Page 74 of Luca

He nodded and took a step back, extending his arms. “Remember when I told you that your magic is a friend? Well, this is not about controlling or forcing it. Visualize each tendril, feel it storming in your veins, wild and free. Gently beckon its attention,encourage itto your fingertips, instead of commanding. You want it to workwithyou, notforyou.”

With a graceful flick of his wrists, he demonstrated again, but this time, instead of opening a portal as before, a purple flame surged from his palms, a wyvern forming within its glow. The phantom beast snarled through finger-sized fangs, its nostrils flaring before it opened its jaws wide and expelled an impressive torrent of fire. I leaped backward, my mouth hanging open, and moments later, Zadok retracted it without even flinching or breaking a sweat.

“Woah.” I steadied myself, looking at him with wide, impressed eyes. “Guess you like wyverns then, huh?”

“Yes,” he said, visibly delighted that I’d noticed and that he could talk about it. “They are fascinating creatures. Did you know they have the intelligence to communicate with us through telepathy, but often choose not to for self-preservation reasons?”

“I didn’t.”

“Mm-hmm. If a bond of trust is formed between you and a wyvern, it’s entirely possible they’ll not only speak with you, but be a loyal companion for life.”

I smiled at his eagerness. “Is that what you’re hoping for with Leaf?”

“If she felt that I was worthy enough to be considered a friend, and to hear her voice, I would be greatly honored.”

“I mean, she must thinksomethingof you if she’s still here, right? Cair said she tried setting him on fire when he first dropped in.” And he wasverysalty about it. “If she didn’t trust you at least a little bit, she wouldn’t defend your home.”

Zadok huffed a small laugh. “She is very protective for one so young, but that’s probably because I nurtured her from an egg.” I tilted my head, curious. “I found her in an empty nest, among the shells of her siblings, clearly abandoned by her mother when she took too long to hatch.” I frowned, and he shrugged. “It happens. Wyvern migrate once their younglings have hatched. They grow impatient, and often leave the runt behind since they slow them down.”

“That’s awful.”

“It’s the way of life, unfortunately. I’m just glad I found her in time, and that she feels safe enough to stick around.” He had a fond expression on his face that I couldn’t help reacting to with another smile. “If she wishes to leave, that is entirely her choice, though I hope she stays. She’s part of the family.”

For some reason, an image of her lying across my dad’s sofa like a contented house cat crossed my mind. It was cute, but… “Will she grow?”

“Yes, though she may never be as big as a house. Perhaps a large horse?”Hm,a horse would probably still fit on the couch.It would flatten the cushions, though. “Whatever happens, she will be fierce, I can tell.”

“She’ll be like that flame thing you conjured. Only with her tongue lolling out of her mouth more.”

He snorted. “And much more attitude.”

I laughed as the vision came to me, which prompted another question. “Is everyone’s magic a different color?”

“Yes. It can depend on many factors: your soul’s intentions, the particular strain of magic you possess, or the circumstances of your birth. My magic is purple because my parents were nobles. Purple is the royal color.” Ah, I guessed that explained the banners throughout the palace with the hydra crest. “Your magic takes on a green hue because I suspect you are very nature-oriented. Do you have an affinity for plants, by chance?”

“Yeah.”

“Then that may be your skill set—nurturing the fruits of the earth and encouraging life,” he explained, and that definitely piqued my interest. “You also have a kind aura. You emanate a sense of peace and calmness, which could prove extremely useful in hostile situations.”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed.Peace and calmness?Was that why my head was a total chaos tornado every damn second of the day? Because all that serenity was flowing outward instead of inward? What irony. “Wait…” Realization dawned on me. “Is that why even the grumpiest of grumps relax around me?”

“Most likely.”

“And here I thought it was my abundance of wit and charm.”

“Or your ability to deflect and stall,” he jibed, and I winced. “Try again.”

“It’s not working.”

“It will,” he said gently. His hand lifted as if he had the impulse to reach out and comfort me with a touch, but he thought better of it. He balled his fingers into a fist at his side instead. “Just not on the first try.”

“Fine. Once more, then I’m done for the day.” I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and shaking out my limbs, readying myself to fail again.

“If you imagine yourself failing, you’re going to fail,” he cut in, sounding vaguely amused. “Think positive.”

Damn, is he in my head?

“I can read your expression,” he clarified.

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