Page 180 of A Dance of Water

"It’s not a matter ofif. WeareVincire—you’re right about that."

She was right about more than that.

"I have proven myself in my eyes." The rain drowned out her words.

Tharen hummed.

Her fingers were pruned from being in the cold rain, and he took her hand, tracing the lines of her palm.

"I look a sight, I’m sure." She gestured to her rain-soaked appearance.

He hummed again.

She felt a tug on her hair as his fingers combed roughly through the strands.

"In some ways, you have proven yourself to me. But not all. You may think you want this, but you don’t." Tharen pressed his palm over her chest, snagging on the chain of her amulet. "The head and heart are different. Just as the body and soul. Your soul yearns for destiny, but your body is scared. You have towantyour magic. If one part is against you, then you are not ready."

His words stung.

"I… All of me wants this," she lied.

His palms snapped up from her chest to grip her chin. "Really?" he asked against her parted lips.

Water rushed around her, icy pinpricks in her hair and on her skin. Tharen’s Aqua magic assaulted her. She felt wetness against her mouth, tendrils of controlled water trying to drown her.

Luella jerked her head away, but he held her firm.

She whimpered.

Slowly, the water stopped.

"This fear you have of water, you must overcome it and align yourself with all elements, the sun, and the stars, to even have a chance… You can’t let fear control you."

"I cannot help but be scared of it," she revealed. "All I see, all I hear, all I feel… is the moment when I almost drowned."

"Fear is a powerful motivator. In time, I believe you’ll figure out how to use those memories for your gain instead of letting them dictate how you choose to live."

His calloused hand gripped her face, and she felt his fingers curl into her blindfold.

"You believe so?" she whispered shakily, knowing what he was going to do.

There was a flare of warmth as he held her face between his hands. Her head grew light, limbs filled with electricity. She felt his fingers move behind her head, tracing along the silk.

He lifted the blindfold away.

The light was blinding.

She winced.

Tharen placed his palm over her eyes. "Adjust slowly."

One by one, he lifted his fingers away, letting the light seep through the cracks, until nothing was keeping her safe but her tightly squeezed lids.

He brushed a finger over her eyelids. "Open up. Look at me."

And Luella opened her eyes.

She saw nothing but black dancing spots as she acclimated.

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