Page 31 of When Storms Awaken

“No,” he replied, a wicked gleam lighting his eyes. He lifted his hand, and moments later a ball of flame rested within his palm. My jaw dropped as I watched the orange flames lick against his skin, never touching it. Never burning him. It was as if the flames were hovering right above the surface.

“How did you do that?” I asked, astonished. I hadn’t even known this type of magic was possible.

“All witches havesomecontrol over the elements. Earth, water, air, and fire. Nightshades have lesser abilities than a Stormshade would, but we can still do things like this.” He nodded towards the flames. “It keeps me warm.”

“I don’t think I can do that.” I shook my head.

“You already have,” he replied, extinguishing the flames by closing his hand. “You started a fire when your magic detonated, and you set that poor little feather on fire too. You may not have meant to do it, but you’ve already done it. You’ve used your fire magic, now we just need tocontrolit.”

He was right. I didn’t mean to use fire either time, but I had. But could I control it the way he did, in the palm of his hand? Wouldn’t it burn me?

“I thought you said we would start with simple magic?” I asked, nervous.

“This is simple magic,” he explained. “Moving things from one place to another, unlocking things, starting fires. They don’t require actual spells.”

“Actual spells?” I asked, confused.

“Yes, spoken spells. Something more complicated such as accessing the portal to Istmere, for instance, requires a spoken spell.”

“Where do those spells come from?” I asked.

“From other witches who have taught you. Or from grimoires, a family’s book of shadows. It’s passed down from generation to generation. I learned from my mother, who learned from her mother.”

“Do I have a grimoire?” I couldn’t imagine anyone in my family having written down their more complex spells to pass on.

“You must.” He shrugged. “Every family does. The question is, who in your family is the witch?” he grinned.

“Who, indeed,” I mused. “I can’t exactly come out and ask my mother...” Was it hidden in my house somewhere? Had I ever come across a book I wasn’t allowed to read, or a book that had been buried deep in the attic? If other witches learned from their grimoires, how was I supposed to learn when I didn’t have one? I could feel my face fall, my eyes dropping to the snow. Would I ever be able to useandcontrol this energy stirring inside of me?

“As a Stormshade, you’ll be able to do a hell of a lot more than this. I’ll teach you.” His voice pulled me from my thoughts. If Nik taught me, would I be able to catch up? Would I ever have enough control to visit Istmere?

“Let’s try this,” he started, taking a step closer to me and opening his palm to reveal a ball of flame again. “You’re going to focus on the palm of your hand, and the feeling of something in it. Picture what it would look like and feel like to have the flames against your skin. They won’t burn you if you don’t let them. Imagine they hover right above the surface. Simplywantingthe ball of flame won’t conjure it, you have to actually picture it,feel it.” He took a deep breath. “Imagine that the flame belongs to you, that you control it. You decide how big it is, how hot it burns. Feel the energy deep in your core and channel it into your palm. Remember to breathe deeply.”

I opened my hand before me tentatively, feeling the cold chill in the air against my bare skin. Nik looked so warm and confident across from me, conviction in his eyes as I took a deep breath and focused on the palm of my hand.

I did as he said, imagining the flame and the feeling of its heat. Imagining it was under my complete control. Several moments passed and nothing happened.

“Keep trying,” he encouraged. “Imagine the well of energy deep in your stomach. Channel that energy to do your bidding.” I nodded before turning back to my hand to try again.

I could feel the energy just outside my grasp. I focused first on drawing that energy out of my core, out to my fingertips, and I could feel the magic as it moved inside of me. The energy passed from my core up through my chest, down my arm and towards my fingers. As I opened my eyes a small ball of flame lit in the center of my palm, red flames licking at the tips of my fingers. I pictured the flame burning bigger, hotter, lapping against my skin and warming me from the inside out. My eyes snapped up to Nik’s, and he was watching me with a deep intensity, a seductive smile on his lips.

“That’s it,” he encouraged in a low voice.

I had done it.I had really done it. I had a ball of flame in the palm of my hand, and it wasmine. I controlled it, not the other way around. I could feel the well of energy as it spilled into my fingers and then back into my core as if it were on an endless loop. All I needed to do was focus and keep my concentration, not letting my emotions control me. The lingering magical energy of the meadow didn’t hurt either.

“Now throw it at me,” he said from his spot across the meadow.

“Throw it at you?” I muttered back, confused.

“Yes, throw it at me,” he insisted.

I pictured the ball of flame leaving my palm and rushing towards him. Just as I could feel the added burst of energy pull from my core, the flame shot out across the space between us and he caught it in the palm of his hand. The flame was gone from my fingers, but I could still feel the warmth it had left behind.

“Very good,” he praised. “You make an excellent student, firecracker.”

A smile split across my face. I had actually done it, I had created fire andcontrolledit. “I must have a very good teacher,” I teased, watching as Nik extinguished my flame in the palm of his hand.

“A good teacher?” He mused, “There are several things I’d like to teach you.”

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