Heir of Broken Fate: Chapter 14

Crossing the small wooden bridge out the front of Hazel’s cabin, we head toward a clearing in the forest to practice magic, secluded enough to not draw any attention, while also large enough that I don’t burn the whole forest down.

On the way here, Hazel taught me how to run using Fae speed, opening up my senses, allowing the heightened gifts to overtake my body while I explored how they work. I used all my Fae strength to push off my feet, my legs seemingly knowing how to do the rest. I think I’d outrun Creseda’s gallop. Not only was I fast but strong; no matter how far we ran my lungs didn’t tire. I was barely breaking a sweat by the time we reached the clearing. I dare say I could have continued for hours.

Standing in the middle of the forest floor, I use my heightened sight to focus on Hazel a few feet in front of me. She said it was to give me space, yet I have an inkling it’s because she doesn’t want me to accidentally incinerate her.

“Emotions are what drive magic?” I ask, my voice mingling with the chirping birds around us.

“No, emotions trigger magic. You should never learn to access your magic through emotions. Your magic will become uncontrollable if you do.” Hazel pulls a seed out of her pocket. Holding it in her palm, a small sunflower begins to grow. “Control is the most important element in using magic. Without it”—the sunflower in her hand grows so large it explodes, yellow petals and black seeds raining down around us—“you’re a ticking time bomb.”

“I take it control is our first lesson?” I drawl sarcastically.

Hazel dusts the flower petals off her clothes. “You need to learn to access it first, but yes.” Hazel lifts her eyes to mine, widening her stance. “Okay, close your eyes.”

I arch a brow, hesitant to where this is going.

Hazel huffs out a laugh. “Just close your eyes.”

I mirror Hazel’s stance, spreading my feet shoulder width apart as I close my eyes.

“I want you to breathe in for four counts and breathe out for four counts.”

I’d think she was joking if I didn’t hear her start to count. Following Hazel’s instructions, I listen to her soft whimsical voice as I breath in deeply and out slowly, following her counts of four.

Hazel’s calming voice guides me. “Starting from your chest, I want you to scan your body.”

Is she serious?

I crack open one eye, only to find Hazel’s stern gaze on mine. I snap my eye shut.

She’s serious.

“Magic is a part of you. You need to know where it is and what it feels like to access it.” Hazel pauses, her tone awestruck. “It feels like a crackle of energy, a force of life on its own yet the very essence of yourself.”

I smirk. “That’s very poetic of you.”

“Just shut up and look for it.”

Taking a deep breath, I relax deeper into my body, my taut muscles loosening as my breathing grounds me, calms me. My body grows heavier with each breath I take. I start from the top, scanning the differences in my senses, the way I can hear Hazel’s steady heartbeat, feel the wind brush along my pointed ears, smell the difference in the flowers around me—jasmine, lavender, and lilac. I continue down my body, noticing the steady beat of my pulse, my chest as it slowly rises and falls. My muscles as strong as steel, strength coursing throughout my body like never before. I reach my feet, feeling the heaviness of my boots, the leather dragging me down, keeping me rooted to the earth.

But nothing crackles or zips through me. I frown, opening my eyes to Hazel’s hopeful expression. “Besides the sharper senses, I didn’t feel any energy. I just feel stronger.”

Hazel’s brows furrow before she claps her hands. “Okay, next tactic.”

What feels like hours later, after trying different exercises, I fall back onto the grass, spreading my arms beside me as I groan. “Nothing!”

I turn my head to Hazel, who’s just as frustrated as I am as she lies beside me, biting her lip as she thinks.

“If I didn’t almost burn us alive the other night, I would think I have no magic.”

Hazel giggles, her shoulders rustling the brown leaves spread beneath her.

“Perhaps it’s different because the pendant turned my body into Fae when I crossed the border?” I muse.

“I doubt it. I don’t know why you changed from human to Fae, but you don’t inherit a Fae body without magic. It doesn’t work that way,” Hazel says simply.

I don’t dare explore the thoughts infiltrating my mind about what that could mean. I can worry about that later. For now, I need to focus on accessing the magic.

I sit up, turning my body to face Hazel. “Let’s try another exercise.”

She sighs. “We’ve tried them all.”

I lower my eyes, focusing on the tiny insects crawling through the grass around me.

Hazel’s face pulls into a grimace. “There is one thing we haven’t tried.” She sits up, mimicking my position, our knees perpendicular. “Think about Easton.”

My head rears back. “You told me not to use my emotions,” I say anxiously.

“You don’t know what it feels like inside you. I’m only asking you to do this once, to get the feel for where your magic resides inside of you.”

Trepidation fills me, the memories of Easton hovering at the side, waiting to bombard my mind.

