Her fear had been a thick, tangible thing, and she’d plummeted straight into that roiling storm inside her, strengthening her legs to lunge hard and fast. There’d been no thought, no plan, just her naked desperation to save him.

But then she’d been struck herself, forced to watch while Hayes held a sword to Jaren. And then suddenly she wasn’t seeing Aleron anymore, and it wasn’t Hayes holding the blade to her mate, but a stranger.

She sucked in a shaky breath, taking in Jaren’s smell and reminding herself that he was here, with her. There was no Hayes and no arrow. They were both alive and unharmed.

“You,” she said, frowning. “I remembered you.”

His fingers twitched, and he curled them in, clutching his knees. “What do you mean?”

“Not as you are now, but as a child. It could’ve been my mind playing tricks on me, but it felt real. You were lying in a hallway, and a man—maybe a Magyki, I’m not sure—held a blade to your chest.”

She looked up, locking eyes with his now slightly widened ones. “You were reaching for me. I could feel your terror, or maybe it was mine, I don’t know. All I remember is when it faded from my mind, something snapped. I didn’t feel like me anymore.”

He swallowed, pain flickering in the green of his eyes before he blinked it away. “Anger and fear are powerful emotions that work well for accessing your ability when absolutely necessary, but they’re a crutch. You must mold it to your will without them.”

“I understand that,” she quipped. “You asked me what I’d felt in that moment, and I told you. What I need now from you, my teacher, is to teach me how to do it differently.”

His jaw ticked. “It’s an innate reaction; it’s not something I can teach you. You have to feel it and direct it where you want it to go. It answers to you, not the other way around.”

“I do direct it.”

“Not enough. You have immense power, Veralie. You moved faster than the speed of a fucking arrow. It’s there. You’re just second-guessing yourself.”

She blew out a breath, flicking stray curls from her face. “Why is it so important I learn this before we get there anyway?”

“So you can defend yourself with more than just a sword. Your mother died, Veralie. As you almost did the last time you were there.”

“Yes, but the rebellion’s over. It’s been over for nearly fifteen years. You said so, yourself.”

He straightened his legs, towering over her. “I trust no one with your safety, little star. You are the Daughter to the Throne. There will always be a risk of danger. I’ll take no chances. Now close your eyes and try again.”

JAREN

He’d been trained for years to withstand a multitude of horrific scenarios, no matter the level of pain. The risks he’d taken on his scouting trips to Aleron had required it. Humans may have been weaker, but if enough pebbles balanced on a mountain, they’d eventually cause a rockslide.