“I totally agree. I think maybe they just wanted an excuse to have their hands on each other,” Charles grumbled.
“But Uncle Charles, haven’t you noticed we’re not even holding hands today? Look, he’s on the opposite side of the table, even. Now we only have to come in contact once a day.”
He mumbled something unintelligible under his breath that included the word “seventeen.”
“And we’re not dating. It’s not like I planned this. I can’t help that it happened.” She looked at him with pleading eyes. “And you do believe me since you’ve heard the whole story, right? I wasn’t in bed with Kaevin. I fell through the ice because I was stupid, and Kaevin tried to save my life. You can’t be mad at him for that.”
“I’m still plenty angry at you for pulling a stunt like that. I’ve taught you to be smart where your safety is concerned. You knew better than to run out on the ice.” He frowned, his chin jutting out, but she could see his anger had softened.
“I know, but I panicked when the hawk was going after Ringo. And I know that’s not a good excuse. Believe me, I learned my lesson.”
“When I saw you drop through the ice,” Kaevin said in a quiet voice, “I can’t describe what it felt like. Please don’t ever do anything like that again.”
Alora felt a pang in her chest as she gazed across the table into Kaevin’s eyes. Their eyes locked and something passed between them, something on a deep level. She squeezed her eyes against the tears threatening to spill out.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. If only she could forget about all her problems
and everyone else and what they thought. She wanted to be alone with Kaevin so he could tell her he loved her again... in a warm, dry and comfortable place.
She opened her eyes when she felt an unexpected burst of cold air. She found herself standing in Kaevin’s arms in the stables.
“I see I will need to take special precautions during our training,” said Raelene as one corner of her mouth twitched upward. She stood beside Kaevin with her hand on his arm. “You shouldn’t have the ability to transport all three of us, especially when you weren’t even in contact with Kaevin. When I felt your emotions rising, I put my hand on him, thinking to prevent a transport by acting as an anchor.” Her warm smile took the sting from her words. “I think I may need to wrap him in iron instead.”
“So her gift is even stronger than you thought?”
“Yes, I’m truly amazed. And I cannot even predict the potential when she fully develops her gift.” Raelene shivered. “If you’re ready, we’ll see if I can help you take us back.”
Alora noticed her knees were trembling. Was it from the cold or the fear of trying to perform in front of her grandmother? “Maybe we should just walk back. It’s not that far back to the house.”
“This will be an excellent way to begin your training,” said Raelene, still holding onto Kaevin’s arm. “You will need to learn to control your emotions because they can hinder you as well as cause accidents. But the transport is controlled by an emotion of sorts. You must develop a strong desire or longing. It may help to see the result of the transport in your mind. So you would imagine the three of us standing inside your house.”
Alora tried to imagine making the transport, but she was acutely aware of her grandmother’s observation. Would she be disappointed if it didn’t work? How embarrassing she’d accidentally brought them out here in the first place. And she wouldn’t want to arrive back in the kitchen standing in Kaevin’s arms because her Uncle Charles would be upset.
“Alora,” Raelene spoke softly. “You have too many distracting emotions. You cannot be anxious about the transport. Also, I think you may be concentrating on making the transport rather than the result of the transport. This first time could take twenty minutes. We will not freeze to death, so don’t fret.”
“But I get my power from water and stone, and I’m not touching any. Should we go stand in the snow?”
“You’ve already reached a point where you can draw power without direct contact. I will explain later, but you can draw from water, stone, and wood. There is an abundance of those materials in your vicinity. Simply relax and imagine us inside the house.” She pulled Alora out of the warmth of Kaevin’s arms and moved to stand between them, holding both of their hands with her own. “Perhaps, as you grow colder, you will have a stronger desire to be inside.”
Alora tried to picture the three of them back inside the house. But she knew she didn’t want to face her uncle’s anger again. Why didn’t any of the adults believe they were soulmates?
“Ahem,” Raelene cleared her throat as she gave Alora’s hand a squeeze. “Think calming thoughts. Think of something comforting.”
She tried to imagine the warmth of the house. After they were back inside, she would make another cup of tea and—
“Excellent, Alora! That didn’t take long at all,” said Raelene. “Do you know what you did? Can you repeat it?” Uncle Charles, Beth, and Wesley were staring at the trio with their mouths wide open.
“I... I’m not sure,” she said truthfully. “I think it happened when I thought about having a cup of tea.”
“Where did you go?” asked Beth. “Can you take me somewhere?”
“I believe Alora should practice a bit more with me. She’s currently a little unpredictable. I can’t be certain she won’t return to Laegenshire accidentally. For now, I feel it’s much safer for her to remain here.”
“Isn’t this an amazing place, Raelene?” asked Kaevin. “They do incredible things without any magick I can detect.”
“Yes,” Raelene agreed with a worried expression. “I fear we are even farther away than I’d hoped—quite possibly beyond the reach of the expedition team. I wouldn’t like to put her within reach of Vindrake without the full protection of Stone Clan.”
Charles looked outside at the blanket of white. “It seems like the storm has passed. If you’d like, we could go for a ride, Raelene. I’d love to show you my land. And we could exercise the horses at the same time.”