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“I did it,” she cried out, so excited she could barely stand still. They had moved outside before she attempted to bring her mystic energy into the physical world. The flame flickered and swirled, hovering over the palm of her hand. “Should I try to make it bigger?”
“That’s easy,” Arcon said, standing several steps away. “You just channel more energy into the shape you’ve created. I want you to make it smaller.”
She glanced at him, confused by the suggestion. “Why?”
“Mastering control will allow you to decide the size, shape, and intensity of your manifestation. Raw power is something you have in abundance. Your biggest challenge is control.”
For the next few days, she focused on drawing her energy into tiny concentrated balls. Once she could accomplish that without much effort, Arcon instructed her to form different shapes. The standard fireballs became steady columns or complex stars. She lit a candle in the middle of a dry bush without igniting the bush itself.
Arcon was amazed by the progress she’d made and Eden was grateful for his teaching. He was a wonderful mentor, knowledgeable yet patient. At the Citadel, she had been one of many. It was nice to be the focus for a change.
Arcon had been working with Eden for sixteen days when he announced that he would be leaving in the morning. He was sharing dinner with Eden and her mates as he had since he arrived.
“You understand the basic skill,” Arcon concluded. “The rest is routine and practice.”
“But I’ve improved so much since you’ve been here,” she objected. His impending departure upset her far more than she’d expected. “Won’t I continue to improve?”
“Of course you will. But you don’t need me standing there watching you practice. You’re a wonderful student. You’re ready for the next step.”
“To be part of a triad?” It wasn’t really a question. She knew that’s what he meant.
“You’ve come as far as you can as an unattached conduit. You need a source to draw from and Neloff is one of the strongest I’ve ever sensed.”
She nodded. It wasn’t fair to continue stringing Neloff and Kyrex along, but soul bonding was forever. She simply couldn’t make the decision carelessly.
“It’s likely you will be able to facilitate a power exchange,” Arcon said as he munched on the Houkdi equivalent of a chicken leg. “Most of the second-level conduits can.”
“What is a power exchange?” Neloff beat her to the question.
“Exactly what it sounds like. It takes one form of energy and changes it into another. Eden’s energy is based in Fire, but both you and Kyrex have other forms of energy. Your mother was Torretian, while your father was from Houkdi. Kyrex’s mother was from Houkdi and his father was Pyronese. It’s possible that your triad could manifest all four elements at will.”
“Is there any way to know for sure?” Eden asked, fascinated by the concept.
“Not that I know of.” Arcon suddenly flashed a playful grin. “I guess you’ll have to let them claim you.”
Her gaze drifted longingly toward her mates before she refocused on her mentor. “What about you? Have you found that special someone?”
“Not for lack of trying,” Arcon grumbled. “But conduits tend to look for stability and political connections in their mates and I have neither. I’ve been a planet hopper most of my life and tend to avoid political conflicts.”
“Really?” Eden cocked her head to the side and let surprise fill her voice. “Then why support the rebels on Torret? Isn’t that where you were when Kyrex commed you?”
Careful, mate, Kyrex cautioned.Keep it casual.
She kept her curious gaze on Arcon as if the questions were simply part of the conversation.
Arcon shrugged. “They needed someone qualified to train multiple disciplines. I was available.”
“Oh, then you didn’t join the rebellion? I thought most of this star system agreed that Jevara is a serious problem.” She used the fact that she was still learning about the area to dig for information, while trying not to sound like the proverbial dumb blonde.
“Agreeing that he’s a problem and agreeing to remove that problem are two different things. I instruct empowered people on how to maximize their skills. How they choose to use those skills is none of my business.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that, because Zevon would like the opportunity to hire you away from the rebels,” Kyrex told him. “Will you hear him out?”
Arcon shrugged again, but his eyes narrowed. “Is this why I’m really here?”
“My mate needed training and she wasn’t being given individual attention at the Citadel,” Kyrex reminded. “I wanted her to have the very best.”
“We workwithZevon, notforhim,” Neloff stressed. “All we promised was that we would ask you.”
