Just as the thought passes, a burst of energy explodes from her palms, screaming through the air and carving a deep crater into the wall, sending shimmering ice crashing to the floor. Dagny’s shoulders slump as a frustrated groan echoes in her chest, followed by a wave of emotion that travels through the bond and straight to the center of my heart.

“It’s okay, Dagny,” I say, stepping forward with every intention to hold her, comfort her. “You’ll figure it out. It’s just going to take a little more ti⁠—”

“Do not touch her,” Malice snarls, the force in his tone causing me to freeze mid-step. “Look.”

I pull my gaze from Dagny’s shuddering form, my attention drawn to the sucking kleptak curled in the corner of the room. Unlike a moment ago, the creature’s head is lowered, the muscles along its abdomen rippling as it attempts to move from its current pose—but no matter how much it tries, it cannot break the spell.

Dagny’s eyes are squeezed shut, her palms shuddering as an invisible stream of magic flows from her veins into the kleptak, overpowering its nervous system and forcing it to its knees. The creature lowers its lumpy, hairless skull in submission, a rhythmic clicking sound echoing from the base of its throat as it waits for her command.

“Rise.”

The word shudders through the air, so strong and sure that my own muscles quiver, desperate to fulfill her order despite not being the target. The kleptak shudders to a standing position, a hollow rattle echoing in its chest as it tilts its head, regarding Dagny with as much curiosity as its expressionless face can manage.

“Rise,” she repeats.

To my utter surprise, the kleptak picks its two front feet off the ground, balancing on its hindlimbs and exposing its soft underbelly. I’m about to remark on how spectacular the feat is when Dagny stumbles back, her eyes glossy and face flushed—her control over the kleptak broken.

Before anyone can react, her body slumps to the floor, the back of her skull thunking against the ice as her body succumbs to exhaustion. We all rush forward, deaf to the creature clacking angrily in the corner as we hurry to make sure Dagny is unharmed.

I crouch by her head, my movements frantic as I cup my palm around her cheek, searching her expression for signs of distress. “Dagny? Talk to me, little one. Are you okay?”

She nods slowly, the silver ring around her iris fading to a warm chocolate brown as the flood of magic entering her veins is cut off. She lies there for a long minute, trying to catch her breath, the uneven rise and fall of her chest accompanied by a hollow, wheezing noise. “I wasn’t expecting… well, that.”

“How did it feel?” Malice asks, his eye gleaming with intrigue. “To force the energy into another creature’s soul?”