Page 95 of These Fractured Bonds

“That’s not reassuring at all,” she retorted.

“Geez, Leo. You suck at this more than Augrys.” Erick strode over. “You’ll be fine. I’m here in case of emergency, but Leo will be siphoning magic from your spell to prevent any extreme. He’s a rare manipulator. He can infuse everyday items with magic, wielding it to a precision most can’t. It’s why Augrys tasked us with helping you.”

Leo stood with his hands in his pockets, a proud smile on his lips. “We’ll take care of you.”

They waited for her answer, their faces gleaming with quiet hope. She acquiesced, nodding. It was one of the safest risks she had taken since arriving in Izmari. She could only hope that exploding wouldn’t hurt too much.

Leo clapped his hands, approaching her, and Erick flopped back down.

“Wake me up if you need me.”

“Do you want hard or easy first?” Leo asked.

And that was the easiest question she had been asked in a long time.

“Hard.”

“Hold out your palm and close your eyes.”

Once she did, he continued. “Now, feel your magic and draw it to your hand.”

Streams of blue flashed in the dark, and her shoulders relaxed. It was there; she hadn’t failed. Her magic responded to her presence, curling around her like wisps of wind. While her life force was purple, her magic was an icy blue similar to Erick’s eye color. When mixed, they were a beautiful combination that reminded her of her favorite yogurt growing up. Leo didn’t provide Yareli with any further instruction, so she simply imagined coaxing her magic to her palm. It rushed through her, leaving a chill in its trail, and settled onto her palm. It pulsed, waiting.

“Now what?” she asked, her eyes still closed.

“Oh, she got it already,” Leo said.

“Augrys did say she was exceptionally sensitive to magic,” Erick mumbled.

“I canhearyou,” she said.

Leo coughed. “Augrys didn’t test if you're gifted, right?”

“No, what’s that?”

“Magical folk have an affinity toward an element, which really only affects how they draw on their magic. A wind affinity means you’ll likely relate it to things like a breeze or a squall. However, air gifted are in tune with the actual element; they’ll use less energy for air spells and naturally call upon air spells.”

“Is everyone gifted?”

“Being gifted is special, but it isn’t an end-all for Fae. We can all cast magic; how much power we have determines the scale and the spells we can cast.”

“How do we test it?”

“Well,” Leo said, “Augrys would have to conduct the test, because he’s learned how. For now, try summoning a flame on your palm.”

She opened her eyes, glaring at him. “Can you tell me how?”

His eyebrows shot up, but he recovered quickly. Yareli blew air from her lips, curling them into a smile. Leo either overexplained or underexplained; there was no in-between.

“Oh, right. The easiest way is to say ‘Dharhekze’.”

After attempting the Izmarian word and failing a couple of times, Yareli frowned. There were a lot of throat sounds in Izmarian that she couldn’t yet pronounce properly. When she asked for an alternative, Leo tapped his foot.

“You could attempt to imagine it into existence,” he answered. “It’s how older, more practiced Fae cast magic.”

Her magic, blue and bright, swirled underneath her palm’s skin faster as though eager. However, Yareli’s mind was cluttered with too many doubts, questions, and worries to paint an image of a flame, and she failed.

“That’s okay,” Leo said, attempting to comfort her. “It’s not easy to do on your first try, but you’ll get the next thing—mind shielding.”