“Ooh, can I feel?” Alistair asked. “Mm, that’s hot.”
“You like it?” Eddie sounded excited.
“I like Elf ass is what I like,” Alistair muttered under his breath, but Eddie must’ve not heard him, because Ivy had launched into a list of his favorite hair products.
I clapped my hands together, because if I had to hear aboutElf assone more fucking time, I was going to lose it. “Okay, let’s get started. I assume Eddie has mentioned to you all why you’re here tonight. We all know the potential of your magic, and that until you learn to control it, the Warden will use your weakness to control you. Gavyn learned how to defend himself and escaped this prison. I believe that each and every one of you can do the same. That said, there are some disclaimers we need to discuss before we begin. Eddie, if you would.”
Eddie took center stage. He’d rehearsed a speech about how Gavyn had betrayed the Elves by escaping on his own and leaving the rest of them behind. “If we are going to do this, we must cooperate with each other,” he said. “We’ve seen what happened since Gavyn left. The Warden has begun blood testing people. They took Uriel away. If we must act, we act together, or the rest of us will suffer.”
“That also means no training outside of this room,” I added. “Otherwise, we risk getting caught and deemed a threat by the Warden. The only reason he hasn’t dragged any of you off yet is because he doesn’t deem your powers worth his purposes yet. Once he learns how powerful you can be, he won’t hesitate to hurt you.”
I paused for a moment, but everyone was dead silent. They knew how truthfully frightening that statement was.
“Are we agreed, then?” Eddie asked.
Murmurs of agreement traveled around the group.
“Excellent. Then we may begin,” Eddie said. “Charlie’s the one who knows what he’s doing, so I’ll let him take it from here.”
I shifted nervously as I returned to center stage. Ididn’treally know what I was doing, but the Elves didn’t need to know that. What they needed right now was a leader, and as their prince, I was the best leader they were going to get.
“Eddie tells me that Elf magic matures as you age, and that most of you haven’t grown into your power yet,” I started. “I’m twenty-three and the oldest one here, so that’s probably why my powers have started growing.”
Truth be told, it probably had something to do with being a demigod, but I didn’t admit this to the Elves. Not even Chancey was privy to that information, after I’d told him the truth about my heritage. Eddie had promised not to tell Alistair, either, though he’d convinced me to let him tell him the rest.
“The thing is, Gavyn wasn’t much older than any of you,” I continued. “I believe youallhave what it takes to perform the magic he did. First, I’d like to assess where you’re all at. Has anyone managed to siphon power from another supernatural yet?”
I was met with nothing but silence, but I sensed someone shifting in the front row.
“If you’re raising your hand, I’m going to need you to speak up,” I said.
The kid cleared his throat, like he’d forgotten I was blind. “I’ve been working on it, and I managed to siphon wolven magic in the cafeteria last week. It wasn’t much, but I got my hand to grow some fur. I’ve been trying to make a complete shift into a wolf, but so far, it hasn’t worked.”
I nodded thoughtfully. “That’s a good start, but you’re starting too far up the pay scale. Shifter magic is more difficult to cast than, say, warlock magic. It’s even more difficult if the supernatural isn’t consciously sharing their magic with you.”
“Who would do that?” a girl wondered aloud.
“It’s unlikely in a real-life situation,” I admitted. “But it’s helpful in practice. That’s why I’ve invited some friends here to help us. We’ll be starting with simple magic among willing participants. As each of your magic grows, we’ll start learning more complex techniques. Alistair, if you would assist me?”
Alistair walked on stage. Pig must’ve hung back by Eddie, because I could hear her meowing softly.
“What are we starting with?” he asked, sounding pumped and ready to help.
“Battle orbs are your specialty?” I questioned.
He clicked his tongue. “You betcha.”
I nodded firmly. “Then we’ll start with that. When you feel me tug on your magic, let it flow into me, okay?”
“Gotcha. I’m ready.”
I began to explain as I performed the magic. “First, you must find the magic inside the other person. It will feel like an electric buzz permeating your heart or your stomach, depending on the type. Watch for magic that twists in your gut, as that will be more unpredictable and difficult to control.”
I frowned as I connected with Alistair’s magic. “In Alistair’s case, that would beallhis magic. Damn, you’re one angry dude.”
Alistair chuckled lightly. “I’ve got some shit to work through. You want this magic or not?”
“I want it. Let’s go.”
