It had also been three agonizing weeks of being alone with Quill and not being on top of him. He kept his composure most of the time, insisting on training me like I wanted. But towards the end of our sessions, he would cave, and we would make out in the grass for as long as we could. I would grind on him, and he would grasp my breasts, but it never went further than that.
I did appreciate that he had started being more open with me. He told me about his best friends Hendry and Edmund, two guys around our age who were also soldiers in training. I wondered when I would meet them.
“Don’t try to force it,” Mother commented. “Stamina comes from the lungs. Focus on pulling the power from there.”
“What does that even mean?” I groaned.
“Just try.”
I huffed, then closed my eyes. Another few moments went by, and still nothing. My hand slumped down.
“Maybe I’m just not cut out for this,” I complained. “What power do I have? Suppressing it all this time has probably ruined any potential.”
Sure, healing was easy for me, but that was essentially effortless for every Mage.
“Come, sit down.” Mother grabbed my hand as we moved to sit on the sofa in our living room. “You said you are in love with Quill, yes?”
I frowned. “I don’t understand what that—”
“Just yes, right?”
Still scowling, I nodded.
“Think of him and feel where that comes from in your body. The warm fuzzy feelings—before you get the wrong idea.”
I grimaced and then decided to think of everything about him that made me love him.
“Now, hold out your hand and concentrate.”
I did as she said and closed my eyes.
I thought of my first encounter with him, my silly nickname, and his lazy smile. I thought of our first kiss and our banter.
I thought of his kindness and how he teased me. How his hair curled against his forehead, how he smelled.
Suddenly, I felt a familiar tingling in my fingertips. My eyes flew open, and I gaped at the sight. Tiny bolts of electricity were emitting from them.
“I knew it,” Mother said with a smug smile.
“H-how do I make it stop?” I panicked.
“Those feelings, imagine putting them away into a box. Imagine closing your chest. That is where that power resides.”
I did just that, visualizing a box, smothering my feelings until they were a distant thought. I inhaled, and the electricity faded after a few moments of concentration.
“I…I can wield electricity.” I whispered, my whole body shaking with a mixture of relief and fear.
“It seems so. I could wield it after a few months of knowing your father.” She held my hand, and I met her warm, brown eyes. “It can only be unlocked after being truly in love. Some people think they are in love with someone, but you know it is real when electricity is your new power. You’re very young to have it. To have something so real.”
My brows creased, and I looked at my hands.
“To wield it in battle, or in general, you must be in tune with that part of your body. It is how you can turn it off and on.”
“I’m supposed to access lovey-dovey feelings when my life is potentially endangered?”
She laughed through her nose. “Not after you get used to the sensation. Once you know what part of you is connected to it, it will be second nature.”
We were startled by a knock on our door. Even after all these years, the idea of somehow being caught was always a fear.
