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Unlike most people, Lance was not plotting how to use that new information to trap Farrendel. He just wanted to study the phenomenon as an interesting facet of magic.

Farrendel settled the goggles more firmly over his eyes, then he strode around the barrier toward the small, protected area next to the magical storing device. “Do you need me to put one of the empty power cells in the device?”

“Yes, please! All of those cells along the wall are designed to hold your magic. I’ve been making them ever since I got back from the war.” Lance gestured toward the row of magic-storing devices.

Farrendel raised his eyebrows as he retrieved one and settled it in place according to Lance’s instructions. Lance must have been working night and day to get so much done in the past month.

As Lance called instructions, conducting his experiments and taking notes on how Farrendel’s magic reacted, Farrendel found himself relaxing as he only did when he was with someone he trusted.

It was strange, in this place of gears and grease and human inventions that he would find himself truly belonging.

ESSIE RESISTED theurge to scrub her palm against the sturdy trousers she was wearing. The whole three-hour train ride northeast out of Aldon, she had struggled to hide her nerves. Not that she was fooling Farrendel since he could feel her jitters through the heart bond.

Now, she and Farrendel stood deep in the bomb range of Fort Charibert, the sprawling army base named after the first Escarlish king. Here, Escarland’s army trained and tested new weaponry. A few scrub trees and patches of grass valiantly attempted to grow on the range despite the bombardment the acres routinely suffered. A thin layer of snow blanketed the range, smoothing out the battered ground.

At least Averett and Julien had convinced the army to clear the range for the day. Essie could not imagine having an audience for this first lesson in using Farrendel’s magic.

Farrendel took her hands, giving her a soft smile. “Do not be nervous. We will start with small amounts of magic. There is nothing within a two mile radius that your army would mind if we accidentally destroy.”

“Except for each other.” Essie swallowed and swiped her palms on her trousers. The sweat just made her fingers feel colder.

Farrendel gave a huff that was the equivalent of an eye roll from him. “I am immune to my own magic. You cannot hurt me if you lose control any more than I can hurt you.”

Very true. Still, she couldn’t help but be nervous. The first time she’d used Farrendel’s magic, she and Jalissa had been about to be overwhelmed by a troll ambush. It had been terrifying, both the near-death experience and wielding Farrendel’s magic. Then, in the final battle, she had helped Farrendel bring his magic under control, and she had gotten a taste of its sheer vastness. Did she even have a hope of wielding that much power?

But, for all her nerves, Farrendel did not seem to have the same jitters. For the past week, he had been spending a great deal of time with Lance Marion on days when he didn’t have counseling with Taranath and Mr. and Mrs. Harwell or wasn’t training all day with Julien.

The days with Lance seemed to give Farrendel a new confidence about his magic, something Essie had never seen in him before. It was as if, for the first time, he was truly coming to appreciate his magic instead of the fear-bordering-on-hatred that he used to show when it came to his power.

“We will start slow. I promise. After all, we elves come into our magic slowly as we mature, and that gives most elves time to train and learn control before they have access to their full power.” Farrendel started to let go of her hands, but she reflexively tightened her grip.

Perhaps she was just trying to delay the inevitable, but something about what he’d just said struck her. “Wait, when we were first married, you mentioned that elves aren’t considered fully mature until they are one fifty to two hundred years old. Since you are only a hundred and five, does that mean you could still get more magic?”

“Maybe.” Farrendel froze, his gaze dropping to their clasped hands. “I think I alreadyhavecome into more magic since I married you. Thanks to the elishina, I have begun to mature faster. I have more control and more power than I had even a few months ago, and I do not think this is all due to the additional practice with my magic with Lance or linking my magic with the heart bond, though that seems to be part of it.”

Essie tightened her grip on his fingers. This was the first time they’d had proof of this effect of the heart bond, the one that would give her a longer life and Farrendel a shorter one. She’d always assumed the first sign would be that she would noticeably not age. It had never occurred to her that Farrendel would show evidence of aging faster first. “I’m sorry.”