“Oak, get in the circle,” Larkin warns.
“Wait, I thought Maines was going to do this,” Oak responds.
Larkin turns to Maines. “Given how this is already going, we will need her to heal, not fight.”
Maines lets out a relieved breath, and Oak moves slowly into the center of the circle and sighs. I smile, watching the drama leak from him, and return my gaze to Larkin, waiting for the next orders.
“Briar, go face Oak.”
I drag my feet and center myself, facing Oak. He lifts his brows twice, teasing me, and I can’t help but grin. He’s utterly ridiculous.
“Oak, please begin to zap Briar gently,” Larkin instructs. “We want to get her emotions going to see if we can evoke her Lumor ability to present itself.”
Oak smiles. “Alright. This could be fun.”
Before I have time to react, small zaps of light begin to erupt from his palms, crashing into my sides, legs, and arms. It stings, but it’s a pain I can handle. I move aside, attempting to dodge as many as possible, but they keep coming. Instincts kick in, and I feel my shadows wanting to retaliate.
“Don’t think about your shadows,” Larkin shouts. “Only focus on your light. Use that to defend yourself.”
I continue to jump and shuffle around the circle, unable to coax any light to come forward. Oak continues to send small bursts of lightning my way, and frustration builds in my chest.
“Stop! It’s not working,” I shout to Oak.
He ignores my request and continues to tease me with his wielding ability. Larkin and Maines watch from the sidelines and don’t come to my defense to tell him to stop. The frustration builds stronger, and the shadows begin to swell around my palms.
“Wrong direction,” Larkin bites.
That doesn’t alleviate my frustration, which is quickly bubbling into anger. Control seems to slip away from me, replaced by my fury, and shadows pulse around me.
“Wrong,” Larkin calls again. “Way.”
I lower my gaze, narrowing my eyes, and Oak’s eyes widen as he notices the anger building in my chaotic shadows.
“Shit,” Oak mouths, knowing what’s coming. “Maybe I should stop?”
“Don’t,” Larkin barks.
A surge of darkness rushes from my palms, striking Oak and sending him sprawling outside the training circle. He lands with a thud as his back hits the ground, releasing a pained breath.
Maines rushes to his side, and Oak supports himself on his elbows. He shakes his head and allows Maines to assist him in standing.
“Gods, you knocked the fucking… breath out of me,” he huffs, clutching his chest.
“I’m sorry,” I say, grimacing. “That was more of a reaction than a conscious decision.”
“This isn’t working.” Larkin steps toward us. “We are going to have to try something else.”
“Or, we could just stop,” I add.
“Silas told us to get you to use your dusk abilities, and I’m not leaving until that happens.” Larkin runs his hands through his white hair. “Briar, go back to the circle.”
“Can I have a second?”
“No. You can’t. You are charged right now, and we need to keep this going.”
I shake my hands and move back to the center of the circle. The breeze seems to pick up, and I glance at the few charged crystals that line the border. They pulse as my magic enters and dance with excitement. Maines and Oak stay outside of the line and watch intently.
Larkin dusts off his hands and steps across the line. A surge of power illuminates the crystals, and my brows shoot up. He stands opposite me and stares intensely into my eyes. The direct eye contact is distracting, so I break my stare and look at the ground for a second.
