Chapter 27 Play along
Tasha:
“Keep your hands steady. Channel your focus to the tip of your fingers,” Elder Sara instructed, her voice sharp and unwavering. I obeyed, barely. Sparks flickered along my skin, dangerous and bright, and I felt my chest tighten as my demon roared inside, tugging at my mind, whispering to break free.
I clenched my jaw and extended my hands. My magic leapt from my fingers like liquid fire, hitting the invisible barriers they had laid around the chamber. The wards shimmered under the impact, absorbing the energy. I could feel the walls vibrating slightly, a tangible reminder that I could unleash more....but I didn’t. Not yet.
Elder Ron stepped forward, circling me, his hands raised in small gestures, adjusting the wards’ flow. “Do not just throw your power,” he said. “Control it. Feel the energy, guide it, and restrain it. Let it follow your will, not the demon’s.”
I inhaled sharply, forcing the coil of magic in my chest to tighten like a wound spring. My wolf stirred, restless and impatient, nudging me to strike harder, to tear at the chamber and its watchers, to punish them for trying to cage me.
My demon snapped back at the wolf, snarling, reminding me of the taste of freedom, the thrill of destruction. But I kept my hands steady. My focus split between restraint and release, between human self and demon self, between the wolf and the surge.
“Again,” Elder Sara said. She didn’t need to shout. I already knew it was coming. I directed a controlled stream of magic, a thin ribbon of black and violet fire, into the training sphere in the center of the room. It flared brightly, illuminating the stone chamber, and the sphere resisted, pulsating with energy of its own. My heart thudded against my ribs as I guided it, feeling my wolf tense, feeling my demon fight for control.
“You’re trying to overwhelm it,” Elder Ron said, stepping closer, adjusting the ward flow again. “The energy is yours, Tasha, but it must flow with precision. Not with force. Force is destruction. Precision is control.”
I gritted my teeth, forcing the coil of fire to follow my will. My wolf growled softly, frustrated at the restraint. My demon hissed, eager, clawing at the edges of my mind. I could feel it building inside me, the urge to shatter the sphere, to fling it across the room, to strike at the elders standing there like fragile prey. But I held. Just for a moment longer.
“Good,” Elder Sara said, almost reluctantly. “But your timing is off. You must anticipate, not react. Predict the barrier’s shift before it happens. Let the energy flow into the gaps, not collide blindly.”
I exhaled slowly, sweat prickling at my temples. My magic stuttered, sparked, and I adjusted the coil, directing it along a controlled path, letting it twist and curl around the barrier like a serpent. My wolf nudged my mind, eager, restless, testing me, but I shoved the feeling down. Not yet. I couldn’t let it take over here.
The elders moved silently around me, monitoring, adjusting, and correcting, their presence heavy, almost suffocating. Each gesture, each word, guided me, pushed me, restrained me. I could feel the pressure, the weight of expectation, and the stakes were clear. One mistake, and I could hurt them...or worse, the humans Neel had become entangled with.
“Your stance is weak,” Elder Sara said next, circling behind me. “Feet shoulder-width, knees bent. The flow starts from the ground up. Your magic is a part of you, Tasha, not something separate to hurl blindly.”
I adjusted, grounding myself, feeling the energy rise from the soles of my feet, twisting along my legs, coiling in my chest. My wolf growled low, insistent. My demon roared, craving release, and I felt the familiar thrill of near chaos pressing at the edge of my mind. But I held. I had to.
“Now, combine it,” Elder Ron instructed, stepping back. “Balance the energy, your wolf, and the demon. Do not suppress, do not fight. Channel. Flow. Merge without losing yourself.”
I closed my eyes, feeling the surge push against every restraint. Sparks flared, black and violet, licking along my arms. My wolf snarled, thrumming with anticipation. My demon hissed, hungry for control. I inhaled, and for a moment, I could feel every part of me...the human, the wolf, the demon...straining, pulling, clashing. Then I let it flow. Not fully, just enough to satisfy them, enough to learn control.
The sphere shuddered, bent, and twisted under my magic, but it didn’t shatter. I opened my eyes to see the elders watching, alert, calculating. My chest heaved, sweat slicking my hair to my forehead, my arms trembling slightly from the effort.
“You held,” Elder Sara said quietly, almost impressed. “Do not mistake that for mastery. It is merely the beginning. We will continue until you can do this without wards, without us, without fear.”
I ground my teeth, sparks flaring weakly along my wrists. I wanted to shout, to break, to tear at everything, but I forced it down. My wolf whined softly, my demon growled, and I felt the tug of my instincts, wanting to strike back, to escape, to run. But I didn’t. I couldn’t.
“Enough for now,” Elder Ron said. “Rest. But do not let your mind wander. Control is mental as much as physical. Do not let the demon sway you. Do not let your wolf lead. Remember why you resist.”
I sank to the floor, chest heaving, sparks dimming to faint embers along my arms. I couldn’t see clearly for the sweat in my eyes. My mind spun with the push and pull of my inner forces, the thrill of power restrained, the knowledge of how close I had come to losing control. And yet, even in exhaustion, a small part of my mind plotted, calculated. My demon leaned in, whispering softly now, coaxing.
I let it whisper. Not yet fully unleashed, just enough to entertain the thought. A plan formed slowly, carefully. I would play along. I would cooperate. I would let them think they had tamed me, even controlled me, while I bided my time.
And in the corner of my mind, the thought of Neel shone like a beacon, steady and bright. No one would hurt him. No one. My wolf hushed, my demon paused, and I felt a fragile moment of balance settle over me.
I would comply....for now. And then, when the time was right, I would have my freedom. I would have revenge. And I would go back to him.