Page 141 of Crimson Promises
I threw my hands up in the air. “Oh, alright.”
“This time, don’t close your eyes when trying to call your power to the surface,” Ben instructed.
My eyes locked onto Ben’s as I let down the barrier. I learned it was easier to manipulate the more I used my magic.
Challenge flashed in his evergreen depths. I was eager to prove to him that I could do this.
I rubbed my hands together and urged a small bit of that power to show itself in my palm like a drop of rain that had slid down Ben’s sculpted back in the shower.
The bond that existed between the two of us grew rigid.
An explosion of white light erupted from both my palms.
“Not exactly what I had in mind when I said an exercise in control.”
“I was distracted,” I huffed out.
“By what?” His eyebrows were raised, and the beginnings of a smirk had broken through his tough as steel instructor facade. The orb’s light flashed for a moment. Guess I wasn’t the only one lacking control today.
“Nothing important! I’m going to try again.”
This time, I didn’t look at Ben. I studied the orb he had created. I took in the size, its featherlight weight, as it defied the laws of gravity.
"Good, now harness it. Gently," he encouraged.
A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. He didn't know. With a breath, I called to the magic, not as one would call a dog to heel, but as an old friend. It surged to the surface, a responsive and familiar warmth spreading through my veins. I recreated the exact steps as before, but this time, in my mind’s eye, I kept focus on the same orb that was in front of me. reached out with my senses, not with my hands, and there it was—the subtle hum of power that had been my silent companion for so long.
Both of my palms jolted. In the center of my hands were identical orbs to the one Ben made. Mine were much smaller, the size of a quarter.
Bennett's intake of breath was sharp. "Aurora, that's... you're doing it. How?"
I opened my eyes, the forest now aglow with the iridescence of my power. "I've been practicing," I confessed, the words tumbling out like the first drops of a long-needed rain. "Since the accident, I've been reaching out to it, inviting it in, not just as a last resort but as a part of me. As you saw when I shattered the rock, it is far from perfect."
He stepped closer, his expression a tapestry of awe and concern. "You've been doing this alone? All this time?"
"Yes," I said, finding strength in my admission. "I was tired of running, of being afraid. The red eyes in my dreams, they're always chasing me, and I knew... I just knew I had to face them somehow."
"Aurora, that's not just basic control. That's advanced, precise." Bennett's gaze held mine, his eyes reflecting the shimmer of my magic.
"I guess I'm full of surprises," I joked weakly, despite the gravity of our conversation.
He chuckled, but there was a seriousness in his voice when he spoke again. "You are. I've seen many harness their abilities, but not like this. Not so quickly."
The magic swirled around us, playful and vibrant. "I've always felt it, Bennett. Like a river flowing in the background of my existence. I just never let it flow through me, not until I couldn't afford to hide it anymore."
His hand found mine, his touch grounding. "And you're not scared?"
I shook my head, my resolve was strong as the earth beneath our feet. "Not anymore. Fear was my cage, and I've stepped out of it. Now, I want to use it, to protect, to fight."
I kept my gaze focused on the two orbs I had created. My lungs expanded, taking in deep, satisfied breaths.
“Now try to merge them so they are one solid mass.”
Maintaining both orbs as I tilted my hands to the side took more concentration than expected. I grit my teeth together. As I gave a silent instruction for the two forcefields to merge, my palms slowly faced each other as they coalesced into one larger orb.
Ben’s breath skimmed the back of my neck as he circled me. The orb in my hand sputtered out at the unexpected contact.
“That was impressive. Now let’s see if you can create bursts of energy that could stun or knock back an opponent.”
