“Because it’s my job. It’s what I was born to do. You can walk away, any time. You can leave whenever you want and all of this will still be on me.”
His jaw clenches. “Do you really think so low of me? Besides, I don’t think I could walk away if I tried.”
I shove against him, but he grips me tighter. “You did though. Remember? You walked away from me.” I don’t know why I say it, but I’m pissed and hurt and terrified that he’ll do it again. Some part of me feels a little guilty for bringing it up, but only a very small part.
“Stop,” he says, now looking down at me. “Don’t turn this into an argument about us.” He turns away from me, and the cold wraps around me once more. I fight the urge to reach for him again. “So Marik and Cora are ramping up their plans. Stop wallowing and do something about it.”
I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him, gnashing my teeth together as I bite back a litany of responses. He’s right, but I don’t know whattodo.“I feel helpless,” I admit. “I can’t do anything to save anyone. Even if I wanted to go help the Panthera hybrids, I have no idea how tomake a portal. I have no idea if I can even funnel. What the fuck am I supposed to do?”
“You say you feel helpless, so start by taking some control back.”
I grit my teeth. “How?”
“Shift.”
“I don’t know howto, Asmo.”
He draws in a deep breath, then releases it, as ifI’mthe one testinghispatience. “Everyone’s method of shifting is different. You have to find what yours is on your own.”
“Well, what’s yours?”
He shrugs, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “I just do it. It’s become ingrained in me. But when I was first learning, I’d picture myself as a snake, slithering in the sun.”
“There’s the other thing. You’re a snake.”
He gives me a blank look. “So?”
“You have fangs. That’s dangerous.” I gesture to my antlers. “What the hell kind of threat does a deer pose?”
He pulls a hand from his pocket. “Speed, stealth, heightened senses, weapons built on top of your head.” He extends a finger for each advantage.
“I guess,” I grumble.
“There you go again. Enough.”
I ignore him. “How do I funnel?”
“If you can shift, then funneling should come naturally to you. Envision yourself in another location, then imagine the wind rushing around you and the scene fading as you step into your destination. You have to believe it will work. Otherwise, it won’t.”
“Where am I supposed to go?” I ask, uncrossing my arms and looking around the desolate forest.
“Somewhere you can see.”
I quirk an eyebrow. “Then how am I ever supposed to funnel to new places?”
“That comes with practice. Just focus on this for now.” His voice is calm, despite my blatant and misdirected attitude. He places a warm hand on my shoulder and turns me, pointing toward a large, snow-covered rock. “Imagine funneling there. You can see it. Picture the wind swirling around you as you step toward it.”
I stare so hard at the rock that it feels like I might burn a hole through it. I inhale, then exhale and concentrate on doing what Asmo said. I focus my mind, imagining every other time I’ve funneled, the wind spinning around me like a vortex. I move forward, but I’m only one step closer to the rock.
“Try again,” Asmo whispers.
This time, I settle into my magic, focusing on my connection to the earth. Instead of thinking of wind, I reach for it, pulling it toward me and coaxing it around me. I don’t have to imagine the wind whipping around me—I can feel it. I stare at the rock, envisioning the wind whisking me away in its gentle embrace. Suddenly, the rock is within reach. A grin steals across my face and I turn to Asmo. He stares at me through the trees with a smirk.
“Now come back!” he yells.
I close my eyes and think about the wind transporting me into Asmo’s arms. It whips around me, then dies. Warmth radiates from Asmo as he stands before me. I grin up at him.
“You caught onto that so quickly.” He beams. “Do it again.”
