Page 57 of Mage of the Dragon Prince
“But I feel fine now.”
“You’ll gradually build up strength to use it for longer periods of time. But don’t be surprised when you’re tired later. It’s draining your energy to power the magic that makes it work.”
“Huh.” Auslin touched the new pendant, feeling an ancient rune carved into it.
“Should you have any problems, please don’t hesitate to come down here. We can adjust it if you need. Also, make sure it always maintains physical contact with your skin. If it’s touching your clothes instead, it can’t suppress your scent.”
“We appreciate your assistance.” Kitaro’s words were polite, but his stiff tone made Auslin glance up at him in surprise.
Fersen gave a respectful bow. “As Jaega’s mate, it’s forever my honor to serve your clan.”
“You’re Uncle Jaega’s mate?” That explained why their entwined markings were so similar. “It’s nice to meet you!”
“I look forward to getting to know you better. Jaega has said many kind things about you.”
Auslin blushed at the praise. “He’s very nice.”
Kitaro bowed his head in acknowledgment before turning to walk away. Auslin hurried after him with a final word of thanks.
As they walked back to their room, Auslin touched the necklace under his shirt. “Does this thing actually work?”
“Indeed.” To Auslin’s surprise, the shifter prince sounded somewhat annoyed. “It essentially renders you invisible when combined with suppressing your aura. Only sound would give you away when wearing that.”
“Neat.” It amazed him that one little stone could have such a big effect. “That seems like it might come in handy for traveling later.”
“Perhaps.” Kitaro still sounded irritable.
It made Auslin feel bad. “Did I do something wrong?”
Kitaro’s tone turned reassuring. “No, you are fine, Vanra.”
Auslin remained unconvinced. “Okay.”
Kitaro cleared his throat. “What did you think of Fersen?”
“I’ve never seen anyone whose eyes changed like that,” Auslin commented in surprise. “It was so beautiful.”
“It is a sign of Fersen’s exceptional level of magical power,” Kitaro explained.
“That’s amazing. And he was so nice. I can see why he’s Uncle Jaega’s mate.”
“He is most agreeable,” Kitaro agreed. “There are some of the elder male Enchanters who are unpleasant in comparison. They are skilled, but their attitudes are rude.”
The last thing Auslin wanted to deal with was more rude people after Mitsuki. “Then I’m really glad we dealt with Fersen.”
“Should your time with Uncle Jaega go well enough, perhaps Fersen could assist with further magical training. I am sure he would be amenable to the idea.”
Auslin sighed. “That would be amazing, but I don’t think I’ll ever be that good.”
“Do not sell yourself short. Your powers are immense. With more training, you would be more than capable of working with someone as skilled as Fersen.”
“If you say so.” Auslin still didn’t sound convinced.
“Speaking of Uncle Jaega, I believe you have a session with him later today. But first, we will train.”
Though he found his sessions challenging, Auslin had grown to enjoy his training. He could already tell he had made significant improvements in controlling his powers. “Then I guess I should go get ready.”
While Auslin did his best to hide it, the enchanted amulet drained his power faster than he expected. After wearing it for almost two days straight, his mounting exhaustion made his movements sluggish during practice. However, Auslin’s pride stubbornly refused to let him complain about it, so he soldiered on with his training.
