Bonds of Light and Fire

26. Forgotten Gods

    Brilliant light met penetrating darkness. Luciana planted her feet firmly, staring through the magic at Nascha. Her friend was grinning wildly. Luciana gave one more burst of magic, then leaped to the side, searching for another angle to attack from.

    She shot a bolt of crackling light at Nascha. It deflected off an invisible shield of starlight. Nascha had shielded both of them so they could train with more force. Luciana found that she greatly enjoyed the change.

    "Good hit," Nascha said, spooling her darkness back towards herself.

    "Thanks."

    "Have you learned to shield yourself while sparring yet?"

    Luciana nodded, pulling her hair back into a bun. It had come loose during their battle, and blew into her mouth with every gust of wind that buffeted the yard. "Vaughan is still a little wary about how much magic I expend at a time, so we only practice doing that every other day."

    "Why is he so worried? I think you have plenty of magic to spare and a fairly good grasp on the strength of your power." Nascha knit her brows. "Have you ever tried to see just how far you can tunnel into your magic?"

    Luciana shook her head. "I can sense the bottom of my well, but I try to stay above it. I've never tunneled all the way down."

    "I think you should."

    Luciana's mouth quirked sideways. "I don't know. What if I lose control or use too much magic?"

    "What if you never discover your true potential?" Nascha countered. "If it would make you feel better, we could have someone else come too, so we have more help if we need it. I can shield an area for you to use. You won't accidentally destroy anything."

    "I don't know," Luciana said again.

    Nascha sighed, crossing her arms. "Your magic is a part of you. You can't be afraid of it. Doubting yourself, doubting your strength and control, is what will cause you to fail. I learned that lesson the hard way. You know your body. You know your magic. You know your capabilities. You know you can do this, and you'll know when you have to stop."

    Luciana mulled over her words for several long minutes. "Who would we ask to..." Her question was interrupted by approaching hoofbeats. Kyllian rode into view and her heart lurched into her stomach. Luciana started towards him, unable to silence the fearful thoughts that flooded her mind. "What is it? Has something happened to the patrol?" She asked.

    Kyllian's chestnut eyes shone with momentary confusion, then understanding. "No, they're fine. I did have news from them that I thought you might want to hear, though." His gaze shifted to Nascha. "Aedion sent word this morning. They've discovered a few new Revolutionist camps in the mountains and the edge of the Oakwald between Rosamel and Allsbrook."

    "Was Ren informed?" Nascha asked, her voice taking on an authoritative tone. Luciana couldn't help but smile. It seemed her friend was finally settling into her role as a Lady, at least a little bit.

    Kyllian nodded. "They wrote to him first, then passed the message on to Aelin and I."

    "Do you know when they'll be back?" Luciana asked.

    "Possibly in a week. They want to scout out the new camps and make sure the settlements around them are secure and have the means to defend themselves from raids." Kyllian hesitated, then added, "Some of the soldiers might stay behind if needed."

    Luciana nodded, drawing in a steadying breath. Kyllian wheeled his horse around, preparing to leave. "Wait!" Nascha called. "We could actually use your help with something." Luciana flashed her a pointed look. Kyllian hesitated. "Luciana wants to test the full strength of her magic, but we want someone else here in case we need help. Could you spare a little time right now?"