Dark One's Daughter *Book Three*

Ariel

After the incident with Jones, I went over to Emma and Regina and sat beside them. Part of me was extremely confused at what I had just allowed myself to do but the other part of me was happy that I had. Happy that I had gotten my feelings out in the open and even more pleased that he had felt the same way. But nothing could ever come of it, could it?

"Tash, what do you think?" Emma's voice brought me back, making me look up from the diming flame.

"Pardon?" I replied.

"Magic. Will you teach me?" Emma asked, making me smile.

"You want me to teach you magic?" I confirmed.

"Yes. I mean, Gold taught you everything you know, I'm guessing, so maybe you could teach me," Emma shrugged.

"You do realise that the way my Papa taught me wasn't exactly the safest?" I said.

"But look at where it's got you. You're probably the best person I know at magic," Emma admitted, making me smirk over at Regina, who rolled her eyes.

"Ok, then. But I warn you, the way that I will teach you—if you want my father's methods—will be trying," I warned Emma.

"I don't care. I have magic and I need to be able to use it if we want any chance at saving Henry," Emma said, making me nod in agreement.

"Well, then. Let's get started."

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The first thing that Regina and I were trying to teach Emma was a simple fire lighting spell. We had distinguished the remaining flames of the fire and told Emma to light it, much to her dismay.

But the thing with magic is, when you need to use it, you are always under pressure. Things are always happening around you, sounds, fights, and many other distractions. Something that Emma was struggling to grasp the concept of.

"Focus," I told Emma again after a few more minutes of her failing to light the candle. "Concentrate."

"It's kind of hard when you're talking in my ear," Emma snapped back.

"And when the wind blows or it's raining, or... someone's shooting arrows at you. Yes, concentration is hard. That's the point," I said.

"Find your anger and use it to focus," Regina added.

"No. There has to be a way without going dark," Emma said.

"You're such a pathetic waste of ability," Regina exclaimed, and to anyone it would seem that she was insulting her, but I knew different.

One of my father's best ways of teaching magic, as harsh as it sounds, was to make you angry with insults. Clearly, Regina thought this way would work and honestly, so did I.

"And you're a monster," Emma argued back, turning away from the fire to face Regina.

In front of me, I saw flames starting to emerge from the previously burnt up logs.

"Smell that?" Regina asked Emma, noticing the flames.

"What?" Emma snapped.

"Smoke," I said, making Emma turn back to face me and the flames.

"You just did that," Emma said to me, making me smile.

"No, no, this was all you," I assured her.

Exhausted and frustrated, Emma collapsed onto the log next to me.

"Is this really how Gold taught you?" Emma asked.

"This was the nicest way he did. Compared to all his other methods, this way is definitely the friendliest way he used," I admitted.