Page 40 of Voices in the Stars (The Lost Witch #1)

Leon was quick to return. A door slammed open, his footsteps giving the house a slight shake. Atlas pulled away from where we had been laying together on the bed. Even after sleeping for several days, my body was heavy with exhaustion. He placed a kiss against the top of my head before sitting up.

“Get some rest, little witch. I’ll be back before nightfall,” he promised before leaving the room.

I stayed in bed, listening to the mumbling of their words before everything was cut off by the sound of more doors closing.

There was just the occasional sound of heavy footsteps as Leon moved through the house.

I closed my eyes, focusing on where the flames seemed to start from.

Everything was calm in my chest as I raised my hands into the air to what I hoped was a safe distance from any soft, flammable materials.

Several deep breaths helped steady the nerves I had at setting this very nice room on fire.

I needed to learn, and I didn’t have much time to do it.

I kept up the rhythmic breathing as I maintained all my attention focused on myself.

I tried to picture a ball of flames resting in the palm of my hand.

Every little flame was envisioned in my mind, how it would twist and turn.

There was a small spark inside my chest. My eyes slammed open in excitement only to be met with nothing.

Maybe a ball was too complicated. I shifted against the bed until I was as comfortable as I could manage.

My eyes closed once more as I tried to think of something simpler, though nothing about this seemed simple.

I could do all these impressive things without meaning to, yet I couldn’t even create a simple ball when I wanted to.

I took a deep breath. Doubting myself certainly wasn’t going to help myself or Atlas.

This time, I tried to picture just my fingertips on fire.

The way the flames would flicker and dance between each one.

Peeking with one eye open, I was met with nothing.

Closing my eyes again, I moved on to the entire hand on fire.

Still nothing. My entire arm wrapped in twisted flames.

Nothing. Flames running along my entire body. Nothing.

I huffed out a groan, throwing my arms over my face. The only change was the burning of anger that was coursing through my body.

“Everything okay in here?”

I jumped at the sound of Leon’s voice, uncovering my face. I offered him what I hoped was a pleasant smile. “Yes, everything is just fine in here.”

It wasn’t a complete success, as his face twisted with concern.

“How long have you two known each other?” I rushed to question him before he had enough time to truly question what I had been doing.

“Since we were lads in the soldiers’ training camp,” he answered, walking out of the room.

My mind wandered with more questions than answers.

I bolted from the bed, my attempt at magic temporarily forgotten as I followed him out of the room.

He was quick as he made his way through the house, stopping in the kitchen.

There were vegetables laying around the counter next to a knife that I was certain would look more like a sword in my hands.

I was momentarily thrown off by how large everything in this house was.

The ceilings were high enough that I could’ve been standing on his shoulders, and I wasn’t certain I’d be able to touch them even then.

Though, the table pressed against one of the walls seemed barely taller than a regular one.

It made me question if he could properly sit underneath it without raising the table.

There was one regular sized chair and another on the opposite side that was easily three times its size.

That seemed to be the general theme throughout the kitchen.

I looked over to see a cupboard that was cracked open.

It had two large cups that took up their own shelf with several smaller cups sitting on the shelf beneath it .

“Atlas spends a lot of time here,” Leon spoke as he started cutting the vegetables.

I nodded along with his explanation as I sat in the smaller chair. “Do you know where he’s at now?”

“With Bekah” was all he offered, letting the sound of cutting fill the silence.

Sitting up straight in my chair, I drummed my fingers along the wood table. “Who’s that?” I asked, clenching my teeth at the thought of the one man I’d let into my bed disappearing to meet someone else.

Instead of answering, Leon just glanced at me, a smirk pulling at one side of his lips.

“What camp did you guys go to?” I tried again.

“Training” was all he offered at first. “Sent there as boys to join the king’s army. Me as a soldier, him as one of the generals.”

I leaned over the table, trying to keep my new excitement hidden. “What all did you learn there?”

“Combat, tracking, basic medical—don’t ask your prince to help you with that last one, though. He’s terrible at it.” He glanced back at me, looking over me. “Not that you’ll ever need help with that.”

“Right.” I nodded. “This supposed healing magic that I have.”

“Don’t you?” he asked, turning his attention back to the food, tossing what he had cut up into a metal pot.

“Wouldn’t know,” I answered honestly. “All I’ve managed so far is to randomly set shit on fire.”

“Is that so?” he asked, finally turning his attention to me, arms crossed as he leaned against the counter.

“Yup. Some grass, myself. Even lit a guy on fire before Atlas had to carry me here.” I took advantage of the curiosity that was twirling through his dark eyes.

“That explains the state you were in,” he commented, nodding his head.

“Atlas told me a little bit about it. How bad was it?” I asked, bracing myself for it.

“Bad. You barely had a pulse, yet were gasping for breath like the world didn’t have enough oxygen for you.

Random parts kept sparking with flames. I lost count of the burns that covered Atlas.

Even you were bad. Fingers were charred black.

Clothing was falling away. Did the best I could to patch you two up.

That’s how I know you have some healing magic inside ya. ” He nodded his head toward my hands.

I glanced down, clenching my perfectly unmarked hands together. Twisting them in the sunlight that streamed through a window next to me, there was nothing. Not even the smallest of marks.

“This is insanity,” I whispered.

“Well, this insanity is your life now,” Leon commented.

“You’re right.” I reluctantly pulled my attention away from my hands. “Which is why I should learn to fight back without almost killing myself.”

“Oh no.” Leon shook his head. “I know nothing about this magic shit.” He gestured over me with one hand.

“No.” I tried to put on my nicest smile. “But you should know a lot about weapons. Teach me how to fight.” If I couldn’t learn to control myself, I could control metal.

“Ask Atlas.”

“He’s very busy,” I tried again.

Leon grunted, turning back to the food. I was quick to give up, leaning back in the chair with a quiet huff, crossing my arms. If I could get ahold of some weapon, I could teach myself.

Might lose a finger in the process, but apparently that wasn’t much of an issue for me.

I flexed my fingers against my arm. Not that I really wanted to push myself with that.

I couldn’t control a flame, let alone regrow a limb.

“I’ll think about it,” Leon huffed out without looking at me. “This gets me killed, I’ll come back to haunt ya,” he threatened, but I could hear the smile in his words.

“I wouldn’t dream of letting it,” I answered back with a smile of my own.