Oh, Mom. That’s why she never told me! Never taught me. She didn’t want me to lose my dragon. Myfather.
“Okay. I’m ready,” I told him. Whatever he asked of me I would do. I didn’t care if he told me to sleep under trees and give up deodorant, I would master being a druid, and it would not consume my dragon. Logan was the most important thing in my life, and he would not be taken fromme.
Isaac raised his staff up and slammed it into the ground, causing the leaves on the trees to shake. “Lesson one, you are only as strong as you let yourselfbe.”
Let the confusing riddles begin. I was officially a druid intraining.
Chapter 13
One week later.
I was bruised, battered, and slightly badass.Slightly.Because Isaac and I were connected, I could do some of what he could do. Shake the earth a bit. Block magic with my staff. I could also focus my purple magic like a laser through the staff’s crystal—but I was having a hard time keeping a steady streamgoing.
After a few sleepless nights, I’d broken down and told Logan what Isaac’s theory was, about my druid consuming my dragon and our matebond with it. He’d been very quiet, then he’d just stood and said not to worry about it and left. After pressing him later he said he was “working on it” with Eva and Danny. I had enough to worry about. He needed to feel like he was a little in control, so I let it go. We’d also called every skyborn in my mom’s address book, but because five years had passed since she’d been alive to update it, only fifty percent of the numbers worked. Still, that was something. They were skeptical at first, but after showing them my face on video chat, telling them about my mom, each one of them said they would tie up their lives and move quietly from their town and onto Isaac’s land. They wanted to live in a skyborn community surrounded by shifter protectors, and that’s what Isaac was offeringthem.
Keegan and Sophie still weren’t back with reinforcements, although he did say he’d be arriving later today with new packmates.
“I think you’re ready to tap into your fire magic today,” Isaacsaid.
I frowned at my mentor. “What? Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?” Ilaughed.
My staff had become like an extra arm to me. Isaac had taught me how to use the blunt end to crack someone in the temple and knock them out. Theoretically, of course. Although Dominic offered to be the guinea pig if I wanted to try it in reallife.
He shook his head. “No. No. You’ve been connecting with the earth’s power, and learning to control yourself, but you haven’t even touched on what a fire druid is capableof.”
That sounded scary and exciting. “Okay. Likewhat?”
He shrugged as if to say he wasn’t entirely sure. “Well, I’m only going off of rumor of course, but I want you to try and light something on fire without touchingit.”
“What!” I shrieked, nearly dropping my staff. “You think I can light things on fire with mymind?”
He looked unfazed. “Ido.”
Geeze. That was a scary thought and slightly intriguing. Could my mother do that? “How?” My curiosity won out over myfear.
“By practicing the art of meditation, and utilizing the greatest weapon you have. Yourmind.”
This brought a smile to his lips. I think he was underestimating how awesome my mindwas.
“Okay, I’m listening.” We’d been practicing mediation daily, and I actually had taken to it quite easily. I felt so connected and in tune afterwards, that now I couldn’t imagine going a day without it. Just sitting there, the sound of the waterfall playing in the background, the only focus was on my breathing, it was refreshing. I could really feel the buzzing of the Earth’s energy just under myskin.
Isaac bent down and placed a dried leaf on the top of a flat stone. Then he instructed me to sit and stare at theleaf.
I did. And nothing happened. “Can’t I just point my staff at it and use a beam of purple magic to light it onfire?”
Isaac looked down his nose at me. “Yes, you could, but what good would that do if you need to fight two assailants at once? The staff is a great tool, it’s done wonders to hone your magic, make it less dangerous and feed it into the earth, but I want you to try to learn to do this without it. It would be the first step, in a long road to learning to control your power without the staff. You will still use your staff to anchor to Mother Earth, but try to use your mind to ignite theleaf.”
I groaned, sinking the end of my staff into the earth and tightening my grip on the wood. “Fine.”
And so went my afternoon, staring at a leaf, thinking fiery thoughts and coming up with nothing. Finally, Isaac dismissed me for the day. Which only meant I was allowed to go to my training with Dominic. The silent shifter had taken over for Sophie in her absence, and I now had a nice little collection of throwing knives. I also knew the five spots to throw them on a person’s body to inflict maximumdamage.
When I hiked across the forest, I saw Roxy standing outside with Nadine next to her. Nadine looked like she’d been crying; Roxy was comforting her. I picked up my speed and slipped in beside my friend. “Hey, whathappened?”
Nadine wiped her face and looked behind her to make sure no one else was around. I could see a group huddled far off by the obstacle course, but much too far to hearanything.
“Just Gear stuff. I’m getting really sick of acting like we don’t care for each other,” she toldme.
Roxy looked at me with weary eyes. “She wants to leave thepack.”
