“I do, but I also believe it was a mere coincidence. You followed the symbols in the book and it happened, but you had no control over it. Now that your powers are wholly unleashed, it makes sense to learn how to wield them. Trust me, putting in the work to get this right will make everything else so much smoother in the long run.”

“You’re the mage, I guess.” I exhaled a long breath, shaking out my hands. “Can you show me one more time?”

He nodded and took a step back, extending his arms. “Remember when I told you that your magic is a friend? Well, this is not about controlling or forcing it. Visualize each tendril, feel it storming in your veins, wild and free. Gently beckon its attention, encourage it to your fingertips, instead of commanding. You want it to work with you, not for you.”

With a graceful flick of his wrists, he demonstrated again, but this time, instead of opening a portal as before, a purple flame surged from his palms, a wyvern forming within its glow. The phantom beast snarled through finger-sized fangs, its nostrils flaring before it opened its jaws wide and expelled an impressive torrent of fire. I leaped backward, my mouth hanging open, and moments later, Zadok retracted it without even flinching or breaking a sweat.

“Woah.” I steadied myself, looking at him with wide, impressed eyes. “Guess you like wyverns then, huh?”

“Yes,” he said, visibly delighted that I’d noticed and that he could talk about it. “They are fascinating creatures. Did you know they have the intelligence to communicate with us through telepathy, but often choose not to for self-preservation reasons?”

“I didn’t.”

“Mm-hmm. If a bond of trust is formed between you and a wyvern, it’s entirely possible they’ll not only speak with you, but be a loyal companion for life.”

I smiled at his eagerness. “Is that what you’re hoping for with Leaf?”

“If she felt that I was worthy enough to be considered a friend, and to hear her voice, I would be greatly honored.”

“I mean, she must think something of you if she’s still here, right? Cair said she tried setting him on fire when he first dropped in.” And he was very salty about it. “If she didn’t trust you at least a little bit, she wouldn’t defend your home.”

Zadok huffed a small laugh. “She is very protective for one so young, but that’s probably because I nurtured her from an egg.” I tilted my head, curious. “I found her in an empty nest, among the shells of her siblings, clearly abandoned by her mother when she took too long to hatch.” I frowned, and he shrugged. “It happens. Wyvern migrate once their younglings have hatched. They grow impatient, and often leave the runt behind since they slow them down.”

“That’s awful.”