Page 12 of What Beats Within the Tunnels

“Oh, come on!” I exclaim, evading the roots with a swift jump.

“React, Lyra!” he urges, his tone firm yet encouraging. “Let your emotions guide your magic. Don’t hold back! Those roots should be ashes right now.” His hand slices through the air, drawing moisture from the environment. Droplets coalesce, forming a swirling sphere of water. He thrusts it toward me, fast as an arrow.

“Block it!” he shouts, but that water arrow was already too close, spraying me with its icy touch. I narrowly evade the full force of it. Gods, I wish I could manipulate the elements with such ease. Frustration bubbles up, followed by a growing spark of determination. As he sends another gust of wind my way, I close my eyes and call on the fire within me. I let it rise, stoked by my emotions, and send a wall of flames toward his wind.

To my satisfaction, the flames meet his gust head-on, causing a burst of heated air and steam. I open my eyes to find him grinning at me.

“Good. Again,” he says, his eyes alight with excitement.

“Well, look at that,” I say, raising an eyebrow. “Mr. Know-It-All is capable of praise.”

“I’ll praise more than your magic. Give me some time,” he says, smirking, and then the earth beneath me starts to tremble once more. This is going to be a very long day.

By the time we stop for a break, I’m exhausted. I plop down on the ground next to Chepi and lean against a fallen-over tree. I never realized using magic takes so much energy, physically and mentally. Colton continues pacing around in front of me, laughing at my state of exhaustion. I think he finally realizes I’m going to need more than a minute and sits down next to me.

“You’re doing good, better than I anticipated,” he says, and I don’t know if it’s to make me feel better or if it’s what he actually believes.

“The blood moon is tomorrow night. I don’t know what Zomea is going to be like, but, gods, I hope I’ll be ready.” I let my head fall back against the tree, looking up at the sky above. It has to be getting close to dinner time. The sun has started its descent.

“Why are you only using elemental magic with me?” I ask, looking over at Colton, who appears to be deep in thought.

“Because elemental magic is what you are most powerful with, at least for now. Your fire is strong, and we don’t have time to explore other things.” He places his hand on my leg, not in a handsy way, a reassuring touch. “You’re going to be ready, I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” I tease.

“I’m not. You’re ready now. You are much more powerful than you give yourself credit for.” He takes his hand off my leg and stretches, kicking his feet out to get more comfortable. “If we are going to take this long of a break from practice, I should at least be teaching you something.”

“By all means then, fire away, professor.” I laugh.

“I’m serious. You grew up with a Sorcerer as a teacher. They would have taught you very little about Fae magic, and most of it was probably incorrect.”

“I was never taught anything about Fae magic. I didn’t even know I was half Fae until recently.” I kick my feet out to mirror his.

“Elemental magic is extremely powerful on its own but can be more powerful when used near its corresponding element. For example, fire magic is strongest when used near a source of fire or heat, while water magic is most potent near a river or lake. All Fae magic runs off emotions, not just elemental magic. But one important thing to always remember is that Fae magic can have a mind of its own. It’s important to learn to navigate and control your magic, but you also need to trust it.”

“What do you mean by ‘trust it?’” I ask.

“Your magic is a part of you. It lives within you and will always seek to protect you. You have to let it.” The silence stretches on between us, and I enjoy the peace while I can.

“Tell me what you saw in the echosphere that had you so shook up last night,” he says.

“I’ll tell you what I saw if you tell me what you’re doing here. Why are you trying to help me? Why did you come?” I sit up straighter, looking over at him. His eyes catch mine, sparkling with a force that can both rattle and charm at the same time. There’s a fleeting moment where his features soften, seeming thoughtful. But if I wasn’t paying close attention, I would have missed it. As quickly as it came, it’s gone, replaced by a confident grin.

“I owed Drew a favor,” he says. “Helping you squares us up.” I figured it had to be something like that. Why else would he help me when he clearly dislikes me, especially considering my past with Nyx, a past that’s over now. But then why bring me the dress, why give me Nyx’s father’s journal? Part of his task for Drew? Maybe the journal was just to piss Nyx off and cause a rift between us, because they clearly don’t care for one another. But the dress…

“Your turn, Princess,” he prods, pulling my focus back to him.

“Why’d you call me a dark enchantress?” I inquire.

“I read the prophecy in Callum’s journal. I know you’re Euric’s only child,” he explains. “I’ve heard the murmurs over the years. You’re the one they’ve been whispering about, the shadowmancer, the dark Sorceress, Eguina’s mirror, the dark enchantress. Pick any name, they all point to the same meaning.”

My stomach twists with unease.

“But how can you be so sure of this when I’m still questioning it? And please don’t spread this around,” I retort, slightly annoyed.

“Whether you believe it or not doesn’t change the truth,” he says, causing me to draw my lower lip into my mouth, clamping down on it in sheer frustration.

“And Nyx…he was aware of this too?” I question, my voice barely above a whisper.