Page 54 of The Witch Queen

“Yeah, just remembering. This place reminds me of Eastern Velmara.” She swallows, and I follow the movement with my eyes.

“You can come back here whenever you want. To—um—remember.” Her words make her cheeks flush with embarrassment, and I can’t help the chuckle that escapes me.

“Thanks, witchling. I’ll keep that in mind.” We stare at one another in awkward silence for a beat too long.

“Well, should we head to the training room now?” she asks stiffly.

I nod, burying my frustration. She keeps doing this. Opening up, letting me glimpse the warm and vulnerable female beneath her icy exterior, before building her walls back up. It’s aethers-damned frustrating. Even if we don’t give into the heat between us, I still want to build a friendship with her.

We walk side by side down and then back up more flights of stairs, to the training room. As soon as we enter, she stalks around the room in a circle, concentrating on something.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“Building a protective shield of aether around the room. It’s just a precaution in case… in case my control slips. I’ve never trained in the palace before. I want to make sure there’s something to stop my magic from getting out.” She returns to her slow walk, brows furrowed, and I study her full figure.

Aethers,she’s beautiful. That dark hair paired with her creamy, plump skin makes me want tobiteher, to wrap her up in my arms and never let her go. Her curves do something to me that no one’s ever done before, and I wonder not for the first time what it might be like to see her naked. To see that heated expression she gives me when she’s challenging me on her face while her breasts sway with her attitude. She’s so confident and strong. And yet, there’s a softness to her, a sadness, that’s hard to ignore.

Something nags at me as she makes her third layer of wards on the room, a feeling about her that won’t leave me be. Then, it hits me—she’s afraid of her own magic. The realization shocks me, and I nearly laugh. The formidable and ferocious Witch Queen—feared across kingdoms, her name whispered out of concern it will conjure her, infamous for her supposed nefarious and terrible magic—is here making a shield around herself in case she loses control. The single most in control channeler I’ve ever encountered isafraidshe’ll lose control practicing simple sparring drills. The very fact that she can somehow build a shield of aether around us is a show of expert control.

I grieve for her. This wonderful, beautiful, insanely powerful female has been convinced she is somethingto be feared, rather than someoneto be celebrated. As much as my father is envious of my power, he always sought to elevate it, even if only for his own gain. But while he memorialized my aether-blessed light and water magic through the streets of Velmara, he also spun a tale about Laurel that made her into a nightmare. Whether a small part of her believes him, or cows from her magic for her own reasons, I don’t know. But she’s afraid what she can do if unleashed, and I vow to change that for her.

Laurel finishes her warding and returns to the middle of the room. She must notice my staring, because she says, her tone filled with sass, “What?”

My lips twitch. “Nothing, just observing. Let’s get started. Before you do any actual channeling, I want you to watch me. As you’re watching, visualize yourself displaying the same power. Light channeling is the hardest for a reason. You have tobelievethe light can slice through objects, or it won’t.”

I drag the two massive pots filled with plants from the corners of the room to where we’re standing, then close my eyes and focus on the powerful current of aether pulsing all around me. I hone that focus into the light with practiced ease, then pull it to me as an orb, making sure I extend out the movements that are so second nature to me so that they are easy for her to track. Then I guide the orb to lengthen into a sword-like shape. It splits, and I have one in each hand. I go through a series of exercises to warm up and show her how to manipulate the light. And, if I’m being honest with myself, to show off for her.

She tracks my movements, a hungry look on her expression that eliminates all trace of the slow and patient teacher in me. It’s replaced by a need to show her how powerful I really am. The light swords spear across the room in a fast beeline, then fly back into my hand. I whip them around me in fast slices and parries. One expands into a shield for an instant before it shrinks into dagger form, lightning fast. Then actual lightning-shaped spears slam into the ground, shaking the room. In an instant, all the light pulls back into a single sword, blinding in its intensity. I swing it toward the planters, slicing them in half with a sizzle.

Laurel’s eyes are wide in awe, and I find heat rising to my own cheeks. “How was that for a party trick, witchling?” I ask her with a wink.

She recovers, a smirk rising to her own lips. “It was… sufficient. Though I could have done without theproperty damage.” She gestures to the planters, and I give her a sheepish shrug.

“Sufficient,” I scoff. “It was brilliant, and you know it. Iknowyou can’t do those tricks.”

“Fine,” she admits, putting her hands on her hips with that attitude I was just fantasizing about. “Yes, it was impressive. Happy?” She gives me a mocking smile.

“Elated,” I say with the deepest and most sensual voice I can muster, and she shivers. “Now it’s your turn. Try to create a sword, split it into two, then make one of them a shield before turning it into a dagger. Don’t worry about speed, just focus on form for this first try.” Her brows furrow in adorable concentration, then she moves through the motions effortlessly, if slowly. “Excellent!” I clap my hands. “That was great technique. Now speed it up. Do the drill as fast as you can.”

She creates the two swords again, but the light fizzles before she makes a shield. She tries again. Over and over, she attempts to move through the motions quickly, but the light always disintegrates before she can form the next shape. She stamps her foot, and my lips twitch.

“You have too much control.”

She huffs. “Toomuch control? Please, enlighten me how expertise and control can somehow hinder my abilities.”

“You can make the forms slowly because that allows you to concentrate on keeping the light contained. But to shift between forms, you have to let go a little. There’s inevitably a moment between forms where the light exists outside of your control. The mastery comes in letting it go for that fraction of a second, then pulling it back to you.” She looks distressed but only nods slowly. “Take another moment to visualize yourself doing the motions.Believeyou can let go and still be able to pull the light back.”

She closes her eyes and tries again, and this time she makes the shield, but falters when trying to make the dagger. She lets out a frustrated grunt and opens her eyes.

“That was good. Excellent really,” I encourage. “It took meyearsto move between forms, and it’s only taken you half an hour. It’s amazing progress. Keep trying.”

She practices for another hour. I give her encouragement along the way, gently nudging her to let go of the tight hold she keeps on her magic. By the end of the hour, she’s able to whip through the forms quickly.

“Okay, let’s try slicing through something. Er… sorry about the planters,” I say, realizing there’s not much more in the room for her to practice on. In an instant, the planters have been restored, as if they were never broken in the first place. I look up at Laurel, and she just shrugs.

“The benefit ofcontrol,” she coos with a smirk, and my blood heats at the subtle challenge she offers me with her gaze. But then she shudders, and her expression turns worried. “Uh, don’t tell anyone about that. Please.” She must realize she’s displayed yet another ability not connected to a conduit, but I don’t press her on it. Internally, my mind is whirring.What is her power?What conduit could possibly produce that result?

“Your secret’s safe with me, witchling,” is all I say though, motioning for her to continue with training.

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