Chapter 73 Power and Control
Vanessa
A magical white wolf is now my new destiny.
Stepping into Elda's chambers no longer feels as surreal as the first few times. I've been here so many times, that what was once a faint humming of magic now envelops me like a warm embrace of musical notes in my bloodstream.
After my first shift, Xander had insisted on me training under Elda to help control my growing powers, as I lost count of how many times I've blasted both him and Max - even myself a few times!
Thinking of that ever happening with Trish had gripped my heart with fear for the poor girl, I couldn't even argue with him. Besides, what better way to hone in on my powers than under a Royal Seer with centuries of experience?
The first step was linking me back into the magical system. Without it, irregularities could surface which is dangerous for me once my powers start to amplify - something it has been doing quite well lately.
But today, we're changing our usual training location.
The cold morning air brushes against my skin as I step into the clearing surrounding her chambers. Pine trees flag the clearing like silent guards, their tall trunks swaying gently with the breeze.
The air feels different, and I inhale deeply. Or is it just me?
The power inside me has been restless since dawn and buzzing beneath my skin like lightening trapped in leather, making my fingers twitch and my pulse race in ways I'm starting to recognize now. It's such an exhilarating feeling.
"You're thinking too loudly again," Elda's voice cuts through the quiet, startling me out of my thoughts.
I turn to see her stepping out of the trees behind me, her long, silver hair has been braided and rests on one shoulder. As usual, she carries her long, white staff she uses for every training, tapping it lightly a few times on the ground as she walks towards me.
"I didn't know thoughts could be carried through the air now," I mutter.
"Your magic can, child," she replies, coming to stand directly in front of me, her white eyes glowing faintly.
Oh, right. Of course it can.
With a loud sigh, I cross my arms, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, the earlier buzzing deflating a little. I didn’t sleep much after training last night, and Elda can probably see the exhaustion all over my face.
“You look like someone preparing for a funeral," she notes.
“Well, training with you sometimes feels like one.” A few months ago, I wouldn't have dared to say something like that to her.
Elda ignores the comment and stops a few feet away from me, her sharp eyes studying me like she’s trying to peel my skull open and read my brain. It’s almost unsettling how often she does this.
“Show me what you can do,” she says finally.
I let out a breath and roll my shoulders, trying to ease off the tension building in my chest. I close my eyes. “Alright.”
Immediately, it all comes rushing to me with blinding force.
It’s always there now - the power - humming quietly beneath my skin like a second heartbeat, and when I focus on it, the sensation intensifies, spreading warmth through my veins.
Golden light flickers into existence above my palm the moment I lift my hand. It starts small - just a faint shimmer - but it grows quickly, swirling into thin strands that curl through the air like smoke.
Elda watches me silently, her expression giving nothing away.
“Good,” she says. “Hold it steady and don't get distracted.”
I concentrate, tightening my focus on the energy. For a moment, it actually behaves, before the power surges. The golden strands flare brighter, twisting into sharp arcs that burst with heat. My pulse spikes instantly, and I clench my jaw.
Elda barely even flinches and I sincerely have to commend her for her level of control and professionalism.
My chest tightens with a little disappointment.
I need more control, it's getting too much for me to handle.
“Don't look so despondent, Vanessa,” Elda says calmly. “This is actually better than what we expected. Now, breathe.”
I do as she says, and the magic responds, the wild flaring softens, settling into a smooth glow that floats between my fingers.
“That felt different,” I admit after a long silence. Elda tilts her head, indicating her attention.
“Stronger,” I say. “Like it’s…pushing outward, reaching for something..."
She nods, as if she's already expecting that observation.
“It’s expanding, but needs one more thing to keep it anchored.” Elda circles me slowly, her staff dragging lightly through the grass as she moves.
She stops in front of me, her expression thoughtful. "A completed mate bond because it affects your magic."
My stomach drops. Oh, no, I'm not sure I'm anywhere near ready for that.
Not when...
No, that can't happen, I think, clenching my hands into tight fists.
"Elda..."
"It's not something that has to be done right away, but it's the best solution and but still must not be delayed." Her eyes snap to me and something in them makes me take a tentative step back. "But something is holding you back."
"What? No," I start to deny.
"Again," she says abruptly and I don't hesitate to comply, grateful for the turn in conversation.
This time, when I reach for the power, I don’t just pull a small thread, I grab much more, and the magic responds like it had been silently waiting.
Golden light bursts from my hands in a wide arc, swirling through the clearing like liquid sunlight. The leaves rustle violently as the air vibrates with energy.
Elda’s eyebrows lift slightly. “Careful, child."
I grit my teeth. "I'm trying."
It rushes through my arms and chest, filling every nerve with heat. I pull the energy inward, forcing it to condense into a glowing sphere between my palms.
The orb is unstable and trembles, but I hold it there anyway.
“I’ve got it,” I say through clenched teeth.
The sphere crackles, smoke billows and Elda steps closer. “Release some of it," she demands.
“I’m fine," I argue, but I know it's a lie. The pressure already starting to weight me down.
The orb shakes harder.
“Vanessa–”
A sharp crack splits the air, and the sphere explodes.
Golden light erupts outward in a violent shockwave that blasts through the clearing, knocking us back a few feet. Dust and leaves swirl into the air as the ground trembles beneath my feet.
Elda slams her staff into the earth, and the expanding energy halts just inches from her body.
Once the light fades, the clearing is silent again and I’m panting harder than a dog.
“Well,” I say weakly, “that didn’t go as planned.”
Elda lowers her staff slowly. “You’re forcing the power,” she says.
“I almost had it,” I retort. Not even her can take the little victory away from me.
“You almost lost control, Vanessa. It's dangerous and your recklessness can lead to dire consequences."
She walks closer, stopping just a few feet away from me. "Power like yours cannot be suppressed forever, but it's only reasonable to be cautious."
For the next few hours, it's all about calling, steadying, controlling, then, release.
By the end of the day, I'm exhausted behind measure, but a cold, strange prickle crawls along the back of my neck as something feels very wrong after.
I scan the tree line slowly, but nothing seems to be out of the ordinary.
Maybe I'm just being paranoid, I think. I'm so exhausted to my bones now it's starting to send false warning signals.
The thought has barely even left me when long, sharp tendrils of wrap around my body, digging into my flesh like we had an unresolved history of hate.
I want to scream but one of it snakes around my throat, biting and prickling, and the uncomfortable pressure makes my tears spring to my eyes.
I don't deserve this shit.
Then my body drops with a thud. A blurred silhouette comes into view and I don't hear what's being said, but the voice sends chills down my spine as it cackles with a wicked promise of pain and misery.
Eventually, I succumb to the darkness and await my fate in the hands of a deranged entity.