burned her, but I didn't feel any heat."

Atlas rubs his chin, deep in thought. "So, your eyes shift and your hands glow. It sounds like you are starting to unlock more powerful abilities. Much faster than anticipated."

"Like an ultimate form?" I follow him as he makes his way back to his desk looking for something.

Atlas rips open one of his drawers, grabs a small green book, and flips through the pages until he lands on the chapter labeled as Transcendence. "Almost every wielder has what we call a Transcendent state where they reach the peak of their power."

When he extends the book to me, I accept it and run my fingers over the image of a fire wielder set ablaze.

"Each magic wielder will have levels of abilities," Atlas continues. "So, based off what I've seen you do, you can blast balls of light, shield yourself or others, and now your hands have the ability to glow and burn without doing any harm to yourself."

I flick my eyes up to meet his. "How many abilities do I have in total?"

"I don't know. Each wielder is different."

Thinking back to what Nyx told me on our way to the school about him not having an ultimate state, I ask, "Why don't all wielders have a Transcendent state?"

"All typical wielders do," Atlas says without hesitation. "It's anomalies who don't always possess Transcendence."

That explains Nyx and possibly Finn, though I don't have the courage to ask him or his brothers if Finn has tapped into a Transcendent state. "Do you have one?"

"Yes."

"What is it?" I ask when he offers no further explanation.

He crosses his arms over his chest and leans against his desk. "I don't use it often."

"Why?" I press. "Because it drains you?"

"Because it frightens me."

Well, that's not the response I thought I would get. How bad could his Transcendent state be that he would dodge my questions and refuse to tell me about it? Risking his wrath, I once again ask, "What is it?"

Reluctantly, Atlas says, "It's called Nox."

Now we're getting somewhere. "Will you show it to me?"

"No."

"Will you at least tell me what it does?" I look up at him with pleading in my gaze. I need him to give me something, anything, so I can understand him better. Sure, he has a right to keep his Transcendent state to himself, but the desire to know everything about him has me pushing my limits.

Atlas is quiet for a few moments, clearly deep in thought, before admitting, "Going into one's Transcendent state is very dangerous. If you aren't ready for it, it could cost you your life."

Deciding it's probably best to just let the question of his Transcendent state drop, I switch the topic to myself. "What is mine?"

"I'm not sure. Professor Riggs will probably know. I'm not much of a scholar."

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