“I want to see where you’re at.” I moved into the sandpit and pulled my hands up, taking my fighting stance. She looked at me like I was nuts.
“I’m not sparring with you.”
“Why not? Afraid I might help?”
She ground her teeth together. “How can you help me get my magic out?”
“That I can’t, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help in other areas.” I moved, swiping my leg underneath hers. Nora jumped just in time, looking at me with angry eyes.
“I just said, I wasn’t sparring with you!” she yelled, her hands curling into tight fists.
I swiped my leg again, and this time, it pissed her off. She ran at me, throwing her arm up to punch. I dodged as she missed. She turned around, looking at me, frustrated. Her eyes narrowed on me, and her shoulders rolled back. Her backstraightened as she suddenly took a calmer stance, ready to attack.
“We learn at a young age that your mind and your body have to be in agreement. If they fight each other, it won’t happen. You’re probably stopping yourself from success. You need to learn to set that aside, to calm your mind and just let your body do what it needs.”
Nora charged, throwing her arm up to hit me. I grabbed her arm, turning her, and pulled her against me.
She threw her elbow back, landing it in my gut. I felt the impact but quickly grabbed her elbow, pressing her further back. I could feel she was panting, her muscles shaking. It was clear she wasn’t prepared for my strength. “Are you saying my mind and body aren’t agreeing? That I’ve been stopping myself from being able to use magic this entire time?”
“No, but you could be stopping it now,” I said, simply. “Relax and stop worrying about. Just let whatever happens happen.”
Her other arm flew back, her elbow connecting with my cheek. I winced at the contact. I let go, and she turned around, shoving her knee up into my gut. I wrapped my arms around her, tackling her to the ground. We both landed hard, knocking the air out of us.
“Do not tell me to relax!” she snarled, kicking her legs at me. I caught them, twisting her around and pinning her to the ground. She bucked up, and I tightened my hold on her. The position was close and intimate. My body was pressed tightly against hers, and I watched sweat roll down her neck over her chest.
“I’m just saying, if you worry about it so much, you could be blocking your own ability.”
She moved her leg up, her knee connecting straight into my groin. The pain radiated up my entire body, and I lost hold of her. She slipped free as I curled into a fetal position.
“Fuck, really, Nora?” I grunted, taking a deep breath in. “That was a cheap shot.”
“You don’t understand what this feels like,” she snapped, practically screaming. “Don’t tell me to relax. Don’t tell me that I just need to let my body do what it needs. You have no idea what this is like.”
I took a deep breath, trying to push through the pain. I slowly uncurled and looked at her. I thought of all the times I felt anger like her, questioned why things weren’t going right. “I was a late shifter. I shifted last in my class, and believe me when I say I understand.”
Her face dropped, and her shoulders sank. She suddenly looked lost. “What?”
I slowly sat up and sighed.“Nora, I’m not saying this all to be an ass. I’m saying it because it’s true. If you worry so much, you can quite literally block your ability to grow.” I leaned forward, my balls and dick pulsing in pain. “I had someone help me for months because I couldn’t shift. No matter what I did, I was the same person.”
Her shoulders dropped. “I didn’t realize you were a late shifter.”
I looked at her. “Yes, so trust me when I say I understand being frustrated and knowing your body isn’t doing what you want it to.” I inhaled slowly and pulled myself up. “You have to give it time. This isn’t going to just happen overnight, Nora.”
Chapter 11 - Nora
I walked down the stairs and froze when I spotted Kaleb in the kitchen. He had his back to me, working on a cup of coffee. I swallowed, knowing I needed to apologize for how I acted toward him yesterday. I knew he was only trying to help, and I’d snapped at him.
I walked into the kitchen and reached for a mug from the rack sitting by the coffee maker. “Morning,” he said, placing his mug down.
I poured myself a cup and turned to him. I leaned against the counter as I clutched my mug tightly. “I need to apologize for yesterday. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. Or kicked you in the groin.”
Kaleb shrugged like he hadn’t been bothered. “You were frustrated. I get it. I didn’t take it to heart.”
I shook my head, not wanting it to be okay. “Still, I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”
Kaleb’s smile grew, and his eyes softened. “Nora, it’s okay. I get it. Jade went through the same emotions when she found out she had magic too. I can imagine it’s a lot to process. One moment, you’re thinking you’re just a witch without power, and suddenly, the next, you have magic. It takes time to adjust. You’ve been dealing with a lot of changes.”
I chewed on my lip and looked down at my hands. I ran my thumb over the side of the mug. “I just don’t know what to do…Everyone keeps telling me that I just need to give it time. But…how can…I just don’t understand.” I looked at him. “For years…I’ve been without magic. How can it suddenly be here now? It’s unfair. It doesn’t make sense.”
