“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, his gaze piercing my back.
“I am going with Sybil to help her with her magic,” I said over my shoulder. “I am her first mentor, after all.”
Kieran huffed, his steps crunching on the leaves as he grumbled quiet words and walked to where Daelan, Orin, and now Ezra stood waiting. Stepping between the trees, I left the clearing, finding the females sitting on a patch of moss and leaves. Sybil twirled a leaf by the stem, her face brightening when she noticed me walking toward the group.
“Room for one more?” I smirked while staring down at them.
“Only if you keep your distractions to a minimum,” Ivara sighed, waving her hand to an open spot between Sybil and Viv.
I chuckled and sat down beside Sybil, though Viv’s stern look stopped me from huddling in close to Sybil’s side. Viv’s eyes told me that Sybil was here to learn andonlyto learn. I had no doubts the two females would shoo me away if I got in the way of that.
Viv continued to stare at me with narrowed eyes before giving me a curt nod and sliding her gaze to Sybil. “Before we begin, do you have any questions?”
“I do, Solaris…” Sybil paused, her face pinching. “Is she the reason the rebels use a phoenix as their emblem?”
“She is,” Viv said softly. “When our group first came together, we were in complete disorder and inexperienced. We found ourselves in deep trouble at the beginning. We didn’t have a distinctive leader as Kieran was still fighting in the war when the rebellion formed. Solaris has always had a soft heart toward ourstruggles and has saved our asses more times than I can count. She was even the one who pushed Kieran to be our leader once he left the army.”
“Right,” Sybil murmured, her voice trailing off. A strange air came over her as she stared at the leaf pinched between her fingers. Opening myself up to our soul-bond, a sober emotion echoed through it, a bittersweet melancholy filling her soul.
I leaned over, my lips brushing against her ear. “Kieran and Solaris were never together. They were—are—friends and nothing more.”
A blush bloomed on Sybil’s cheeks, and she looked away from me, hiding her face. I peered over at Viv, who arched her brow in warning.
Right, no distractions.
Returning to my spot, I gave her an innocent smile, my hands coming up in surrender.
“If you’re nervous about meeting Solaris,” Ivara chimed in, “you don’t have to be. She’s very…memorable, but kind. I think you two will get along well.”
Sybil let out a sigh of relief as the tightness in her body relaxed. “That makes me feel better. Thank you.” Sybil straightened, then faced Viv with newfound confidence. “Okay, now I’m ready to begin.”
Viv let out a light laugh. “Alright, let's work on what we did last time. Close your eyes and go back to the place of your magic. Once you’re there, use your magic to take the shape of the first thing you notice.”
Sybil took a deep breath, her eyes closing. Her long, dark lashes rested against her cheeks as a calm look took over her face. My heart came alive at the sight of her, so serene, so enchanting. The moment she eased into the place of her magic, her lips curved into a peaceful smile, taking my breath away. She cupped her hands, bringing them to her chest. A softglow illuminated her palms, steadily growing brighter until a small bird made of pure light stood in her hands. Its wings flexed before taking flight, soaring around us and into the tree branches above us.
Opening her eyes, Sybil stared up at the bird with excitement, a grin spreading across her face. Reaching her hand up, the bird came fluttering back down, perching on her finger. Its head twisted; its feathers shone as it puffed out.
“Good, now another one,” Viv encouraged.
Sybil nodded, her face growing livelier. She closed her eyes, rolling her shoulders back. Moving her hands back together, the bird silently flew into the air, hovering above her head. It watched as more of Sybil’s light glowed along her palms. Suddenly, a burst of light surrounded us, and I shielded my eyes from the brilliance of its shine. When the light faded, I sucked in a breath, my eyes widening to the sight before me. Hundreds of butterflies and birds flew around us, filling the darkened shadows of the trees with what looked like starlight.
Sybil laughed, and my head snapped toward her, tears filling my eyes when she tipped her head back to admire the view around us. Everything around me faded away; every sound, every person dimmed into the background. There was only her. I could feel her, see her, her entire body glowing with the power of her magic—more breathtaking than anything I had ever known. She was my light—my everything.
Sybil’s magic faded, the sounds and the others coming back into view as I blinked back the burn in my eyes. Ivara said something, her words not reaching my ears, though a shit-eating grin splayed across Sybil’s face. Viv was giving Sybil a stern look, one that a mother would wear while scolding their child, but I could see how she held back her own smile, how her eyes were bright with awe.
“That was a little more than one,” Viv laughed, fighting a losing battle to keep up her feigned disapproval.
“I tried, but it all rushed out before I could stop it,” Sybil cringed.
“Maybe we can work on her control in a different way,” I said to Viv. “We could have her shape her magic into something and keep it while she trains. It will help her learn to use a little bit at a time and keep her magic steady.”
Viv brought a finger to her chin, considering my suggestion. “Alright, let's do that. What do you propose?”
My mind immediately went back to the day we practiced turning her magic into a dagger, the same day she destroyed parts of the library, along with my favorite teacup. It was also the day she started losing herself to the fear of her magic and what she could do. Clenching my jaw, I studied Sybil, unsure of how she would react to my suggestion now, especially after the last time she used her magic to create something dangerous. Arbus had died by her hand, by the weapon Ambrose forced her to make.
Swallowing, I refused to break my gaze away from her. “Make a sword. We’ll start your other training early. We will combine the two training sessions so you can learn how to control the intensity of your magic and how much you let out.”
“I like that idea,” Ivara murmured. “With what lies ahead in the future, this is something that you will need to learn quickly. I would even suggest you do this when you’re at the palace as well.”
