She grimaced. A burn marked the center of his palm where he'd drawn the power to suck the air out of the room. "Jack, I really am sorry.”

He withdrew his hand. "Don't be." He flicked a hank of hair out of his eye. "It's my fault. I should've been training you to your magick these last couple of days. I should've realized that you'd be feeling pressure to access it.”

"I was, but I should've waited.”

"Yeah," he answered, "but it's still my fault." He walked around the couch, glancing at the vase that lay in shards on the floor. She followed him.

"Could've been worse," he continued. "We're lucky you didn't release more than you did. An untrained air witch sparked a whole line of tornadoes in Missouri once. Nobody could stop the power she unleashed. Thirty-five people died and a state of emergency was declared.”

Mira sat down on the couch abruptly.

Jack sat down beside her. "It's important you learn how much to draw at one time.”

Wow. That seemed like such an understatement considering his last remark. "How do I learn to do that without having the National Guard called in?”

"You have to know, to believe, that this power is yours to command. It's as simple and as complicated as that. It sounds easy, but true belief in your power isn't something that comes right away. If it does, you'll never be a good witch because that means you have too much ego. Assumptions with these kinds of abilities can be devastating and very dangerous.”

"Dangerous?”

"The funny thing about magick is the more you use it for violence and chaos, the more it twists you inside. A witch's magick is an integral part of her. Every time a witch uses her magick to harm, it's like adding a pollutant into the body and mind.”

"Crane must be a cesspool.”

Jack's lips twisted into half smile. "Something like that.”

"Well, he's definitely not following the tenet of harm ye none," she muttered.

"The time has come for me to train you." He sounded resigned. "I'm going to touch you now," Jack said.

She jerked. "Uh ... what?”

"It's okay." He reached out and touched between her breasts with his uninjured hand, right in the sensitive hollow of her cleavage. "This is the seat of your magick, but I see you've already figured that out," he said wryly.

He stroked her there, and she tried really hard not to purr. Her magick warmed in response to the pad of his index finger brushing over her flesh. She closed her eyes, enjoying the warm, soft glow filling her chest.

"Feel it?”

It took a moment for his question to register. She felt so relaxed. "Yes.”

"Concentrate on drawing a wisp of that power out. Nothing more. Just the tiniest thread of your magick. Visualize it in your mind.”