Sebastian raised a hand. “Give us a moment.”
“Of course,” Veyra said.
Sebastian pressed his forehead to Kara’s.
“This is a lot,” she whispered.
He laughed. “You could say that.” He kissed her temple. “You ready?”
“Absolutely not,” she said, “but when has that ever stopped us?”
He grinned. “Fair point.”
They turned back to face Veyra, who wasted no time. “Very well. Show me what comes naturally.”
Sebastian let out a low breath and held out his palms. A darker red than usual sparked there, threaded instantly with gold. It swept out in an arc, hardening into a shield that shimmered in the air before them. Fatàn magic. As clear and strong as if he’d been born to it.
Veyra’s eyebrows raised. “Impressive.”
Sebastian glanced at Kara with a cocky grin. “Not bad for a first try.” He flexed his fingers, admiring the shimmering shield. “Maybe this won’t be so hard after all.”
That did it.
She fought the urge to roll her eyes, and reached out – the air stirred, cool and damp, as sapphire and gold burst from her hands and a wave of water swirled into existence. Sebastian’s shield stuttered then died, shock breaking his concentration, and the water dumped itself squarely over his head.
“Seriously?” Sebastian spluttered, shaking droplets from his hair.
Kara tried to smother her laugh and failed miserably. “What? It came naturally.”
Sebastian shoved his dripping hair back from his face, glaring half-heartedly at Kara. “You enjoyed that far too much.”
Even Veyra’s lips twitched with humour, though she hid it quickly. “Perhaps atouchmore control, Lady Hale.” She gestured between them. “You see how the gold runs through every colour now? That is your bond – visible, permanent. And you need not touch to share its strength, its skill. It lives in both of you now.”
Warmth spread through Kara’s chest. She glanced at Sebastian, and found him already watching her. The way he looked at her made her stomach flutter madly.
“You’re staring,” she said.
“Can you blame me?” he asked quietly.
They spent the rest of the afternoon under Veyra’s watchful gaze. What began in awe quickly turned into something else – bewilderment, frustration, and definitely laughter.
Sebastian had no trouble summoning massive shields so thick they could stop a volley of arrows. But delicate magic? Not his strength. When Veyra asked him to scale them down – protect one person – he scowled and swore as the barrier flared out too wide, with a burst of force that knocked Kara flat on her back. She lay there, winded, staring up at the sky.
“Kara! Are you hurt?” he asked, crouching beside her.
She sat up, hair wild, rubbing her shoulder, and she couldn’t help it – started laughing.
“I’m fine,” she managed between giggles.
Sebastian offered his hand with the surliest expression she’d ever seen.
Emotion magic was hardest for him. Sebastian tried, expression focused, sweat beading on his brow as his hands flared violet and gold, reaching for fear the way Veyra instructed – to project it outward. But the magic snapped inward instead. His face turned panicked. Crimson erupted from him in a sudden burst; a defence mechanism. Yellow came next, and the ground shuddered violently. Roots erupted at his feet, coiling wild and uncontrolled before Kara stumbled back out of their reach.
“Control,” Veyra said. “It answers your will, not your panic.”
Whilst he brooded, Veyra guided Kara to a training post across the circle. “Try the earth. Bind the roots, like chains.”
Kara reached for the quiet hum of the earth, imagining the tree roots lashing out, strong enough to bind. The effort made her head pound. Finally, the ground trembled, but instead of wooden ropes, delicate green shoots burst between her fingers, flowering into white blossoms.
