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Synora stared off into the distance before looking at Holly. “Now I know that something missing was you.”
Holly blushed and looked down, but Synora placed gentle fingers under her chin and lifted it so she could look into her eyes. “Why do compliments make you feel uncomfortable?” Her gentle tone softened the bluntness of her words.
Synora had been vulnerable with Holly, so Holly felt it was only fair to share something with her in return. “I’m… not used to the attention,” Holly confessed softly. “I’ve always been in the background. I’m not used to all of…” She gestured lamely at Synora and then out to the side.
Instead of looking at Holly like she was weird, Synora smiled at her and brushed her knuckles down Holly’s cheek. It felt like a trail of fire started under her touch, and it did nothing to help the heat in her cheeks.
“We’ll get you used to it,” Synora promised. “When you think the Forest won’t ever open and your Animus is only a distant daydream, you tend to think a lot about how you might meet them. I’ve had a lot of ideas through the years about how I would court my fated mate. Now I get to try them all on you.”
Holly wasn’t sure her cheeks could get any redder, but she didn’t allow herself to look away from Synora’s green eyes. She wanted to protest, say she wasn’t worth it, but how could she say that after that confession?
“Okay,” she finally said. “That sounds lovely.”
“Good.” Synora leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Now, let’s go find some dinner, and maybe Kallan and Kieran. I need to feed you.”
CHAPTER10
Synora did end up feeding her, but they weren’t able to locate Kallan and Kieran. They learned from a passing Fae warrior that the twins were out supervising patrols to make sure the lockdown was staying secure. Holly had wanted to see Claire, but Claire and Desmond had run to the Elven Forest to handle a few things while Kieran and Kallan were there to help with patrols. However, the quiet evening ended up being exactly what she needed, and she was grateful to spend time with Synora and process everything Vali had said.
Now she was back at Vali’s cottage, ready to start her lessons and finally learn how to use her Empath magic. Maybe.
“Before I jump in, is there anything in particular you were wanting to learn?” Vali asked, settling across from Holly at her small table.
Holly bit her lip as she thought for a few moments. She knew she should probably ask about how to manage the physical pain it caused, but after her interaction with the shifter, Silas, she was wondering if she could have handled that better and gotten more information out of him.
“Is there a way to use my magic to get a confession? And know if that confession is truthful?” There was no point in enticing a confession if it wasn’t going to be truthful.
Vali nodded. “Excellent question. The answer is it depends. A Truth Seeker like Kieran has is really the only magic guaranteed to get someone to tell the truth. But,” Vali said, as Holly sagged in her seat a bit, “there are ways we can elicit the truth, but it has to be on an individual basis. Do you have an example you were thinking of?”
Holly quickly explained her thought process with Silas and the outcome. Vali tapped her chin as she thought. “The thought process that you described was dead-on.” It warmed Holly’s heart knowing that her instincts had been correct. “But it should not have caused you that much pain.”
“I had used my magic before the interrogation in the clearing,” Holly confessed. “I was already not feeling well.”
Vali pursed her lips. “Has using your Empath magic always caused you pain?”
Holly nodded. “For as long as I can remember.”
Vali frowned. “That shouldn’t happen. It’s very rare, from what I was researching last night.”
Holly frowned as well. Was something wrong with her magic?
Before she could follow down that thought spiral, Vali continued. “I’d like to walk you through some basic exercises. See if we can get to the root of the problem with the limited amount of time we have together.”
Holly nodded as she straightened, the time pressure settling like a weight on her shoulders. “Let’s do this.”
Vali walked her through some breathing exercises first. They were familiar to the ones Andy taught in her classes, so it was easy for Holly to focus on her breath while still maintaining her awareness of her surroundings.
“Good. Now find the part of your magical center that your Empath magic lives in,” Vali coached, in her steady tone.
That part of her magic was easy to find, as it had always been separate from her earth magic. Separated behind thick walls that had only been reinforced since Holly was around ten years old.
“Once you’ve found it, call your magic up into your hands. Don’t do anything with it, just call it up.”
Holly bit the inside of her cheek and took a deep breath before dismantling a section of the wall that kept her Empath magic inside. It surged out of the small opening, filling Holly’s being with a rush that had her grunting at the force. She wrestled control back from it as it wanted to surge toward Vali. A thin sheen of sweat covered her brow once she was done. She could feel Vali’s eyes on her as she wrestled back control, but the Elder didn’t say anything. Finally, her magic settled in her palms. Her stomach was already shifting uneasily, but she kept her face neutral.
“Now, reach out with your magic and tell me what I’m feeling.”
Holly let a strand of magic drift toward Vali. As it wrapped around her, emotions flowed back to Holly. Patience, contentment, curiosity all flowed back along the strand of magic. Holly named off each one as they came to her and then opened her eyes to see Vali nodding.
