His simple response somehow put me at ease, and I attempted to shake off my restlessness about everything Kieran was taking on. It pained me to know there was nothing I could do to assist her with the stars. For all the power I supposedly wielded, it felt entirely useless in this regard. I was…useless to her.
My head snapped up as Noah approached, and a new thought hit me.
If my powers are limitless, maybe there’s a way I can help.
I only needed to find it.
“First, I want to discuss your dead affinity and some of the thoughts that have come to mind after watching you wield it the other night,” he began, waving his hand out to the floor, inviting me to sit once more.
I’d heard many thoughts on my powers—especially while imprisoned in Alfemir—so the concept of listening to his opinions left a bitter taste in my mouth. I knew he meant well and I wanted to hear what he was thinking, but my instinctual reaction was to reject any opinion but my own. OnlyIknew my powers, onlyIunderstood my magic.
After a long moment I settled, wanting to give him a chance, just as my Darling did. “Please begin.”
He wasted no time, tapping his fingers on the top of his knees as he spoke. “You don’t seem surprised about the mention of a dead affinity, so I’m assuming you or one of your companionsheard me mention the term Archimage as you were healing your friend.”
I inclined my head, and he offered me a short nod in return before continuing. “Much like the Seer affinity, the Archimage suffered a natural decline in affinity wielders, until it died out entirely. They were considered a higher tier of affinity wielder than most, with an unlimited power source and ability to tap into magic without spells.
“They were thought to be a combination of Caster and Elementalist, and while Archimages did have an infinite well of power at their fingertips, it was said that some still had a pull to a particular brand of magic. Many of which were quite…unique.”
I leaned back on my hands, splaying them against the floor behind me as I considered his words. “Like what?”
“Let’s try this,” he countered, “draw your magic to the surface but don’t direct it anywhere.”
Easy enough.
Sitting forward, I dropped the backs of my hands on my knees and focused on my magic. With a steady exhale, I focused until I felt the slightest bit of energy pooling beneath the skin there. “Now?”
“Now, tell me where your mind drifts when you empty it and see where your power leads you. I’d like to test where it naturally takes you when it’s in control.”
I didn’t think of my magic as separate from me, so the thought that it could be in control felt odd, but I attempted to do as he said. Almost instantly, my eyes closed and I thought of the pounding vein on the long column of Kieran’s throat. I let out a hiss, feeling myself wanting to fall into the tempting daydream of her crimson blood’s trickle against my tongue as I lapped?—
“That’s it!” Noah excitedly exclaimed, breaking my thoughts and causing me to crash back to reality.
Hell. I could guarantee that these thoughts werenotthe productive ones that Noah wanted me to have. Of that, I was sure.
Feeling my brows pinching together, I opened my eyes, confused by the eagerness in his widened gaze and the toothy grin he offered me. “How so?”
“Look at your palms, boy!”
My face twisted in confusion as my eyes lowered. In my hands were puddles of blood. “How did…” I started to question, words spluttering out as I failed to finish my thought. I swallowed hard. “Whose blood is that?”
Now it was the older angel’s turn to look confused. “Yours, of course.”
I wasn’t so sure about that, but it was quite unsettling to consider the alternative. Could I have…
“You must have a natural inclination for blood magic! That is one of the noted areas of interest for an Archimage, though a rather specific one compared to the others. How intriguing.”
His hands came together, rubbing against each other in an excited manner. “Let’s try absorbing it back into you and then see if you’re able to manipulate the blood while in your body. Once you have a concept of how to do that, without hurting yourself, we will need to test if you can manipulate others.”
I imagined the blood seeping hack into my hands, and as it began to trickle beneath my skin, a euphoric high hit my system. Angels practically sang in my ears as the blood seeped through me. Warmth enveloped me from head to toe, and as desire rose within me, I knew one thing for certain: I’d managed to conjure Kieran’s blood.
Had she noticed? Had I pulled it directly from her? Or had it been from when I tasted her sweet essence before? I had to fight the urge to jump to my feet and chase after her, to ensure I hadn’t unintentionally harmed her in the process of seeking outthe nature of my power. Forcing myself to stay seated, I turned my attention back to the man in front of me.
Briefly, I wondered if I should tell Noah that I had conjured Kieran’s blood and not my own, but something in me told me to hold some of my cards close to my chest. He only knew what he read from a book, and while I appreciated his insight, I wanted to protect what was mine. I pushed the thought away, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand.
We ran through several more tests, and I had to admit, creating weapons out of my own blood I pulled out was quite nifty. I looked forward to testing all that the blood weapons could do in comparison to regular weapons.
As the sun set through the windows of the cabin, weariness settled into my bones. As if attuned to my impending exhaustion, Noah offered me a small smile, kindness in his eyes as he said, “That’s enough for today, same as we told Kieran. There’s no sense in running yourself ragged on the first day. Great work, Bastian.”
