Eyes still closed, I slowly turned in a circle, stopping to concentrate on what felt like another pull.
“Here,” I said, hand up.
“Describe it to me.”
“It’s very similar, but the tingling is faster…more charged. And the pull is stronger, like it wants me to take a step forward.” I tilted my head in concentration as if there was another detail I’d missed. I felt it then. “There’s a faint pulse to it that wasn’t present the last time. And I can tell how far away it is…Maybe two paces.”
“Open your eyes,” he said, his voice still coming from everywhere.
I did as he asked, and with a start, I saw my hand was outstretched for him. I could feelhim. I looked behind me, then back at him. He winked, then went serious again.
“Nyleeria, you correctly identified the only two conduits in this room aside from yourself—me and the tome.” He directed my gazeto where the ancient script was suspended in midair. “Not only that, but you could discern the difference between a living conduit and an inanimate one. The pulse you felt was my heartbeat.” Closing the distance, his gentle hand took mine and laid it over his heart, where the same pattern I’d felt moments before pulsed under my palm.
We lingered for a moment, entranced by each other’s gaze, as my cradled hand lay flat against his muscular chest. His heartbeat quickened. The king’s eyes were a captivating gray-blue blend of storm and steel, a fusion of tempestuous skies and hard-edged metal.
I cataloged the detail finally and broke away, coming back to myself.
“Do you want to try an actual spell?” he asked, his voice gruff.
I swallowed and nodded in response.
Clearing his throat, he said, “A levitation spell is typically the first one we learn.” A feather appeared in front of us and slowly fluttered to the tiled floor. “The goal is to lift it off the ground. It doesn’t matter how high, or how long—we’re just testing the ability to cast a spell successfully.”
Moments later, I knelt on the cold tile before the feather, reminding myself of his instructions.
Tap into my own source energy like I connect to the Mother. Once I can feel the same pulsing sensation I did when my fingers sought him out, say the spell and allow the energy to crystalize through, and around me. Most importantly, visualize the energy going under the feather and lifting it up.
I can do this. My heart pounded, and I had to wipe my balmy hands on my pants several times as I built up the nerve.
Okay. I can do this. Deep breaths. I can do this.
It took a few minutes to get out of my mind and into my body, and a couple more moments to tap into the energy, but I finally felt it coursing through and around me, as he’d described.
I recited the incantation. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I tried over and over again, to no avail.
The king stayed silent, not uttering a word or making a noise the entire time, until I huffed a sigh and slumped.
“You’re thinking about it too much,” he said. “Let’s try this. Close your eyes.” Feeling the fool, I gave him a withering look. “Indulge me in this one last try for today, Nyleeria. Please.” His soothing tone was patient and asked for me to trust him in this. I swallowed my protests, and my pride, and did as he instructed. “Pretend you’re in the forest, connected to the Mother, like you’ve done countless times before.” He paused, giving me space to do just that. My mind teleported me back to my forest, my meadow. “Now, pay attention to the slight breeze as it passes by.” The air danced across my skin as it swirled around me, rustling the leaves as the tips of the long grasses swayed in its presence. I let myself get lost in it, soaking in its beautiful familiarity.
“Open your eyes, Nyleeria,” he said in a faint whisper.
I did as he said and found the feather fluttering in the air like a leaf in the fall breeze. My heart pounded as wisps of my hair flitted about in its presence.
I jumped up. “I did it! I really did it!”
I turned to face him, wanting to share this victory with him. At the movement, the room spun, and my knees buckled before darkness fell.
Crippling pain threw me awake, the violence of it ripping an involuntary scream from me. My body convulsed from the icy chill that had seeped deep into my marrow. Just when I relaxed, my stomach clenched tight, trying to release what it didn’t have to give. The pain plunged me back into oblivion.
I would find consciousness only to writhe, wretch, and succumb once more.
In the moments when my body clung to consciousness, I rocked back and forth, praying for the pain to go away. I’d gladly accept Father Death’s invitation if it meant relief from this torment.
A flurry of people moved around me, their voices frantic.
A cool, soft cloth caressed my forehead. My leaden eyes flitted open just long enough to see the king’s forced smile. “It’s okay, Nyleeria, we’ve got you.”
Ice melted against my lips.
