Krew chuckled. “Just try it, love. I doubt your magic takes the shape of a rat or a centipede.”
I fought off a shiver. “Okay.”
I closed my eyes, feeling the pull of my magic increase. Whether it was because I was so nervous or because it knew I was about to use it, I wasn’t certain. I wanted to think about the lake and healing it but knew I couldn’t. I wanted to fret over whatever shape I was about to see but had to push it all away. I inhaled and focused in. I first imagined the breeze, slow and lazy just like I had seen Owen and Krew do before. I imagined it blowing slowly and gently around the lake in a circular pattern twice before disappearing at the far edge of the lake.
I took a deep breath and then released my magic toward the lake.
I opened my eyes to see my magic rising from my pointer finger slowly, whisps of silver magic slowly rising out of me. And then gently, a bird of sorts shot to the sky. I barely caught it, as the magic was still moving faster than I intended and then it was gone in a flash. All I knew was that it was somewhat birdly shaped.
“One more time,” I demanded, taking a moment this time to really think about how slow I wanted my magic to move. As if dipped in molasses and slowly rolling toward the lake before making three slow circles and disappearing. I again willed the magic out of my hand.
At first, I thought it was a raven just like Keir’s. Though it wouldn’t matter, I would’ve preferred to match Krew’s wolf over Keir’s raven. But then, as the second attempt did move much slower, I saw that this bird was much larger than Keir’s. It wasn’t a raven at all. As it circled around the lake, I found it was actually a hawk.
In a flash, Krew’s magic also took to the sky, charging along the ground in wolf form before joining the breeze my magic was circling. Our magic joined on the last circle my hawk flew, the wolf running around above the surface of the lake and my hawk just above it as the silver and navy intertwined.
“We’ve got a wolf and a hawk,” Owen said with a laugh. “Thank the gods it wasn’t an owl.”
“I was more worried I’d match Keir’s raven and that’d be awkward as hell.” My forehead creased. “Wait. Whose magic is the owl?”
“My father’s,” Krew bit out. “Not that it ever moves slow enough for you to notice.”
I thought of the way the king was always perched in a balcony, scanning and watching. I should’ve guessed that before now. He was a scavenger, through and through. “So we’ve got two birds, a wolf, and a bear,” I offered. “I don’t know what shape I thought it’d take, but I never considered a hawk.”
“As much as you like the forest, it doesn’t surprise me any,” Owen laughed. “The wolves can be the guardians of the forest; you can take watch above it.”
“How do you feel?” Krew asked me.
I was still smiling over Owen’s comment. “Relieved. Relieved I’m not a rat.”
He laughed. “No. I meant magic-wise. Do you need to go once more, or are you good for breakfast?”
I had no idea if I was good or not, but I found I shook my head. “No. I’m fine. And starved.”
“You know what this calls for?” Owen asked.
Krew pinned him with a glare. “She is going to be exhausted this week with the magic settling in. She is absolutelynotmaking you cookies.”
“No, no, no.” Owen shook his head. “Not where I was going.”
I laughed. “Bacon. He meant bacon.”
Krew rolled his eyes. “What is with the two of you and bacon?”
Owen rubbed his hands together. “What’s not to like?”
* * *
I sleptfor a few hours and then Owen demanded I work on pulling my magic into my palms and then calming it. Krew was off dealing with the arrested disloyal who he had set up. I wasn’t sure if he’d be gone the rest of the day or just a few hours. Silvia had, of course, known about the wedding and the bonding taking place, as she’d gotten me ready for hours on my wedding day. While overjoyed and excited to be in on the secret, she’d promised to give me space these first few days while I adjusted to the magic. I only wished Owen had followed her example.
“I don’t want to break anything!” I argued with Owen. “Can’t we do this outside?”
He shook his head. “Not at this time of day.”
“Well, I’m not confident in it enough to use it in Krew’s wing. And I was about to go take a shower.”
“You won’t be using it, you’ll just be calling it forward and then calming it,” he offered.
I glared at him. “Unless I cannot calm it.”
