Page 48 of To Kill a King
“It is done,” Jalius said with a solemn nod. A shiny ring with a yellow cat’s-eye graced his middle finger. The gnome smiled and readjusted his spectacles on his nose. “Excellent! This has been a most productive day.” Bowing from the waist, he grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Your Majesty, it was a pleasure.”
He turned to walk away but Aliya called out, “Wait!”
“Yes?” He froze midstep.
“You know magecraft.”
He tilted his head to the side as he peered over his shoulder. “I do.”
She glanced at Elessan then back at Jalius. “Can you teach me how to control it?” At his blank stare, she continued, “You just helped me complete an Irrevocable Vow. And if you really want me to do this, then me being able to work my magic is in your best interests, too.”
He studied her for several heartbeats as the silence stretched, pushing on Aliya’s shoulders and making it hard to breathe. Eventually, he gave her a shallow smile and nodded, waving for her to follow. “Very well, come along then.”
Once inside, he plopped down on the floor in the middle of the room, crossing one leg over the other as he stared at her expectantly.
Swallowing, she sat opposite him.
A shadow fell across her as Elessan crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame.
Jalius cleared his throat and scooched a half pace backward as his eyes flicked between her and Elessan. He held out his hands, palm up, until she settled hers on top of them. “Close your eyes, Your Majesty, and focus on the seat of your magic.”
She turned her attention to the kernel that thrummed gently in her chest.
“Study it. Tell me what you notice…does it have a shape? A texture?”
Taking several heartbeats, she examined the core of her power as his voice flowed past her. It pulsed with her breath, heat radiated to each fingertip and toe. “It feels…warm. And alive.”
“Excellent! Coax a little to the surface, like you did for the vow.”
Remembering how her skin had seemed to glow, she reached for the light. It flooded up, a tidal wave ready to do her bidding.
“Slowly!” He pulled his hands from hers and flicked his wrist.
A bank of amber and gold-edged clouds erupted, reminding her of a dramatic sunset. The fog hit an invisible barrier between them that felt like an extension of Jalius. Her magic sparked before flowing around the wall.
Aliya tensed, but her clouds didn’t seem to be doing any harm. She exhaled, her shoulders slumping. That was one step forward, at least. They followed the eddies and air currents of the room until finally after a few minutes, they dissipated. The fog cleared, revealing Jalius’ flat expression as he stared at her.
“Ready to try again?” He raised his eyebrow. This time without the visual component?
She could hear the second sentence as clearly as if he’d spoken aloud. Swallowing, she nodded. No clouds, right. Just her magic.
She could do this. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes again, focusing.
“Slowly,” Jalius whispered.
Leather scuffed over stone as Elessan shifted position behind her.
The light rose until it overflowed and sent crackling tingles of energy up and down her skin.
“Open your eyes, Your Majesty.”
The power slipped through her fingers like a wriggling fish covered in swamp weed. Her eyes widened, meeting Jalius’ gaze. She opened her mouth to warn him, but the explosive concussion threw them in opposite directions across the room.
Still seated, Aliya slid, slamming into Elessan’s feet, taking him down on top of her.
Jalius smacked into the far wall and collapsed to the ground with a thud. The roof overhead cracked ominously.
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry.” She scrambled out from underneath Elessan, her throat thickening as her eyes filled with tears. This. This is what always happened when she tried to learn to control her magic. Now she’d injured her best chance of mastering her power and probably convinced Elessan to not risk teaching her anything else, ever again.