Page 40 of A Kingdom of Magic and Rain

Color tinged my cheeks as I cleared my throat. “I need to harness my powers if I ever hope to accomplish that. Do you have time to work with me this morning?”

His eyes lit up at my question, but before he could reply, Tom interjected, “No, you don’t. You have a meeting in half an hour.”

“Plenty of time.” Adrian offered me his arm.

“What?! No, it’s not,” the adviser stammered as I weaved my arm through Adrian’s.

“If they show up early, I’m sure you and Thea can entertain them,” the lord threw over his shoulder as we strolled away.

I had to stifle a laugh when Tom whirled on Thea as if expecting her to stop us. She only looked confused, tilting her head to the side as she watched us leave the foyer.

“Tom looked like he was about to explode.” I couldn’t hold my laughter in any longer when we stepped outside on the patio.

Adrian chuckled. “He needs to lighten up.”

We walked to the steps and descended them into the gardens. Though it had cooled down overnight, the weather was pleasant enough for my long-sleeved sage dress.

“Like you have lightened up?” I arched a brow at him with a small smile.

He glanced at me. “I’ve told you before that you brought a light with you when you barged into my life.”

I grimaced. “I wouldn’t call it ‘barging in’.”

“Really? What would you call it? Because it sure didn’t feel like I had a say in the matter.” His tone was teasing, his eyes alight with mirth when our gazes met.

“Oh, are you still upset with the arrangement?” I teased back. “Because it’s not too late to call the royal carriage back and send me home.”

He laughed out loud. “I couldn’t possibly do that to you. You would miss me too much.”

Now it was my turn to laugh. “You make it sound like I would be the only one distraught upon my leaving.”

“Oh, you wouldn’t be. Tom would be devastated.”

Our joint laughter rang out, carrying through the gardens.

“Speaking of Tom.” I assumed a serious expression. “I wouldn’t want to pull you away from your duties. We should go ahead and practice, so you can return in time before the meeting.”

“All right.” He nodded. “We can stop right here and practice on this rosebush.”

I unwrapped my arm from his and bent down slightly to examine the plant that he had indicated. The rosebush was on the verge of blooming but was struggling with the harsher weather.

“Now that you can move your magic, try to bring it forth and transfer it into the plant to heal it,” Adrian instructed.

The slight breeze whispered through my hair as I closed my eyes and pictured my well, feeling a bit apprehensive. What if my magic coming alive yesterday had been a figment of my imagination? What if, when I reached for my powers now, they wouldn’t obey? What if… What if… My anxiety rose swiftly, my breath coming out of me in short, rapid pants.

“Breathe.” Adrian’s tentative touch landed on my shoulder. “You can do this. I believe in you.”

With a long exhale, I reached within and gathered my magic in my hands. My powers shimmered and glowed, seeping into my pores and filling my veins with healing essence. Opening my eyes, I touched one of the withered stems on the bush and willed it to come back to life. A warm, tingling sensation tickled my fingers as my magic flowed into the stem through my fingertips.

“My Stars.” I gasped when a few leaves turned from brown to healthy green.

“It’s not the Stars, it’s you,” Adrian whispered. When I looked at him, he was watching me with a soft smile. His stunning eyes seemed to be glowing again. “Can you make it bloom?”

I returned my attention to the rosebush, willing the small, tight buds to open. Several quiet seconds passed as I fed my magic into the plant. The rosebuds remained closed, not responding to the call of my powers. Sweat beaded on my forehead as exhaustion pulled on my limbs. I nearly gave up when something extraordinary happened. One of the buds unfurled into a beautiful pink rose. Exhaling roughly with relief, I straightened from the bush.

“Well done!” Adrian exclaimed. “How are you feeling?”

“Drained.” I leaned my forehead against his chest, catching my breath.