I frowned, then thought about the strange reactions I’d had last night at the Betrothed Ball when the king and crown prince had been speaking of me. Several times, it’d felt as though lightning coursed through my veins, and then while dancing with Nuwin, I’d experienced something similar.
“Perhaps the electric one?” I explained in more detail what had occurred last night.
“Oh my.” Matron Olsander shook her head. “You’re already in need of learning Outlets. What you’re describing is your magic building and having nowhere else to go, so it’s attacking your essence and creating electrical responses beyond your control. Very well, we shall start there and then progress as needed as you learn to call forth each of your affinities individually and in tandem. On your feet. Now.”
I scrambled to a stand, and for the first time, realized I didn’t feel the prince’s aura. Frowning, I wondered if he’d left the room, but when I glanced his way, he still stood by the wall, his arms crossed and his bare chest on display.
He winked, and I hurriedly looked away.
“Is that why I usually feel the prince’s aura so strongly?” I asked my tutor quietly. “Because he lets his magic out through his Outlets?”
“Indeed.” The matron led me toward the corner of the large room, an area that was padded with mats and swimming in strong wards. “It’s why all of us feel his aura so acutely. Prince Norivun’s power is so great that he must let frequent and steady streams of his magic out. If he didn’t—” She shuddered. “May the Mother help us all.”
I spent the next few hours working with the matron in the padded area. She had me continually call forth my magic to let small puffs of it waft from my skin.
At first, I didn’t think it was possible. All I knew of my magic was that it resided in my gut, pulsing and throbbing within me. I didn’t know how to call it forth, control it, or manipulate it to my will, but with the matron’s insightful instruction, I was finally able to dispel those electrical feelings of shock if I concentrated on picturing my magic as though it were a stream blocked by a dam.
Matron Olsander informed me that visual learning was a common tutelage that helped young fae as they learned their affinities—that if I could connect my magic with a picture in my mind, that my brain would siphon those visual images to physical manifestations, which really meant that I spent several hours visualizing a dammed river being opened and closed. Opened and closed.
It was long, boring, and mentally exhausting, but it seemed to work because for the first time since my life-creating affinity had manifested, I felt lighter. And that pulsing sensation in my gut no longer bothered me and even vanished completely a few times before returning.
Matron Olsander nodded after I let another stream of magic out.
“Very good, Ilara. Now, remember that the key is learning to allow enough excess magic out while also retaining your power so it’s always on hand should you call it forth. You don’t want to open your Outlets so much that you run dry and need to rest and recharge to build your magic once more. Instead, you want to let out just enough that it doesn’t overwhelm your system.”
“Will it always be like this?” I asked. “Will I forever need to be visualizing dams and rivers to keep my magic from festering?”
She smiled, the first smile I’d seen on her. “No. This is merely a beginner’s course on Outlets. As you grow and learn the intricacies of your magic, letting streams of it out through your Outlets will become second nature, like breathing. Eventually, you won’t need to visualize or concentrate at all. Your body will naturally do it as needed, requiring little to no attention from you. Now!” She rapped her knuckles sharply against the floor. “Again. No more jibber jabbering! We shall next learn about Shields, another imperative magical practice that will provide defense against others’ offensive magic.”
I was panting when she finally declared I was finished working with my Outlets and Shields. It amazed me that something as simple as mental imaging could cause me to feel so tired.
“Are we done for the day?” I asked hopefully.
“Done?” Matron Olsander tsked. “We’re only half through! Have you forgotten about the Trial? We only have three months to master your affinities! And the prince has also informed me that you’re needed by him each morning to complete other tasks, so our time is even more limited than what I would like. Now, we shall next—”
The door to the training room banged open, and a spiel of giggles followed. The three females the king had assigned to the Rising Queen Trial poured into the room, all of them wearing day dresses of varying shades.
Prince Nuwin followed just behind them, along with Michas Crimsonale, his brother Sirus, and a dozen other males I didn’t recognize.
Prince Norivun pushed away from the wall just as one of the females, Lady Georgyanna Endalaver, daughter of Kroravee Territory—the one who’d worn the purple gown last night, had a lithe figure, slight and delicate features, yet reminded me of Vorl with her predatory gaze—sauntered seductively toward him.
“My prince,” she said, her voice low and sultry as she dipped into a curtsy, her dress’s bodice daringly low as it hugged her small breasts. “What a lovely surprise to see you again.”
She practically devoured him in her hungry gaze, her greedy eyes traveling over his bare pecs and abs.
Prince Norivun dipped his head, not seeming the least bit self-conscious in his half-naked state. “Lady Endalaver.”
My heart thumped harder when she straightened and boldly trailed a finger along his forearm.
“Would you care to train with me, my prince? We’ve been encouraged by Sir Featherton to practice within these training rooms in preparation for the first test. Since it’s been postponed,”—she cast a scathing glance my way—“I thought it might be fun to pass the time sparring with one another, and I’ve never trained with a male as powerful as you. It would be most rewarding if you tested me using your skills.”
A flash of fire raced through my veins, zapping everything in its path when her finger trailed lower, along his stomach and toward his—
“Lady Seary!” Matron Olsander barked. “Control your affinities. Open your Outlets this instant!”
Georgyanna cast me a disdainful glare before she turned back to the prince.
“Is she the new one?” Georgyanna pouted prettily even though her scathing glance only a second ago told me she knew exactly who I was. “Such a pity that she has no wings. Are you sure she’s not a defective? I heard she was considered that for many winters.”
The prince raised an eyebrow. “She’s not a defective, and I suggest you concentrate on your own training and not those of others, Lady Endalaver.”
“Oh, my prince.” She swatted his arm playfully. “Please call me Georgyanna. No need for such formality, especially during our courtship. Wouldn’t you agree?”
She took another step closer to him and stood only inches away, her meaning clear as she glanced up at him through her lashes while running her finger along him again. Her movements were knowing and practiced, as though she were a true courtesan and had an affinity in seduction.