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“Enough talking,” Malachi interrupted. “Help her with her magic.”

Esther signed, but eventually turned her attention back to me. “Show me.”

I held my hands out in front of me, as if somehow envisioning power between my palms would actually make it appear.

We all waited for a few seconds. I tried to think about how angry I was when my father called me useless. How embarrassing it was for me to be humiliated in front of everyone.

I thought about Tessa, and about how terrified she would be to see this.

And I thought of Malachi. And how he was trying everything possible to keep me alive.

Yet still, I felt nothing. I felt no power.

I dropped my hands to my sides with a strong exhale. “Nothing,” I explained. “I feel nothing.”

Esther glanced between me and Malachi, suspicion in her eyes.

“What?” I asked.

“You didn’t feel anything,” she explained, “but he did.”

Malachi uncrossed his arms from where he stood at the entrance of the cell. “What are you talking about?” he spat.

“I’m talking about the fact that you can feel her power. You can recognize it. Can’t you?”

Malachi opened his mouth, and I half-expected him to curse at Esther for having such a ridiculous accusation.

But he said nothing and closed his mouth.

Could he feel my power?

I took a step closer to him, leaving Esther behind me. “Mal?” I asked. I called to my power, imagining what it would be like to wield it. To be powerful.

Malachi took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

My stomach dropped. “You can feel this,” I whispered.

He opened his eyes, and his gaze blared into me with a heat that sent a fire down my spine.

“It’s notmethat feels it,” he finally admitted. “It’s my power.”

“Like calls to like, darlings,” Esther said from behind. “Your magic recognizes hers.”

“How is that possible?” I asked her. “It’s just power. How can it recognize anything?”

Esther shrugged. “I’ve heard of this happening. You two are so close, Malachi’s mature magic has come to recognize when yours is close. His power either recognizes yours as a threat…or an ally.”

I didn’t dare look at Malachi, but I knew he was already staring at me.

Our powers were somehow connected.

But that wasn’t going to help me learn to call it.

“How does this help me?” I said, cutting off the conversation. “Teach me how to call my power forward.”

Esther took a long, shaking breath. “You were angry with your father when it came to you?”

“Yes.”