Page 34 of Shadowed Fate

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. The vibration is subtle but unmistakable, like a giant slumbering beneath us, deep in the ground.

"Close your eyes," he instructs. "Breathe deeply. Let the rhythm of the earth sync with your own heartbeat."

I try to mimic his breathing, but my mind's going in a million different directions. How the heck am I supposed to sync to the earth's heartbeat when I can barely control my own?

"Relax," Tiernan says, like he's reading my thoughts.Maybe he is. "Let go of your expectations. Just be."

Easy for him to say. I've spent years building walls, keeping everyone out. How do I tear them down, just like that?

But I try. I focus on the cool earth beneath my palms, the whispering of the wind through the leaves on the tall trees.

I do as he says, inhaling the rich scent of loamy ground and decaying, fallen leaves. As I focus on my breathing, the drumming intensifies. It's not just beneath me anymore; it's inside me, pulsing through my veins.

"Good," Tiernan murmurs. "Now, reach out with your mind. Feel the shadows around you."

I furrow my brow, confused. "But how do I command them?”

Tiernan chuckles softly, the sound warm and rich in the stillness of the grove. "You don't command magic, Brigid. It's not a dog you can order to sit or stay."

I crack open one eye, giving him a skeptical look. "Then how am I supposed to control it?"

He smiles, patient as ever. "Think of it like breathing. You don't consciously command your lungs to expand and contract with every breath, do you?"

I shake my head.

"Your magic is the same way. It's a part of you, as natural as the blood in your veins or the thoughts in your mind. It responds to your will without needing to be commanded."

As he speaks, I notice the shadows around us seem to deepen, swirling lazily at the edges of my vision.

"Your magic responds to you, to your emotions, to your intentions. It's an ebb and flow between your conscious and subconscious mind. The shadows are a part of you, as much as your beating heart is a part of you."

I open my eyes, frowning. "But don’t I have to wave my hands, or a wand or something?" I saw other students doing that on the training grounds.

Tiernan shakes his head, a wry smile playing at his lips. "That's mostly all for show. Window dressing. The real power comes from within."

He reaches out, picking a leaf up off the ground. As I watch, it darkens in his palm, edges curling as if burning, but there's no flame. "See? No fancy gestures, no incantations. Just intent and connection."

The leaf crumbles to ash, scattering in the breeze.

I stare at Tiernan's empty palm. “I'm not sure I can do that."

"You can," he says softly. "Your power is different from mine, but no less potent. Close your eyes again. Feel the shadows around you. Don’t try to command them. Let them come to you."

I obey, letting my eyelids flutter shut. The darkness behind them seems alive, pulsing.

"Now, imagine the shadows responding to your touch."

I sense something shift. It's like dipping my fingers into cool water, but... darker. More substantial.

"Good," Tiernan murmurs. "Now, allow your shadows to shape themselves. They—you—already know what to do."

In my mind's eye, I see the shadows coalescing, twisting into...

"Open your eyes, Brigid."

I do, and gasp. A shadow hovers above my outstretched hand. It's not solid, more like smoke taking form, but unmistakably bird-shaped.

"I...did that?" I whisper, afraid speaking too loudly will dispel the illusion.

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