Page 157 of Shadowvein

“This will work. Come with me.” I guide Ellie to the center of the clearing. “We will stay here for an hour, and then we’ll continue on.”

She looks around uncertainly. “What are we doing?”

“I’m going to teach you to suppress your abilities … or at least their visible manifestations.” I remove my pack, and set it against one of the rocks. “The silver in your eyes needs to be concealed before we reach Ashenvale.”

“How? I can’t turn it off.”

“Not directly, no. But you can learn to redirect the energy flow.” I position myself in front of her. Close enough to see the silver flecks clearly, close enough to feel the pulse of power coming from her, but not so close that it risks a repeat of whatever happened when we were in Stonehaven.

“Close your eyes.”

She complies.

“Power responds to will and emotion. With training, most learn to channel it. Without training, it manifests unpredictably, as you’ve experienced, breaking through barriers in moments of stress or fear. The first step is awareness. You’ve done this before, instinctively.Now I want you to reach for it on purpose. Feel the energy inside you. Locate its source.”

The mists tighten around us, creating a boundary more absolute than the rocks. It feels almost deliberate, as though the Veil itself recognizes what we’re doing here.

Something forbidden.

If the Authority knew we stood here now, they would kill us both without hesitation.

Her brow furrows. “I’m not sure what I’m looking for.”

“The pressure you described. The vibration before the manifestation. Find where it originates.”

She stands silent for several moments, her breathing gradually turning slow and deep. “There’s something … behind my eyes. And in my chest. Like a current running between them.”

“Good. Now imagine that current as a stream of light. See it flowing through you.”

The silver in her eyes intensifies, visible beneath her closed lids. It’s joined by a faint glow beneath her skin, branching patterns that follow her veins before spreading outward in delicate, fern-like structures. The power within her answers immediately, like a creature long ignored suddenly acknowledged, unfurling and stretching toward freedom.

I’ve witnessed countless manifestations of power. Controlled it. Channeled it. Manipulated it to my will. But this … this is primal. Untamed. And it draws my attention with a force I’ve never experienced. For a moment, I’m transfixed, the analytical walls I built slipping under the sheer inevitability of it before I reclaim them.

“I can feel it getting stronger.” Alarm enters her voice.

“That’s expected. Don’t fight it yet. Just follow its natural movement.”

The glow beneath her skin spreads, tracing patterns along her neck and arms—a living embroidery, silver and alive, more beautiful than anything I have a right to admire.

“That's good.” I keep my voice calm and steady, despite the impressive display. “Now imagine redirecting that stream. Not blocking it. Guiding it deeper inside, away from the surface.”

Her fingers curl into her palms as she struggles to follow my instruction. The silver light flares once, a dazzling burst, before beginning to recede, flowing back beneath her skin.

“Yes. Good. Direct it inward. Channel it toward your center rather than letting it express outward.”

The glow reduces more, retreating until only the faintest silver sheen remains at her fingertips.

“Open your eyes.”

The flecks are still there, but dimmer. Less likely to draw attention at a distance.

“How did I do?”

“Remarkably well for a first attempt. With practice, you should be able to maintain it for longer periods.”

“It feels uncomfortable. Like holding your breath underwater.”

“Most suppression does. Your energy seeks expression. Restraining it demands constant attention.” I consider how much to explain. “Those born with abilities normally learn these techniquesas children, before their powers fully manifest. You’re learning everything in the wrong order.”

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