“Again,” Ash commands after I’ve barely blocked a bolt of dark energy he sent my way. “Faster this time.”
“I’m trying.” I’m out of breath.
“Not hard enough.” He hurls another blast at me, this one stronger. I throw up a hasty shield, but it shatters on impact, and the residual force knocks me backward. I land hard on my ass in the snow, wincing.
Ash is at my side in an instant, his hand extended. “Get up.”
I take it, letting him pull me to my feet. His grip is firm, warm despite the cold air, and he doesn’t let go immediately. We stand there, too close, his eyes searching mine for something. The mark on my arm throbs in time with my heartbeat.
“You need to stop thinking,” he says finally, still holding my hand. “Magic isn’t intellectual. It’s instinct. Remember who you are. Where your power comes from.”
“Easy for you to say.” I pull away, rubbing my hands together to warm them. “You’ve had your whole life to practice.”
“Excuses won’t save you if you’re being attacked.” He steps back, giving me space. “Stop fighting it. Let it come naturally.”
“Nothing about this is natural.”
“It is for you.” He raises his hand again, forming a ball of energy that gives off a low vibration. “Ready?”
This time when he throws the energy, I don’t think. I just react, throwing my hands up. Gold light flows up my legs, up my torso, down my arms, and erupts from my hands, forming a dome around me. Ash’s magic hits it and scatters, disintegrating into nothing.
He looks genuinely surprised. “Good.”
The shield holds, rippling with golden light. I can feel it drawing from everywhere, from the source of magic that Ash says my bloodline can tap into. It feels... right. Like I’ve been doing this my whole life.
“Hold it,” Ash commands. He reaches out, touching the shield with his fingertips. Where he touches, the gold darkens to amber. “Fascinating.”
I’m breathing hard, but the shield stays strong. “What is?”
“Your magic. It responds to mine.” He trails his fingers across the dome, and the sensation feels weirdly intimate, like he’s touching my skin. “Most witches’ magic repels others. Yours adapts.”
The shield finally flickers and fades. I drop my arms suddenly exhausted. “Is that bad?”
“It’s strange.” Ash studies me with new interest.
We take a break, sitting on the fallen log. I’m too tired to keep my guard up, so I ask the question that’s been burning in my mind.
“What does she want with me?” I turn to face him. “And don’t give me some half-answer. I deserve to know.”
Ash is quiet for a long moment, watching the snow fall. Finally, he says, “I don’t know for certain. But what I do know is that Jasmine believes she can consume other witches’ power. Not just use it, like through the Accord, but actually absorb it into herself.”
A chill runs down my spine. “How?”
“There are rumors.” His voice is flat. “That’s why they locked her away.”
I swallow hard. “And she wants to do that to me?”
“She wants your bloodline’s connection to natural magic.” Ash looks at me directly. “Your power is different, Rose. It comes straight from the source. Most witches need spells, rituals, or objects to channel power. You just have it, the magic. No ritual or spell required.”
“So why are you helping me?” I search his face for answers.
Annoyance flashes across his face. “Who says I’m helping you?” He stands abruptly. “Maybe I have my own plans for your power.”
“At least you’re honest about being a dickbag.” I stand too, facing him. “But that doesn’t explain why you’re teaching me to defend myself.”
Ash steps closer, close enough that I have to tip my head back to meet his eyes. “Maybe I don’t like anyone else getting what’s mine.”
The possessiveness in his voice should repulse me. Instead, it sends a dangerous thrill through my body. The mark burns, sensing my reaction. Ash smirks, and I know he can feel exactly how my body responds.
