Page 56 of Daughter of No Worlds

My head whipped to Max. “You can do this?”

“No.” Ripples circled his shoulders as he treaded, looking pleased. “You can.”

Me?

And, as if on cue, the current sputtered and I dropped. This time, Max’s hands snaked out to catch me, and he guided me toward the shore until I felt the squishy relief of earth beneath my feet. I let forth a fit of coughs again when my head emerged from the surface.

Unpleasant. So deeply unpleasant.

“You alright?” Max’s palm did not leave my arm, as if he were afraid I might float away. When I nodded, he said, “You’ll get better, or at least more consistent, I’m sure.”

I swirled my hand through the water, watching my spotted skin through the pulsating surface. I willed the water to move with me, and it did, running circles around my fingers. A satisfied smile twisted the corners of my mouth.

I had done little tricks with water before, for my performances. But nothing like this.

“You look far too pleased with yourself.” Max beckoned to me. “Again, you have no control. Show me some of those butterflies you like so much and we’ll see how much you earned that little smirk.”

I obliged. The first ones were sloppy, heavy and dripping. But soon they grew more delicate, more controlled.

“Better,” Max said. “It’s like speaking another language. Once you learn the accent, it comes easier. I was curious how far you’d be able to go.”

“Can you do this?”

“Water isn’t quite a language I speak. The general rule is that water and air tend to be the domain of the Valtain, while Solarie are more attuned to the more physical elements like fire and earth.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Really?Nothingwith water?” I intentionally infused the shade of a dare into my voice. As much time as Max spent instructing me, I had never seen him perform much magic of his own. And now, after yesterday, I was more curious than ever.

“Some things.” He looked at me like he knew exactly what I was doing. It was always the same skeptical look: pinched eyes, slightly narrowed, mouth pursed towards one side.

“Like what?”

He paused, as if deciding whether to accept my challenge.

Then that wary look gave way to a more focused spark, and I knew I had him. He moved a few steps into more shallow territory, until the water lapped around his waist instead of his chest. Then he flattened his hands at the glassy surface.

At first, there was nothing. Then, bubbles started to rise around him, faster and faster, like the water was leaping to a boil.

Or…

A particularly childish image popped into my head and refused to leave.

I couldn’t help myself. I pinched my nose. “Max!” I breathed, aghast. “In Threll, it isvery rudeto do that in front of others.”

For a moment, Max just looked confused. Then realization swept over his face and his mouth flattened into a very tense, very straight line. “Tisaanah… Ascended help me, was that afartjoke?”

I just stood there, pinching my nose, grinning.

Serel and I had wielded this kind of immature humor with nothing less than mastery. And I hadn’t known until this moment exactly how much I had missed it. Joking — even clumsily.

Max’s mouth twitched. First the left side, then the right. And then, all at once, he burst into wild, unrestrained laughter. I realized then that I had never heard him laugh before, at least not in a way that wasn’t some biting chuckle or a sarcastic scoff.

I could, I admitted to myself, get used to it.

“Sorry,” I said, not meaning it. “I could not resist.”

He shook his head, laughter slowly fading. “I don’t know what impresses me more. That you made a joke or that it’s one befitting of a five-year-old. Now that that’s out of your system, will you let me focus?”

His final chuckles disappeared as a line of concentration formed between his brows. The bubbles rose more frantically.

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