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"How can you be so sure?"
Nyx folds the mats up and places them against the wall. "Because you won't stop until you are." He jerks his chin toward the stairs, wiping the beads of sweat lining his hairline with the back of his hand. "Dinner?"
"Shower first. Then dinner."
He pats me on the back. "In a few months, you'll be keeping up with the rest of us."
"From your mouth to the Father's ears." I don't have years to master my skills or my magic, so I can only hope and pray I pick up on my lessons quickly, so I'm of use if and when I'm needed.
Ten
Shaye
Over the next week of classes, Professor Riggs grows on me. He's energetic and passionate about the ancient legends and historical records of not only Tronovia, but Dalerin as a whole. Any question I have, he's quick to have an answer for and for the first time since I was kidnapped, I feel like I'm on the right track. The hope to find out who I actually am is within my grasp, but he has also been extremely open and honest with me about his own journey in the magical world.
Though he's been wheelchair bound most of his life, he still fought to attend the school of magic when he discovered he possessed rare and powerful blue fire, meaning he can conjure lightning to bend to his will. He dreamed of being on the front lines of battle should his affinity be needed, but because of his condition, he was denied that path. Instead, he was steered in the direction of academia. Fortunately, he fell in love with the history and legends of Dalerin and magic lore in general, but when I asked if given the chance to defend his people if they needed him, would he? He readily and heartedly admitted he would answer his nation's call if asked.
I feel like I understand Riggs so much better now and I eagerly fire questions at him about history, legends, lore, the conflict between the Midorians and Tronovians, and the power of the Celestials, and he answers quickly and knowledgably. There's no judgment, like there was in Master Kaius' classroom, for not knowing something. I can ask the most outlandish question here and not feel a hardened stare meet me. And each class that passes, I swear Nyx starts paying more attention, even throwing a few questions into the mix. It's a shame Riggs wasn't Nyx's professor when he was in school. Maybe Nyx would appreciate all of this a little bit more if he had a professor looking out for him.
As we near the end of another exciting and informative class, when Riggs asks if I have any other questions, I don't know what possesses me to ask, but I let the words spill out before I change my mind.
"Professor, has there ever been a case of two magic wielders amplifying each other's powers?"
He stares at me, peels his reading glasses off, and sets them on his desk. "That is very rare indeed. It's only happened once before in our recorded history. Why do you ask?"
Part of me feels like a fool for admitting how I react toward Atlas but if I want to get some answers, Riggs is the only one to ask. "My magic seems to be amplified when I think about or I'm around another wielder."
Excitement overtakes Riggs, who rolls out from behind his desk and speeds to his shelves, searching through his tomes quietly until he's located whatever he's searching for. He points to the top shelf and instructs his assistant to grab the navy-spined book for him. Dane sets the book on the table and Riggs flips through the pages quickly.
He hasn't said a word, and an uneasy feeling squeezes my heart. "Is everything alright, Professor?"
Not bothering to look up at me, he continues scanning the book for the morsel of information I sparked a search for. "It's extraordinary! Never in my lifetime did I imagine I would come close to witnessing a Tethering."
"A Tethering? What are you talking ab- "
Riggs slams his hand on the table in glee before flipping it around so I can see a full-page drawing. There's a man with blonde hair and fair skin haloed in light magic. He's not alone though. Backed against him, fighting demons alongside him, is a woman with long black hair and brown eyes who is shrouded in darkness.
"Oryn and Naya," he declares, as if I should know who the duo is. "Oryn was a Celestial with powerful light magic. Naya was a mortal with rare shadow magic. Together, they were an unstoppable duo and shaped the known world as we know it."
Though my stomach flips, I shrug my shoulders. "I'm afraid I don't follow."
With an immense amount of patience, Riggs smiles and says, "They were Tethered. One's magic could not survive without the other. They brought balance to one another and subsequently, brought balance to our world. You cannot have light without darkness and vice versa. Their magic was ten times greater when they were together than when they were apart because their affinities were connected."
"I'm sorry, Professor, I still don't understand what being tethered means."
"Tethering means two souls are bonded because of their powers. Oryn and Naya were lovers. Fated mates, if you believe in such a thing. In an ordinary life, they might never have found one another, but their magic called to one another, and together they did wondrous things."
My mouth is suddenly dry. "And this hasn't happened since?"
He shakes his head. "Like I said before, it's only happened once in recorded history. And it's not lost on me that you have Celestial magic and are being trained by the first Shadow Wielder in a thousand years."
I feel all color drain from my cheeks. "Are you trying to say that Atlas and I are…?"
Nyx chuckles when Riggs blushes and stutters, "Oh, f- f- forgive me, Princess, I didn't mean to offend you. I tend to get overly excited with history and other scholarly matters and forget -"
"No need to apologize," I interrupt him. "I just need to understand what you're implying."
Riggs takes a deep breath, clearly mulling over his next words carefully. "Oryn and Naya were powerful individually, but their love strengthened their magic unlike anything the world had ever seen before."
