“As far as I need to,” he said, entirely too pleased with his non-answer.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re insufferably cryptic?”
He laughed and caught my hand before I could hit him, passing it under his arm instead. “Once or twice. But I’m certain you’ll keep asking questions anyway. To appease you, Princess, the answer is that I’ve never found a limit, nor a reason to test what that limit may be.”
“Is that normal? For magic to be limitless?”
He was surprised by my question, as though he’d never considered it before. “I suppose not.”
We lapsed into silence as we strolled along, his forearm solid under my hand, the toned muscle shifting beneath his sleeve with each step. I was hyperaware of every place we touched—my palm on his arm, our shoulders brushing. The strange warmth that I felt every time our skin met spread up my arm and settled deep in my chest. It wasn’t unpleasant—quite the opposite in fact. It was as if a cheery fire had taken up residence, warming something that I hadn’t realized was cold.
This was nice. Uncomplicated. A sense of peace and rightness settled in my chest. I intended to enjoy it until he decided to clam up again.
“Whenever I use my powers,” I admitted, “I just feel… drained.”
He had turned his head to look at me when I spoke, his sandy waves falling just above his eyes. “That’s common. Especially when you’re just learning. You’ll learn to regulate and it won’t be as much of an effort,” he told me. “Longer distances or carrying more people causes additional strain and takes me longer to recover.”
“Finn said you have body and earth?”
“Body, earth, and mind,” he corrected. “Body to move myself, mind to travel through space, and earth to figure out where to go.”
“Does your body channel do more than just help you teleport?”
“It certainly doesn’t hurt my fighting.”
“Do you have any of the others?”
Instead of answering, he snapped his fingers. A small flame appeared in his free palm, dancing. “Fire,” he murmured, then made a circling gesture with his other hand. A soft breeze caressed the back of my neck, making the strands of hair that had escaped my braid rustle, before circling around my face to tickle my nose. “Air.” I shivered as the wind traced along my cheek and throat, a final embrace before dissipating. He closed his fist, the fire disappearing, and then opened it again, palm to the ground where a trickle of water appeared. “Water.”
“Show-off.”
“Only for you, Princess.” He ducked his head, but I still saw his smile.
Wait a minute—“Do you have all seven channels?” If he did, how was I just hearing about it now?
“Soul has never manifested anything.”
Even so, from what I’d learned, six out of seven was almost unheard of.
“And people keep being impressed withme,” I breathed.
He glanced sidelong at me. “You are very impressive,” he said sincerely. “And my strength is nothing compared to yours.”
“I don’t know about that. You at least know what you’re doing,” I said, perhaps a bit petulantly.
He patted my hand where it rested on his arm. “You’ll get there. I have faith.”
I realized with wonder that I’d never truly seen him relaxed. Not like this. I decided to push it, and keep asking questions.
“What is it about your powers that they keep sending you to the holes in the Veil?”
He opened his mouth to reply when we heard it—a blood-curdling scream. In one fluid motion, Griff shoved me behind him and drew his swords, the blades singing as they were freed from their sheaths. The almost-relaxed, almost-joking man I’d been walking with was gone. Replaced with the Champion, coiled and ready for action.
He took off, in ground-eating strides. I ran after him until I was alongside him once more. His arm shot out, catching me across the upper chest. The impact was solid enough to stop my momentum. He positioned me behind him once more, deliberately this time.
The glare he leveled at me communicated clearly: Stay. Back.
I gritted my teeth, but message received. I'd stay back. For now.
