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“Give it time. Things will begin to impress you less once you hit a century,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at Nithra who was eying the calf.

“You really know how to get a girl excited for immortality,” I deadpanned as he grinned back at me, shaking his head.

“You need to focus,” Andrues responded, lifting a brow and gesturing his head toward the calf.

I let out a long sigh as I turned to face it.

“Will your magic to aim for the chest, try not to harm its body as you remove the life.” His words hummed out slow and steady as I lifted my hands and opened my palms.

Green and black tendrils began to flow from the surface of my hands, coiling around my fingers as it started to inch its way toward the animal.

“Breathe, Hyacinth,” Andrues said quietly as I let out the air I hadn’t realized I was holding in.

My head dipped in response, pulling a deep breath in through my nose then rounding my lips and blowing it out to steady myself. My body swayed, moving in the direction I wanted the magic to go and Andrues clasped his hands on my shoulders to stop me.

“You need to learn to do this with your mind—your will. Your movements will give your plans away in battle if you are leaning into the direction you are aiming.”

“It’s not that simple,” I hissed, trying to focus on the calf as the magic began to flow faster out of me.

The tendrils crept closer to the animal, twisting and writhing like snakes in the air. I could feel the power surging through me, a dark and seductive force that both thrilled and terrified me. I tried to focus my mind, to direct the magic with precision.

Suddenly, the calf let out a plaintive bellow, its reanimated body collapsing and thrashing on the ground. The magic had struck it in the side, tearing through flesh and bone with sickening ease. I groaned, my concentration shattering like glass as the tendrils of magic dissipated into the air.

“Damn it,” I muttered, clenching my fists in frustration.

Andrues sighed, his hands still resting on my shoulders.

“This magic is not a blunt instrument. It requires finesse, control,” he said, his voice calm but firm as he flicked his fingers toward the calf, bringing it back to life.

I nodded, taking another deep breath to steady myself.

Raising my hands again, I focused all of my willpower on the calf’s chest. The magic flowed out of me and this time I kept it tightly leashed. The tendrils wrapped around the animal’s torso, sinking into its flesh like claws. I could feel the life force within it, pulsing and struggling against my grip. With a final surge of effort, I yanked my hands back, pulling the life out of the calf in one swift motion. The creature fell, its body going limp and still as the green and black aura faded away. I let out a shaky breath, feeling a rush of exhilaration and nausea all at once.

Andrues squeezed my shoulders, a genuine smile gracing his lips. “Well done. You are making progress.”

I couldn’t shake the unease that settled in the pit of my stomach every time I touched this magic. The power it held was intoxicating, addictive even, but it felt so wrong—a violation of the natural order. I shook the lingering feelings from my limbs as I turned to Andrues.

“So, how well do you think the meeting at Pri’s is going?”

“She will not be happy about the decision.” Andrues shrugged, pulling his jacket up around his neck to block the harsh winds. His brows furrowed. “Did you know she wakes up screaming in the night? Screaming for you—for Ardan.”

My gut wrenched at his words, my heart dropping into the pit of my stomach. I took a deep breath, trying to control the knot forming in my throat. I didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what words could possibly describe the ache that my heart felt knowing she was in so much pain.

“I will continue to stay with her, make sure she is not alone,” Andrues said, sensing the heaviness that clung to me.

“Thank you,” I whispered, nodding as I blew a deep breath from my lungs.

I needed to focus.

Tomorrow we would be leaving for Ithia, and I needed to have a clear head.

“What are we going to do, Andrues?” I asked, tucking a curl behind my ear as I glanced toward him. “I’m scared. I’m scared we have already lost this war before it’s even begun.”

“It is not the first time we have fought a war we did not know how to win, yet we are still standing,” Andrues responded as he gently bumped his shoulder against mine in reassurance. “And we have something they do not.”

“What could we possibly have?” The question came out harsher than I intended and I sighed, giving him an apologetic glance as I looked over the open fields.

“You, Hyacinth. We have you.”