Page 138 of Daughter of the Serpent

“Yes, and more.” He whispered. “Your power is my power, and my power is yours. Can you not feel it?” His hand reached from behind her, his finger coming to her chest. “Here…”

The feeling that washed over her was intense, intimate. Like every one of her senses had come to life, heightened in their awareness. She became very aware of his touch, the warmth of his body in the cool water behind her. The touch along her skin were bolts of lightning - flashing, pulsing, heated. She gasped, every minute the feeling growing and intensifying, seeking relief - release.

“You mean I can channel you?” She asked, awe washing over her at the realization.

“Yes,” He nodded, “and much more.”

“More?”

“You could tap into my emotions, my soul's energy. It's a very…intimatebond.”

His eyes met hers, “It can only be accessed with consent.”

Sylvie filled with curiosity. “How does it work?”

His hands stroked the water between them, causing ripples to surface and flow, making her miss his hands on her skin.

“Magic always seeks a source, and when it finds an adequate host in which to draw strength it will attach itself, even if that means sharing a bond between two equal partners.”

“You mean, if you granted me access, I could feel what you feel?” She asked, her eyes widening.

“Yes,” He breathed. “With my consent - though it becomes easier to access the more open you are to the bond and with each other. Over time it becomes more difficult to shield it, especially if one has a strong emotional response, that control can easily slip.”

She hesitated, his words circling her like a silent vow. “Why are you showing me this?”

His gaze never wavered. “Because when the time comes to face the trials - you won’t have to do it alone. I will be with you… if you let me.”

The words settled over her, sinking into her skin, into the marrow of her bones. She inhaled sharply, as if drawing in their weight.

Axel had always been untouchable, a fortress of stone. Yet here he was now, offering her a glimpse of something raw, something real.

She turned fully to him, the water swirling between them, rippling with every movement.“You would do this, for me?” Disbelief colored her voice, fragile as the hope swelling in her chest.

Moonlight stretched across his shoulders, draping him in its silver cloak. His gaze burned into hers - a slow, consuming heat.

“Why?” she whispered. Her voice barely carried over the hush of the night, fragile as the hope swelling in her chest.

The question wavered in the air between them, filled with uncertainty. Despite this vulnerability, this act of true connection - she faltered. He had pushed her away, he had told her he couldn’t give her anything more that day on the training grounds when he had seen the yearning in her eyes, the emotions that she had felt. So why this? Why now?

Was he doing this because he cared for her, or simply because of his honor, his profound sense of duty?

Her breath caught as he took a slow step forward.

The closer he came, the more she felt it - that pull. That invisible force that tethered them together.

“Do you not know?” His voice dropped, rough and quiet, as if thetruth might shatter between them if spoken too loudly. Her pulse pounded as he reached for her, his fingertips brushing along her jaw. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver racing down her spine.

He was so close now. Too close. The golden aura seemed to intensify as their eyes met, a powerful force that pulsed around them.

Her body betrayed her, swaying toward him, drawn like a moth to flame. She should stop this - should demand he say what he meant instead of speaking in riddles. But when his thumb traced the curve of her lower lip - light, teasing, devastating - her thoughts fractured.

Her lips parted, her breath stuttering in the cool night air.

“But what you said on the training field…” she started, her voice barely more than a breath. She hated how unsteady it sounded. Hated how she was already unraveling, even as she willed herself to hold on. “I thought you didn’t care - ”

His fingers curled under her chin, tilting her face up to his, silencing her in an instant. His eyes - deep, endless, burning - searched hers as if he were memorizing her, as if he needed her to understand something unspoken.

“It's easier if I show you,” His voice was velvet and midnight, the words precious secrets only meant for her. “But, only if you will it.”