A Court of Wings and Fate

32. Heartfelt Tensions

The artwork above is not mine.

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    The afternoon was cool. An autumn breeze wafted through the mountain clearing, where they had been working with Estelle's magic. The trees and shrubs that grew within the valley had nearly finished changing colors already. The Dawn Court looked more like the Autumn Court with each passing day.

    Just as Mikael had predicted and Estelle had hoped, Thesan agreed to teach her more about her magic after he saw the control she'd gained. The second day they were back in the Dawn Court, he taught her how to shield herself and others. Estelle hadn't mastered the trick yet, but she worked on it daily. Today, Thesan was showing her an entirely new move.

    "I want you to try to separate your magic into different strands," Thesan said. "Similar to how the shadows can separate into different tendrils."

    Estelle cocked her head. "How do I do that?"

    "Summon your magic and shape it."

    Estelle obeyed, forming her magic into a mostly smooth ball of golden light. Mikael watched her from behind Thesan, his hands glowing as he reinforced the shields around himself.

    "Now, feel your magic," Thesan continued. "Feel how it pulls, where it wants to go, and how it wants to manifest. Feel the individual threads that form it."

    Estelle closed her eyes, trying to do as the High Lord instructed. She could almost see her magic in her mind's eye. "It feels like...lightning. Crackling and unpredictable. It pulls in several directions at once. The threads are jagged and full of energy."

    She opened her eyes and Thesan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If that's what you see, then that is what you should try to create. Let your magic have its way. It'll be easier to predict what it will do then because you'll be working with it, instead of against it." He backed towards Mikael, palms glowing with magic as he shielded himself. "Begin."

    Estelle drew in a deep breath, staring at the magic between her palms. I can do this, she told herself. The shadows squeezed her arms in encouragement. Lightning. It wants to become lightning.

    Estelle exhaled, dragging her hands away from one another. The ball of magic between them stretched into a barbed strand of sparking energy. She stared at the electricity, the magic, with delight. A smile spread across her lips.

    Estelle's gaze fell on a large boulder a safe distance from Mikael and Thesan. She took aim, then hurled her magic. It struck the boulder and Estelle watched with wide eyes as it split in half.

    Shadows chattered in her ears as she approached the boulder. She touched the ridged crack, then yanked her hand away. It was scalding to the touch. Estelle rubbed her fingertips against her palm.

    Imagine what that could do to a person, she thought. The idea was both exciting and horrifying. She smiled, staring at the boulder. I did this. I was...mostly in control too. She glanced over her shoulder. Thesan regarded her curiously and Mikael wore a broad grin.

    "Can you do that on a larger scale?" Thesan asked.

    "What do you mean?" Estelle crossed her arms, facing him.

    "I've heard that some of the more powerful Illyrian warriors can topple mountains."

    "That's true. My father and uncles have destroyed their share of mountains. Why do you think the Illyrian Mountains are so desecrated in certain areas?"