Page 35 of Secrets of Graves and Gold

The daimon peers at me. “How do I convince myself?”

“Think about all the ways you control that body now. All the things you can do with it. Move it around to prove that you get to decide what it does.”

Rheave looks down at his well-built form. He claps his hands together and stomps his feet against the stone floor, and a grin springs across his face. “Yes. Yes, it is mine now. They can’t have it back.”

He bounds off down the hall with renewed energy. I watch him go with a tendril of dread winding through my gut.

I hope he’s right about that.

What will it mean for the rest of us if my little trick isn’t enough?

Eleven

Ivy

The petals unfurl above my fingers. My pulse flutters at the incredible feeling of their velvety surface blooming with life.

Of course, my magic is dealing out death as well. I chose a twig on one of the hunched saplings around the stone platform to shrivel as the bud blossomed.

When I open my eyes, the yellow flower beams up at me. A glance at the twig confirms that it’s turned wizened, its beige bark transformed into dark gray.

I slump back against the stone beneath me. The act has left me depleted even though I’ve created much vaster effects with my power before.

The concentration needed to moderate both the intended effect and the consequence drains me faster than simply tossing my magic out into the world.

That and the increased clamoring of the magic I haven’t let out.

I turn to the imagery I’ve found resonates most with me: a leafy vine wrapping around me, like the plant I took my chosen name from clinging to the oak in Ewalin’s yard in Slaughterwell. As I picture it winding densely together, shutting away the thrum of energy inside me, my power gradually settles.

But it’s still simmering there, eager for me to stretch its capabilities more.

Sulla smiles with a crinkle at the corners of her eyes and pats my shoulder. “You’ve been doing very well. I think tomorrow we can start making minor adjustments around the rest of the Haven. More practical matters and slightly larger effects that could sustain you for longer before your magic becomes demanding.”

My mouth goes abruptly dry. “Really? You think I’m ready for that?”

This is only my fourth day of training. I haven’t slipped from my intentions since the second afternoon, but the single flower I’ve just invigorated is the most potent act I’ve carried out.

And nothing I affect up here matters all that much. If I crack the stone or snap a twig I didn’t mean to, no one suffers for it.

If I falter in my control around the rest of Haven, I might ruin a treasured relic or valued tool that the sorcerers here created over decades of work. I could hurt Sulla or one of my men.

“I’m sure of it,” Sulla says without a hint of hesitation. “You can still come up here to meditate and ground yourself, but it’s important to get comfortable working your magic in everyday settings. Especially if you still intend to leave the Haven once we’ve finished your basic training.”

I know she doesn’t approve of that goal. From what she’s said, I may be the first sorcerer to train here and not stay on. But the scourge sorcerers and their unknown leader, whoever stood even higher than Ster. Torstem in the Order of the Wild, are still out there, wreaking havoc or planning to.

I can’t just sit on my ass while the rest of the world falls to ruin. That would be almost as bad as carrying out the destruction myself.

When I get to my feet, energy continues humming through my chest and limbs. I might not have done anything spectacular with my magic during our twice-daily sessions up here, but I’ve used it more times in the past four days than I have in my entire life before.

My power feels primed now, ready to spring out of me at a moment’s notice even though there’s no threat to provoke it. The sensation makes my gut twist.

I picture the vine tamping it down again and take a deep breath to steady myself.

I’m in control. I decide how I use my power.

Sulla says that once the habit of using it in minor ways becomes familiar, I’ll find its presence reassuring rather than unnerving. I’ll know that my defenses won’t allow any power to slip free without my permission.

It’s hard to imagine that level of comfort right now.

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