"I don't want to accidentally kill it." Avalie steps back, away from the iron cage holding the bird on the inside. She clenches her hands together as if that'll hold her power from ever escaping the binds she has forced it to hide inside of. An invisible iron cage, compared to the durable one sitting before her in Silas's chambers.
The bird on the inside is weak, has a broken wing, and was easy for Silas to catch in the corner of the courtyard. Since he doesn't want to test her powers on a guard, an innocent human being, or even one of their strongest enemies down in the dungeons, he chose the bird instead. Better than taking the life of a human, he supposes.
"If your power listens to you, then you won't kill it," Silas reassures. "Remember, if something happens, the bird feels no pain at all."
Avalie quirks her mouth to the side and shakes her head. "I...I can't. Why can't we focus on something else, like reading through ancient records again?" She forces a faked smile; even Silas notices that. From all the moments he has avoided blushing in response to that smile, it's easy to tell which ones are purposeful and which are plastered on like Avalie doesn't have the strength to actually smile.
"We need to do this at some point, Avalie. Otherwise, you'll never understand your power—if you get the hang of it now, there's less of a chance you kill someone when you're not prepared. You don't want to live with a titanium band your entire life; witches that do, their power ends up going insane." Silas steps forward, taking both her shoulders, and holds her at arm's length.
She's so small in his grasp, like a twig, and he resists the urge to squeeze her shoulders to see if they snap. Likely not, her power creates an outer shell so strong that even one of the deadliest powers in this realm of witches couldn't break her. Looks can be deceiving, evident so by what hides underneath her skin. Every witch in their right mind would run.
Her plump bottom lip pouts and she grimaces. "Fine, I'll try. When my power is active, I want you far away. All right?" She steps towards the cage, already undoing the latch.
Silas nods. "Do what you need to do."
There's a complicated puzzle of her power she needs to figure out. Like Roux, unable to control the power of ground, Avalie needs to learn how to control the power of decease. Roux's power had the tendency to explode underneath her watch, it wanted more freedom than she was willing to give it—Avalie's, on the other hand, has a mind of its own that she can't find control over.
Silas doesn't want to tell her that her power disobeying is the beginning sign of an Outburst. It's not uncommon for young witches to experience them, especially with a power as dangerous as hers, but no one wants to go through it at any stage of their life. And for Avalie, who never has seen control of her power, it'll be even more difficult to get a strong hold on it.
Carefully taking the bird in her hands, Avalie closes her hands softly around the grey feathers, leaving only the bird's head poking out from her soft grip. She turns, awkwardly shuffling her boots against the rug, to face Silas on the other side of the room. Neither of them moves as she closes her eyes, opening that door to her power, and goes through the fight in her mind for control.
She visibly winces, a crease forming between her brows as she attempts to concentrate. Avalie's cheeks flush red and when she opens her eyes, the ruby has dulled. There's a lifeless sense to her face as she looks down at that bird, finding it still there, twitching in her palms. A smile like Silas has never seen before blossoms onto her cheeks.
"I did it!" She exclaims. "I told my power not to kill the bird, and I didn't kill the bird."
She flinches as if something bites her and, in her palms, the bird's head hangs from where it had once been perked. As quickly as that smile on her face blossomed, it's replaced by a saddened frown. Avalie examines the bird but finds no life left behind in the silken feathers and sharp beak.
YOU ARE READING
Aligning the Forgotten ✓
Fantasy[Book 3 of the Grounding the Storm series] Renit's worst nightmare has come true. Roux isn't at his side, and he's banished from his throne and his crown, leaving him nameless and on the run. While trying to escape his father's cruel reign, he has t...
