Page 31 of Immortal Origins
“I’m serious.”
She sighed and rubbed her temple. “I didn’t mean to surprise you but I’m really not in the mood today. Lightning takes years to master, there’s no way.”
“I know Lightning,” Akadian remarked.
Of course he did. The king used Lightning Magick, she hadn’t forgotten.
“I don’t know what you saw, but I haven’t come close to mastering the basics of an Element, let alone somethingthatadvanced. Which you’re well aware of, having not left my side for two moon cycles now.”
“I know.”
Once again, Ambrose remembered the servants who’d been occupying the hallway which was now empty—save for the ends—where they’d scurried for safety. Moments ago they’d been happily decorating and now they bunched together, huddled as they looked at her in terror.
“I’m so sorry!” she managed to get out through the guilt growing in her chest. Did she really just wield Lightning? How was that possible?
Unable to stand the way they looked at her, Ambrose ran down the corridor, achingly aware of Akadian in step behind her. She’d seen that look more times in her life than she could count. She’d only ever seen it pointed at the nobles and royals, never did she think it would be pointed ather. Likeshewas the monster.
She pushed her way through the halls as she searched for somewhere—anywhere—that wasn’t full of servants or nobles. Away from prying eyes and judgment. Her invisible chains broken but something so much more unstable had taken their place.
What had she become?
“It gets easier,” Akadian said solemnly from behind her.
Anger boiled inside of her. Why was healwaysthere?
“What does?” she snapped, whipping around to face him. She wouldn’t cry.
“That look,” he said softly. “You get used to it.”
“I’llneverget used to that,” she spat venomously. Did he mean to compare them? He was a royal. Heartless. They werenothingalike. “What makes you think you could possibly comprehend how I feel? You’re a royal. You relish in others’ fear.”
A shadow fell over his expression as Akadian replied, “Trust me. I understand.”
* * *
Afternoons had become one of Ambrose’s favorite parts of the day. In the mornings, she’d train with Lily, honing her skills with a sword. She was nothing like facing Adym. Where her brother was all honed technique and class, Lily’s fighting style was wild and unpredictable, though still earned from a lifetime of training. Which had come as a surprise to Ambrose considering her birth status. She couldn’t imagine many nobles with such an unrestrained fighting style. It kept Ambrose on her toes as well as made her think outside of her comfort zone. Lily was as quick with her blades as she was with her wit, usually leaving Ambrose aching in pain from laughter and training, the two of them growing closer each day. While she was grateful not to have lost any skill being unable to train with her brother, Ambrose often imagined him on the sidelines cheering her on, correcting her form and giving her pointers as he did in the forest.
Her afternoons however, were now full with Magick lessons. She’d finally been brought to a group session and was no longer training with the other servants who failed to master an Element. Now, she trained with mages of all classes and wealth. To her surprise, the insufferable noble from her old lessons also trained in her new ones. Apparently, his parents so desperate for him to master an Element they had him in every available slot, though he hadn’t grown in any capabilities. He was as incorrigible as the last time she’d seen him.
The rest of the group however, had proven to be rather impressive mages.No longer was Ambrose positioned as a student of un-mastered power, but had joined a group of almost entirely fully formed mages well on their way to mastering their Elements, with only a few still waiting—and due any day—for their call. Ambrose felt like a lie among such capable mages as she struggled next to them every day but trained desperately to join them in skill. She hadn’t managed to reproduce the Lightning Magick she’d expelled into the hallway of the palace, though it wasn’t for lack of trying. Beyond excited when he heard, Magnus had her doing drills every session in hopes she could repeat even the smallest charge.
“It’s no use,” Ambrose managed between breaths. The rest of the mages formed a rather informal mage circle around her, some sitting on the ground while others stood and observed. Ten skilled mages aside from her. Most of whom she’d committed to memory.
“You’re focusing too hard. You have to let it naturally release, your magick is already there, it just has nowhere to go,” a young blonde fae named Danthan Ashworth with pointed ears and a lightly freckled face called from the circle. The heir to a lesser noble family that ruled one of the cities outside the Capital. The Ashworths were one of the most powerful families in the kingdom, due to their magickal abilities as well as their lesser noble status. He was by far one of the most promising mages among them.
“I know, I’m trying,” Ambrose forced out through clenched teeth. She knew he was just trying to help and though she liked Danthan plenty enough, it only made her feel worse. All this power and it still wasn’t enough to master an Element. Exhaustion and frustration blended together inside of her as the others did their best to be supportive as well. Their kindness only seemed to make it harder, her mind and nerves buzzing as she tried to focus.
Almost everyone there had claimed an Element, what was so wrong with her she couldn’t manage anything useful? If she truly had wielded Lightning and been called by Fire, why couldn’t she conjure even the lesser form of it at will?
“It’s okay if you need a break, don’t push yourself.” Even the whiny nobleoffered encouragement and that just about sent her over the edge.
Voices rang out, climbing on top of each other as each mage tried to offer their best support. They echoed in her mind like a bell that wouldn’t stop, her heart beating as though she were running at full speed.
The air tightened around her, suffocating her. Crushing her.
“Enough!” she cried. A streak of purple-white severed the air and struck the ground with a thundering explosion so loud it consumed the space above the palace as the light illuminated the entire courtyard.
The mages jumped into defense, saving their ears with no time to spare. Three of the mages who failed to protect themselves in time, crumpled to their knees as they held bleeding ears, screams tearing from their throats. Unable to hear their cries over the high-pitched tone ringing in her own ears, Ambrose was forced to watch helplessly as two struggled to quickly heal themselves and Magnus rushed to heal the third.