Hazel’s voice is gentle as she speaks. “The only time your magic has flared is when it’s about Easton.”

Dread coils in my gut. I know exactly which moments and memories she’s asking me to think about. “Can we try another breathing exercise?”

“I’ll be here to guide you through it this time. I won’t push you, not about this, but nothing else is working.”

Swallowing the ball lodged in my throat, I nod.

I know Hazel’s right; we’ve been here for hours with no luck. If I want to tap into my magic again, I have to use my emotional drive. Taking a deep breath I close my eyes, dropping that invisible barrier in my mind. I allow the memories and feelings surrounding Easton to bombard me. The heartbreaking moment I turned to find my world had been destroyed, taken from me. Red hot rage burns through me, filling my veins, pulsing, itching for the need to escape. To fight.

My eyes fly open as my body ignites.

Hazel’s eyes spark in front of me, and through them, I see my own eyes glowing red. “There it is.” She sits up straighter. “Focus all your attention on your body. What does it feel like?”

“Rage,” I spit. “I’m full of rage, like an inferno.”

“Scan your body. Where is it coming from?” she asks.

“My heart,” I pant.

The heat inside me is burning so hot it makes sweat drip down the nape of my neck.

“No. That’s your emotions, the memory. Don’t focus on that.” Hazel’s voice is stern. “What does your body feel like?”

I open my mouth to disagree, when I feel it answer for me.

A spark, as if to say hello.

I look within myself, scanning my body from head to toe until I feel it, pulsing and crackling. It peeks one eye open as if it was asleep.

“It’s below my heart, near my sternum.” I turn my head to the side, more feline than human, as I study it. “It’s strange. I feel the familiarity…as if it’s a part of me.”

“It is a part of you,” Hazel confirms. “You control it. It does not control you.” Hazel’s voice hardens. “Control it like a well. You choose how much you take, how deep it goes, and how you use it.”

“A well,” I whisper.

Hazel smiles encouragingly. “Magic is creation; use your imagination. Picture a small flame burning from your fingertip.”

I go within myself, imagining the sleepy magic as a well.

I see it full of pure white magic as I lean in and take a small drop in my hands. Cupping the power in my palm, I picture a small flame beginning to burn, flowing from my palm to the tip of my fingers.

Warmth dances along my hand, sizzling as it spreads throughout my fingers.

Opening my eyes, I watch in amazement, my heart leaping with joy. A tingling sensation flows down my arms and all ten fingers alight, twinkling with fire. I can feel the warmth on my hands, yet the fire doesn’t burn my skin.

I cheer in delight, wiggling my fingers between Hazel and me. “I did it!”

Hazel whoops with joy. “Finally!”

A smile spreads across my face as I make the flames disappear and reappear. “It feels incredible,” I breathe.

“Okay, next thing is protection.” Hazel grabs a stick, drawing a circle in the dirt around me, creating a bubble. “Every Fae must learn a protection shield. It’s our instinct to protect ourselves and the ones we care about. We can be extremely territorial.” She smirks, placing her hands on her hips. “We don’t need you feeling defensive and blowing people into smithereens on instinct. We need to make your first instinct to shield instead of attack.”

I shake my head. “I would never attack innocent people.”

Hazel points her finger at me. “You haven’t felt the territorial instincts yet, just you wait.” Hazel widens her stance. “Imagine what you can form. What does protection look like to you?”

Easton’s face flashes through my mind. Fire engulfs my hands.

“No, not a memory. We’re not using emotions anymore. Use your imagination,” Hazel repeats warmly.

Taking a deep breath, I think about protection. “A metal shield.”

Hazel dips her chin. “Good. How does the shield protect you?”

“It’s impenetrable.”

Hazel smiles. “Now imagine an invisible shield surrounding you.”

My mouth gapes open. “You say it like it’s easy!”

“It is easy. You just made your fingers turn into mini campfires,” she teases.

I roll my eyes, shaking out my hands. I breathe in deeply, picturing a round shield surrounding me. On my next exhale, I feel the magic leave me, consume me. Nothing’s changed, yet I can feel the difference, as if I’m cocooned by my own power.

Hazel steps closer, lifting her index finger to poke me when it stops midair, the tip of her finger turning flat and white as it touches an invisible wall.

“See? Easy.” She smiles. “You can put protection shields around anyone and anything.”

My breath leaves me.

I did it.

Before I can celebrate, Hazel’s finger comes flying at me, poking my shoulder as my protection shield drops. The magic surrounding me flickers in and out as if it’s a dwindling candle.

Hazel winces as she takes a step back. “It’ll take time to strengthen your magic. It’s like a muscle. The more you use it, the more it grows.”

“More training for me, I guess,” I mumble as I walk over to my waterskin.