Chapter 30 New experiences
~Lyra’s POV~
At first when I saw that the instructions on the paper were meant for the fire element, the confidence I had in myself collapsed instantly. I felt it drain out of me so fast it left an emptiness in my chest and I immediately decided that there was absolutely no way I could manage something so volatile. I convinced myself within a heartbeat that I was not capable of doing it, and for a moment that fear held me completely still.
But something deep inside of me stirred with a quiet insistence that felt older than my own thoughts. It whispered that I could do it, that I should at least try. So I made the decision to try even though the idea frightened me.
Deciding to try was one thing, but memorizing the instructions written on that paper was an entirely different battle. Every line felt heavy, ancient and demanding. It took me a while to finally get every word, every phrase, and every little detail into my head. I repeated them countless times until the instructions finally rooted themselves into my memory.
When it finally worked, when the spell actually responded to me, I stood frozen in disbelief. A flurry of emotions washed through me all at once. I had fire in the center of my palm, a real burning fire that moved as if it had life.
I stared at it in wonder and I did not even understand how fear suddenly crept into me and spread like a cold shiver down my spine. The fire which had originally been calm and tame began to tremble, flicker violently, and then misbehave in a way that made my chest tighten with panic. Each movement of the flame made me even more scared.
I tried chanting the spell to put it out, repeating the words again and again, but the moment the chant left my lips I knew it was not working. Instead of calming down, the fire raged on and climbed higher.
“What is happening,” I asked, my voice trembling as countless terrible possibilities rushed through my mind. I already began thinking of all the ways this could go wrong. I was not supposed to be using magic at all in this place. This was supposed to be our little secret. If it did not stop soon, we would no doubt be exposed.
I looked at Taren and I could clearly see fear on his face, which only agitated me more. He could not help me here because he was not a witch. He was a werewolf. The responsibility of stopping this rested solely in my hands and that realization hit me with another wave of fear.
“I think it is reacting to your emotions. Try to stay calm and see if you can tame it,” he finally said. I clung to his advice and forced myself to take deep breaths, each breath trying to quiet my racing heart.
I took my time to recall everything I had read and every lesson I had learned in the past, especially the one that said I should treat the magic as an extension of myself and not as a separate entity.
With that thought steadying me, I finally tamed the fire. The flame softened, curled gently, and then faded until nothing remained. Relief washed through me the moment it disappeared.
“Wheeww,” Taren breathed out in relief at the exact same time I did. Although mine made no sound, the feeling was mutual.
“That was scary,” he said.
“I agree with you a hundred percent.” My voice came out so soft it was almost a whisper.
I moved my legs with the intention of going to the bed to collapse on it, but I instantly stopped when a strange sensation spread through my body. It started as a soft internal pull and then I heard a faint voice in my head. It was not loud or clear, but it was there.
“Are you all right,” Taren asked.
I heard him, but I could not respond immediately because I was trying to focus on what was happening inside me. Moreover, there was no answer I could give that would perfectly explain my current state because I did not even understand it myself.
“My lady,” he called again, his tone laced with concern, and that eventually drew my attention back to him.
“I feel strange and I hear something in my head, but it is not clear,” I said to him. I knew confusion was written all over my face.
“How exactly do you…” he started, but his voice trailed off. He suddenly looked like he had realized something important and then his eyes widened slightly.
“I think we just successfully activated your wolf,” he said, and excitement surged inside me, but I held myself back from celebrating too soon.
“Are you sure? What if you are wrong? What if it is something else?”
“No. I cannot be wrong about this one. Goddess, you smell amazing,” he said, and his face lit up as if he had just discovered a priceless treasure.
But something he said completely confused me.
“I smell amazing?”
He nodded.
“I don't understand. How did I smell before?” I asked, suddenly becoming self aware even though I had washed myself thoroughly that morning.
“You had no scent initially. The scent comes with your wolf.”
“Oh,” I said slowly as realization dawned on me. “So what do I smell like now?” I asked, genuinely curious.
He drew in a deep breath, then another, and then one more with his eyes closed. When he finally opened them, he began to speak.
“You smell like lavender with a hint of the smell of earth after rain.”
My eyes widened in excitement. “Oh I love the smell of earth after rain,” I admitted. I lowered my nose to smell my arms so I could catch even the faintest hint of the scent, but Taren’s sudden laughter filled the room and I stopped instantly, shooting him a frown.
“You cannot catch your own scent,” he said between light laughter. “You can only catch the scent of other wolves and they can catch yours too.”
“Oh. But how come I still do not know what you smell like? Everything still smells the same.” I drew in several breaths to see if anything had changed, but everything remained normal to me.
He gave me an understanding smile. “Just give it time. Your wolf is only just waking up and your scent is still not strong enough. As you keep practicing, everything will fall in place,” he assured me.
I almost asked how he was so certain and how he knew all of these things, but I remembered he had told me sometime in the past that he had been preparing for my coming, and had been doing a lot of research to ensure he was ready to help me when I finally appeared.
The voice in my head became a little clearer, but I still could not make out what she was trying to say. As strange as it was that someone was speaking inside my mind, I wanted more than anything to speak back, but I could not yet.
Just then, it felt like my nostrils opened wider and my sense of smell sharpened drastically.
Taren did not say a word. He simply watched me patiently with a small smile on his face while I tried to navigate the new sensations and experiences flooding my senses.
Then I finally caught his scent and I grinned at him.
“You smell amazing too,” I said.
His smile widened. “Thank you,” he said simply with a nod.
I picked up the spell paper and handed it back to him since I had already memorized everything written on it. I did not want to risk being caught with it.
“My wolf has a really beautiful voice, but I still cannot hear her clearly yet. I will continue to practice so she can become stronger,” I assured him, completely grateful for all the help he had given me.