Page 71 of The Gods Order

“It worked, didn’t it?” she asks.

“Hell yeah, it did,” I cheer, finally allowing my laughter to ring free.

“It did,” Val agrees. The pride in his voice catches both of us off guard. “Now we make it harder.”

“Of course we do,” I grunt.

“Welcome to training.” Meridamus laughs.

Val lets out his own low chuckle, then clears his throat.

“This time, Yemi, you’re going to add one of the other noises with the critters.”

The next hour passes in a cycle of successes and failures. The sounds of the critters disappear, but the wind stays. Then the opposite. She gets frustrated with her failures, but we all cheer at every victory. Once she gets one pair completed, Val tells her to switch it up. Separate the leaves and the critters, then the leaves and the wind.

Eventually, her mistakes become smaller. She becomes more precise and controlled every time she calls her power forward. Her progress and confidence are impossible to miss.

“Very good, Yemi,” Val says, clapping after her last successful attempt. “You got one more exercise in you?”

She wipes sweat from her forehead and gives him a small grin.

“Of course I do.”

He smirks.

“Separate all sound around us from everyone’s hearing except my voice and your own.”

The confidence she gained evaporates and my shock at his order matches her own.

“That’s significantly more advanced than what we’ve been practicing,” she says.

“It is,” he agrees. “Just give it a shot, though. Aim your power and concentration at the space between all of us and the sounds.”

She blows out a deep breath and flexes her fingers. I’m not sure if she’s bobbing her head at us or herself.

This time, once her eyes close, she takes nearly three full minutes before calling for her power. Even then, she doesn’t release it immediately. It sits on her skin—mine as well—and she holds it as she concentrates.

The meadow grows strangely still as her power crawls outward. It doesn’t fall silent, but…quieter.

“So far, so good, Yemi. Don’t give up.”

Val’s voice remains clear and calm. The lower tone is purposeful on his part rather than her power’s doing. She continues to breathe evenly.

Those softer noises muffle and I blink. Everything sounds more distant like I’m hearing the realm through water. Beside me, Kyzen shifts, noticing the change as well. His fingers brush against mine as we stare at her.

Then her concentration breaks and every sound slams back in around us. The onslaught takes me by surprise, and I sway right into Kyzen’s side.

Yemi staggers and Val catches her shoulders before she can lose her footing like he was prepared for that.

“You were very close,” he says.

Her chest rises and falls as she tries to catch her breath.

“How close?”

“For several seconds, all the surrounding sounds were muffled. Nearly muted.”

“Really?” she asks with an exhausted but genuine smile.