The Bound (Ascension #2)(34)

Cyrene furrowed her brow. “What exactly does that mean?”

“The history lesson will be for another day, but I suspect it is because you grew up in a world without magic and in a world that does not believe in magic. If you do not believe you can do magic, Cyrene, then you will never truly harness your powers.”

“Okay. So…I just have to believe in myself, and then it’ll happen?”

Avoca smiled. “Let’s hope that will suffice. First, let’s do some basic meditation lessons to get yourself in tune with the elements. While Doma magic is more inherent, as you are drawing from your own body, you can access the elements, and in fact, it will help you when you feel your own core running on empty. You never want to weaken yourself beyond what you are capable of holding.”

“And how will I know that?”

“With a lot of time, practice, and patience.”

“Great,” she grumbled. “My specialties.”

“Now, enough talking. Close your eyes, and clear your mind. Think about your breathing. In through your nose, out through your mouth. In through your nose, out through your mouth.”

Cyrene breathed deeply as Avoca spoke to her, “Yes, that’s good. Now, empty your mind of all your worries and concerns, of your mission, of your friends and your home. You are one.”

Her voice was gentle and soothing, and Cyrene found herself drifting in the emptiness of her being.

“Now, sense the river beside you.”

Cyrene started out of her trance and opened her eyes. “What do you mean, sense the river?”

Avoca sighed heavily. “Everything in existence has a pulse. You and I have a pulse. The forest has a pulse. The river has a pulse. Each of us Leifs has an element that calls to us more strongly than the others, but we can feel the pulse of each of the other three elements. I am strongest in earth and then water, as is common with my people in Eldora. Ceis’f senses air and then fire, as was common with his people in Aonia. We balance each other out in that regard.” Avoca smiled fondly.

“Wait…Aonia?” Cyrene asked.

Avoca cringed. “The Leif village Ceis’f is from.”

“He’s not from Eldora.”

“Cyrene,” Avoca reprimanded lightly. “Let’s concentrate on your powers. Ceis’f’s story is his own.”

“Okay,” Cyrene said. “What element am I strongest in?”

“I am going to attempt to find that out,” Avoca told her. “Now, start again. Shut your eyes, empty your mind, and remember your breathing. Now, I want you to reach out with your powers. Don’t try and well them inside you, as you last did. Just let that flutter of butterflies brush against you. Don’t try to guide it. Let it guide you. Just reach out and sense the pulse of the river.”

Cyrene emptied herself of everything, fully giving herself over to her meditation. Then, she felt for her powers buried deep within her. She let it guide her instead of forcing the magic to the surface. She tried reaching out with it and sensing the pulse of the river. But it just didn’t work.

She opened her eyes again in frustration. “Nothing is happening.”

“Try a different element. Find the one that calls to you. It will make itself known.” Avoca dug her fingers into the earth with pleasure. “Let me try to explain. Earth sounds like a drumbeat, low and distant but constant. Water sounds like a wave crashing, rhythmic and enticing. Air sounds like a whistle, harmonic like a bird’s song. Fire is the hardest for most. Its pulse is a heartbeat that practically sizzles with the force of the flame. Now, try once more and let the energy find you.”

Cyrene got to work again. She reached her meditative state quicker, and instead of concentrating on water, she reached for earth. Her fingers were buried in it. The slightest flicker of power washed through her and then disappeared as quickly.

By the time she focused on air, she was too frustrated to concentrate.

Avoca made her release all her anger and try again.

And again.

They tried until the sun had completely disappeared, and they had to precariously pick their way back to camp through the woods by moonlight.

Cyrene felt defeated. She’d had no luck. Her powers never surfaced, and the energy never flowed through her. She certainly hadn’t heard any pulse, other than the one signaling she was getting a headache.

“Still nothing,” Cyrene said. “I can’t hear anything.”

“You are very strong. You would not have been able to kill the Indres with the force-field burst otherwise. You just need more practice.”

“A force-field what?”

Avoca sighed. “You used a force-field burst, which harnesses energy into an offensive blast that can be powerful enough to take out your enemy or tear down a mountain. It’s very powerful, very difficult magic. Can you think about how you did it?”

Cyrene felt helpless. “It was either I died or they did, so my body just reacted. It happened when I killed a Braj in Albion.”

“A Braj?” Avoca asked, her voice raising an octave. “Why did you not tell me of a Braj? They are deadly assassins. More will come after you. We should have been on the lookout this entire time.”

“I know. Orden told me about them.”

“That man seems to know an awful lot about everything,” Avoca said.