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"Watch out, Oliver! Lightning-thrower on the loose!" I quipped, trying to infuse some humor into my clumsy attempts so they wouldn’t notice my reddening cheeks.
Oliver chuckled, unharmed by my electrical mishap. He was fast growing at me, given he was the only one who laughed at my lame jokes. "Don't worry, I've had worse."
“How did you learn to master your magic so well?” I asked him as we made camp one night.
“My mother mostly. She was amazing. You remind me a lot of her actually,” he said. “She was a witch and my father a distant air royal. She’s been long gone for many years now, but she was incredibly powerful. Much more powerful than my father.”
“Do you miss her?” I asked him, and then immediately regretted the question. Of course he would miss her.
“I miss the idea of her,” he said finally, taking the time to really contemplate my question. “When you live as long as we do, it's easy to forget those we started our lives with. Being a halfling has incredible benefits, and I wouldn’t change it for the world, but sometimes I do wonder what it would have been like to be only a witch and live a normal lifespan.”
“You spent a lot of time imprisoned by the Queen, didn’t you?”
“More than I would wish on even my greatest enemies. She is a cruel person. Olette knew that better than anyone. I know you have a lot of questions on why you did what you did, but your mother put you through a lot. I don’t doubt that you did what was right. And I, for one, will be eternally grateful that you freed me from that prison.”
He reached over, giving my knee a fatherly pat, and I gave hm a genuine smile. Something told me neither Olette nor I ever had even a semblance of a paternal relationship until Oliver. I liked the older man, and I’d grown to trust him.
“For what it’s worth,” I told him, “I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
* * *
Over the remainingtwo days of our journey, I slowly began to gain a modicum of control. The lightning bolts became less wild, and I managed to direct them toward specific targets, albeit with limited accuracy. While I couldn't conjure a raging storm just yet, I was getting better, and that gave me hope.
Aside from my magic training, I also learned to see basic magical signs and pathways hidden within the tunnels. With his knowledgeable expanse of magic sight, Finn took the lead in teaching me this skill. He would pause occasionally, pointing out subtle cues, such as faint glimmers or shifts in the air. These signs revealed concealed paths, enchantments, and potential dangers lurking in the dark recesses of the cave system I hadn’t expected. By the end of the journey, it was a lot like snapping glasses into place.
"Magic, my dear Rowan, is like a secret language," Finn explained one day as we walked. As we spent more time together, we’d settled into a mildly flirty banter, but it was just fun and I think we both knew that. He was gorgeous, but he didn’t light a fire in me the way Callan did. "Learn to read the signs, and you'll find a wealth of knowledge hidden in plain sight."
"Secret language, huh?" I quirked an eyebrow. I’d begun to realize why we would have been friends. We had a similar sense of humor, and he was outgoing, which was something I’d come to realize I liked in a friend, someone who could pull me out of my more withdrawn nature.
Callan, on the other hand, remained a brooding presence on our journey. After our last conversation, an awkward tension had settled between us again. We spoke only when necessary, and his steely gaze rarely met mine. Yet, I couldn't help but feel his eyes on me when he thought I wasn't looking, and the way they lingered.
Still, I often found myself stealing glances at him. He moved with a fluid grace, every step deliberate and powerful. His strong, sinewy muscles flexed beneath the fabric of his clothing, and his chiseled features remained set in an unwavering mask of determination.
I couldn't deny the attraction I felt toward him, and it frustrated me to no end. Callan was the embodiment of mystery and allure, a complex enigma I longed to unravel. But he had his mate, Lexi, and he'd made it clear he wouldn't entertain anything beyond friendship with me, even if he wasn’t sure of his original feelings for Lexi.
One evening, when we set up camp within the underground outpost Finn had created, Nia approached me.
"Rowan," Nia said, her voice carrying the weight of her status as one of the bonded, "may I speak with you for a moment?"
I nodded, intrigued by the request, and followed her a short distance away from the campfire. She glanced around to ensure our conversation remained private.
"I sense that you have a strong affinity for magic," Nia began, her eyes penetrating my soul. "It is a rare gift, one that can be a formidable force for good. But it can also be a double-edged sword."
I raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"
Nia hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I've been observing your progress. You have potential to be even stronger than I think any of us realize, but you need to take it more seriously. Remember your responsibility."
I frowned, not entirely sure where she was going with this. "Responsibility? To whom?"
Nia's gaze softened, revealing a hint of vulnerability beneath her composed exterior. "To yourself, and to those who depend on you. You are capable of wielding immense power, but you must learn to control it without letting it consume you. Your mother and Casimir both fell victim to the wrong kind of mindset."
I nodded my understanding. "I won’t make the same mistakes they did.”
Nia's expression relaxed, and a small, genuine smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "I have faith in you, Rowan. You have a rare spirit, one that can unite and inspire others. You just don’t realize it yet.”
Her words left me both awed and humbled. Nia had seen something within me that I had yet to fully grasp, and even though I barely knew her, I found myself looking up to her. She was strong, with a sense of self and duty that I admired. Something I may have even been a bit jealous of. As we returned to the campfire, I couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of purpose. I wanted to make these people proud.
For myself, for my friend, and for my realms.
