Page 70 of The Gods Order

Meridamus’s snort has her turning a worried glance his way and I glare at him for dampening her confidence. He holds his hands up, palms facing me with a smirk on his face.

Val ignores him completely.

“Focus on me, Yemi, and remember the lesson. You’re not focusing on the critters themselves. Focus on the interaction between your hearing and their singing. Think of the space between the two and separate it.”

She nods and allows her lids to fall shut once again. A silent beat passes before her power of Boundaries skirts across my senses. I study her and every move she makes. Although it isn’t really informative since I can’t actually tell what she’s doing. Still, I don’t want to miss a detail.

The wind continues blowing, rustling the leaves and carrying the critters’ chirping. Nothing really changes aside from how Yemi’s brows furrow deeper and the pulse of her power strengthens.

That’s until every sound around us vanishes. Startling silence spreads through the meadow. The second her eyes fly open and she gasps, all other sounds return as well.

“A little too broad,” Val says.

Yemi groans. “I know.”

“What did you separate?” he asks knowingly.

“Our hearing from sound.”

“Yes. What were you supposed to separate?”

“The critters.”

He gives her an encouraging smile. There isn’t a hint of disappointment on his face.

I appreciate that. I wouldn’t take kindly to his method of training if he went about it in a ‘tear you down’ kind of way.

“Again,” he says.

Yemi mutters something beneath her breath that sounds suspiciously like a harsh pep talk. I have half a mind to tell her to stop that but don’t get the chance when she jumps right back into trying again.

Her second attempt comes slower. This time she doesn’t call her power straight to the surface. She stands there, silently listening.

A faint shimmer ripples through the air and my eyes flare as the noises coming from the critters weaken. It doesn’t completely disappear, but it sounds farther away. Then the wind vanishes for a split second.

Her eyes fly open and her face brightens as she twirls to face me. A laugh bursts from my chest as she grips my shoulders and jumps up and down.

“That was it, right?” she asks.

“That was better,” Val says and her shoulders sag. “Don’t be disappointed. For a moment, you effected the correct interaction.”

“But then?” she asks.

“You simply grabbed more than you intended. Before you completely separated the sound of the critters, you separated the wind.”

Her grin returns as she lets me go and shakes herself out, getting right back into position to do it all over again.

“Again?” he asks.

“Yep.”

The excitement on her face grows, and she’s far more relaxed this time. This third attempt takes longer than the first two combined. Minutes pass as we observe her, but nobody rushes her or speaks.

It takes me that long to realize I no longer hear the critters. The wind and the leaves are as loud as they have been. I cover my mouth with my palm to keep my slip of excitement quiet. My wide, thrilled gaze finds Kyzen’s, though, and he gives me a nod paired with a breathtaking smile.

She’s doing it. She’s definitely got this part down.

Slowly, she finally blinks those beautiful golden eyes of hers open.