I fortified the protections around my Mori, and then I reached for my power again. This time I anticipated my power’s behavior, and I grasped it firmly as soon as I opened the gate. Instead of letting the power flow freely as I used to, I guided it through my body, down my arms, and into my hands. It tried to leap from me to the wound beneath my hands, but I maintained my hold on it. It took me a minute of deep breathing to gather my courage before I let my power trickle into the drakon.

As soon as I entered the creature’s body, it was like the last few weeks had never happened. No longer fighting my control, my power immediately went to work knitting together the severed tissue. The drakon shuddered beneath my hands as the healing fire closed up its wound and eased its pain. I closed my eyes as relief swept through me. I did it!

I ran my hand along the drakon’s belly where the cut had been. “I think you and I are both going to be okay,” I crooned softly as I pulled the power back into me. It didn’t come as easily as it should have, but I was too happy about my success to care. I finally had a feel for this new power and a better understanding of how to handle it. I remembered being six years old and having to learn how to use my strange new power. It was like that all over again, only this time I wasn’t doing it alone.

“Okay, buddy, you are as good as new.”

I stepped back and the drakon rolled until he was right side up. He stared at me for a few seconds, and then he leaned in and licked my face with a long forked tongue. Before I could react, he spun around with amazing speed and headed toward the center of the lake. He leapt into the air and dove into the water without making a splash.

I wiped my face with a wet sleeve. “Ugh, dragon spit.”

“You did it, Sister. You healed him.”

My face split in a wide smile as I trudged out of the lake. Aine rushed over to hug me despite my wet clothes, and we laughed together.

I pulled away. “I can’t believe it. After all the times I lost control of my power this week, I think I finally get it.”

She nodded happily. “I don’t know why I did not see this sooner. Healing is second nature for you because you have been doing it since you were a young child. Water magic is still quite new to you, which explains why you have been struggling with it. We should have started with what you knew best.”

“How can we do that? We don’t exactly have any injured animals around here.”

“No, but we can go find some that need your help.”

Go out and help sick creatures? “Can we go now?’

Aine laughed and shook her head. “I think you’ve done enough for today. Plus, you are starting your other training this afternoon.”

I grimaced at the reminder that I was resuming my Mohiri training today. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to work with Nikolas. Who was I kidding? He was going to push me until I collapsed or begged for mercy – maybe both. Jordan had trained with him yesterday, and she’d nodded off during dinner last night. That did not bode well for me.

“Tomorrow when I return, we will go find something you can heal,” Aine promised. Even though the estate was surrounded by faerie protections, Aine did not like to stay here long. After our training she always returned to Faerie until our next session. Eldeorin, on the other hand, loved the human world. Now that I no longer needed his constant presence, he liked to go off on his “pleasure excursions” as he put them. I didn’t ask and I hoped he never felt the need to share them with me.

“Okay,” I conceded. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She hugged me goodbye and did her disappearing thing. I’d asked her yesterday if I would ever be able to do that and she’d said only time would tell.

Nikolas was waiting for me when I walked out of the woods. “I told you that you could do it.”

“You were supposed to leave,” I accused mildly.

He smiled as he fell into step beside me. “I did leave. I know it worked because you have that look.”

“What look?”

“The one I like seeing on your face. You look happy.”

“I’ll be even happier if you tell me I don’t have to train this afternoon,” I suggested hopefully as we neared the house.

He chuckled and opened the door for me. “Nice try. Get cleaned up, and I’ll see you after lunch. Oh, and you might want to eat light.”

I groaned and tried to ignore the laughter that followed me as I climbed the stairs to my room. I should probably skip lunch altogether and take a nap instead. Something told me I was going to need it.

After a very light lunch, I joined Nikolas in the gym they had set up on the first floor of the huge house. When I walked in, I saw it was laid out like the training rooms at Westhorne. I bit back a groan when I saw the bag in the corner, and I think my muscles actually ached at the memory of the workouts Nikolas had put me through back then.

Nikolas was waiting for me, and he smiled as if he was remembering, too. He immediately got down to business and gave me some stretching exercises to do. Once I had warmed up, he waved me over to the center of the room.

“The first thing we’re going to do is see what you remember from our training.” He held up his hands. “Show me a straight punch.”

I positioned my body like he’d taught me and struck his palm with my right fist. Then I shifted slightly and did a strike with my left one.

“Palm heel strike,” he ordered and I executed it as I’d been taught. I was surprised at how easily it came back to me after all these weeks. The endless drills he’d put me through had worked.