Page 79 of Stolen Magic of the Deep

Orion’s gaze sharpens, and he tilts his head toward the hexagonal pillars behind us. “Ildrina,” he says, voice steady, “your eyes are no longer required here. Leave us.”

Our Snapdragons float at the edges of the ring. They glance at me briefly, and at his command, they slowly disperse, their sinuous forms fading into the shadows of the trench.

I lock up the penthouse, ensuring Nyra's voice doesn't come crashing in.

Returning to the front of me, Orion floats insanely close, tail drifting in a gentle spiral. “You have overcome every obstacle thrown your way, Snapdragon. Between shapeshifting, training with Nyxalene in Current One, succeeding in your first duel with Defymin, and bonding a Snapdragonis—which very few dare to attempt—in the deepest parts of their territory. And now it's time to prove you're meant for this too. Sea mates or not, you have already adapted, learned, and endured. It's time to see what you are truly capable of.”

“You know, I’m really running low on patience with this crap, Orion. Nothing is happening, and I have a damn duel to complete this evening.” Heat rises inside me, burning deep within my heart and extending to my fists. “I don’t need these distractions or to complete something that obviously isn’t working. We’ve been at this for weeks, with no results!”

I wave my hands at him, hinting that he’s the distraction, and an unusual energy surges alive inside me. My fingertips tingle, and for a fleeting moment, I see the sea ripple before a fierce current rips through the space between us. It crashes into Orion’s chest, blasting him backward into the basalt pillars.

My heart hammers, surprise and fear mingling in a knot. I’ve never felt anything like this before—something raw and powerful flowing out of me, responding to my frustration.

By the time I make my way over, Orion is already recovering. I glance down at my hands. I just unleashed a force stronger than anything I’ve ever summoned.

Ildrina surges forward, sensing the threat to Orion’s safety, casting a sharp, measuring stare at me as if trying to decipher what just happened. Nyra follows behind more slowly, nudging up beside me.

Unlocking the elevators of my mind for a moment, Nyra’s voice slips through. Did you do that?

Surprisingly, yes.

Just as I prepare to lock everything down again, Ildrina breaks through. What were you thinking? Her tone is sharp, dangerous.

Orion cuts her off, his voice calm but assertive. I’m alright, Ildrina. Just caught me off guard. In fact, I think it caught everyone off guard.

My mouth falls open. I mentally lock everything down instantly. His lips didn’t move, but I could hear him. In my head.

He observes me carefully. “I think you figured out what motivates your powers. Let's see what else you are capable of,” he says, his eyes never leaving mine.

Orion has me try to conjure the same forceful wave again, but nothing happens. The most I manage is a small ball of water, barely large enough to fit in my hand, and it certainly couldn’t cause any damage.

“You're not listening to the magic inside you, Snapdragon. You're fighting it. When you learn to work with it, not against it, things will become easier,” he tells me.

I know it’s not that I’m ignoring the magic. I can feel it pulsing in me, but something else is happening, something I don’t fully understand. Or maybe I do. Nyra is bonded to me, and I feel her nudge whenever she wants me to lower the barrier in my mind. Almost as if she's buzzing the intercom in my mind, requesting to come up. Orion has never done that. He spoke freely in my head—didn't ask permission. No signals, no warning.

I shift slightly, tightening the locks in my mind, testing him. A pause stretches between us. Nothing. No voice, no pressure, no intrusion. I try again, focusing on keeping the doors shut as tightly as possible, willing him out.

When I resurface from my thoughts, Orion’s physical presence is gone. No trace of him standing boldly before me. Instead, I feel him. A taut, controlled heat pressing close from behind, his lips grazing the shell of my ear.

“Those metal doors of death will not keep me out forever,” he murmurs. “Enjoy it for now. Once you choose to open your heart and mind to the truth, our minds will join as one.”

My body responds instantly to his lips and voice so close to my ear. Goosebumps ripple over every inch of me, knots twist in my stomach, and the bundle of nerves below awakens in desperate desire, as if it has been waiting for him, only him.

As if he got the response he wanted, he snakes above me, the tip of his tail brushing my jawline before he resumes his original stance.

My earlier anger flares again, but this time it twists into something entirely different. Sexual tension coils in my core and radiates outward, forcing the water into a sudden surge. Orion darts to the side, narrowly avoiding the wave I’ve conjured.

Glancing around and realizing our Snapdragons are no longer in sight, a flush of relief, and something else, rises through me. My face burns hot, probably flushed a deep red from both embarrassment and desire.

How can I be this frustrated with him and yet feel this all at the same time? I say to myself, knowing my thoughts are secure . . . I think.

The duels commence right after mealtime. Inside the training cavern, our group lines up around the hollowed-out dual rooms. Zevrin posts himself in the doorway of one. Whispers spread their way throughout as we wait for last-minute stragglers. I keep myself toward the back, since I'm taller than the rest. Carella and a few others enter the training cavern, their laughter echoing all around.

"So nice of you to join us, Carella. Did you get lost on the way here? Or was my instruction to be on time not important enough to you?"

Carella rolls her eyes but stays quiet.

"Now, we can begin. I have requested you all here after mealtime because fighting on full stomach is its own trial, a way to measure not only combat skill, but how well you can control your body against the currents while burdened with discomfort. In the past, some finlings have grown seasick from moving too quickly after eating," Zevrin explains. "Control under duress. That's what we're learning today."