I burn away the water, leaving only a few orbs of light behind. “Because if they aren’t combined, a water channeler can remove the water and expose you for the fraud you are.” I give him my own wink. “It’s a great start, but for them to really work together, you need to think of them as one small piece of a whole, one part of the larger aether that flows in and through everything around us.”

Fuck, I shouldn’t have said that.

He frowns. “Aether only flows through the leylines.” The floating balls of light disappear.

I’ve said too much, but I have no choice but to move forward. “That’s a misconception, actually. The aether flows most strongly through the leylines, but everything around us has a tiny current of aether. Well, everything magical around us, and that includes basically everything but humans. The aether is pure magic, and our entire world is made up of that magic.”

He studies me, eyes keen and assessing. My body hums under his scrutiny. Olive eyes draw me in as he asks, “Are you… more sensitive to aether? Is that your power? Because I’ve never heard or read that fact, and I grew up with access to the most extensive magical library in the world.”

“Something like that,” I say quickly and dryly as I gesture for him to try again, desperate to divert the attention away from me and my magic. But then I remember Admon’s words, his advice to let the Prince in, so I give him a small offering. “Focus on the aether in the leylines, channel it into either conduit, but then release it. As it dissipates, concentrate on what it feels like right as the aether leaves. That feeling, that exact moment, when you know the aether is there, but you aren’t channeling it, is what it feels like to sense the aether in the world around you.”

He closes his eyes. The surrounding light intensifies for a moment but then returns to normal. I see his brows furrow in concentration. Those mossy eyes open wide with shock, and I try not to think about how it makes his features soften. “Holy fucking aethers,” he whispers.

I smile. “What, did you think I was lying?”

“I thought there was a non-zero chance you were tricking me. How—how have I never known this? Why hasn’t this been written about?”

I shrug. “I can’t say for sure, but I suspect Thayaria has more aether than most places, even not concentrated in the leylines. So, it would be much more difficult to sense it elsewhere. I also think it takes a powerful channeler.”

“Are you saying you think I’m powerful, witchling?” he practically growls, taking a step toward me, eyes bright.