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Chapter 463
~Zara’s POV~
The sky was still painted in pale dawn when I stepped out into the cool morning air behind Snow’s mansion.
The training grounds stretched wide and open, wrapped in light fog as dew still clung to the grass.
My boots pressed into the soft earth, and for a mont, I just stood there, breathing in, grounding myself.
Siona was already waiting for , dressed in a long, dark tunic and leggings. Her sleeves were rolled up, and she held a wooden staff with ancient runes carved into its length. Her hair was braided tightly down her back, her posture still and focused.
"You’re early," I said.
"So are you," she replied, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Good. You’ll need every minute."
I approached her slowly. "So, where do we begin?"
"With the truth," she said plainly. "You’re powerful, but raw and reckless. Your magic is tied to your emotions—too tied. If you can’t learn to separate the two when needed, it will kill you before your enemies do."
I nodded and waited for her to continue.
"Thankfully, in the process of trying to steal your powers, the dark witches have successfully unlocked them."
I didn’t flinch. "I understand."
"No, you don’t. But you will." Siona lifted her staff, and the runes along its shaft began to glow softly. "We’ll start with the basics. Connection and control."
She motioned for to sit. I dropped to the grass in a cross-legged position.
"Close your eyes," she said, circling . "Breathe in. Let your wolf go for now. She will only interfere. Find the magic inside you—not instinct, not rage, not fear. Just power."
I have had Astrid for most of my life, and right now, doing this without her felt... Phew.
I took a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. And repeated the actions a few tis..
I tried to focus on the warmth that flickered beneath my skin—the heat I’d felt in battle, the light that had saved . But it was slippery, like mist. Every ti I reached for it, it darted away.
My brow creased.
Siona’s voice dropped to a whisper behind . "You’re chasing it like prey. Power isn’t prey. It’s already inside you. Let it co. Let it flow."
I kept breathing. Let it flow... let it co...
And then sothing shifted. A flicker like a warm pulse in my belly. As it flowed like a river, running through my veins, my blood coursing through my whole body, and then a sudden shimr at the tips of my fingers. Not blinding, not loud—just present.
I gasped softly when I felt it—held it in my grasp.
Siona’s smile was soft, but approving. "There it is. Don’t move. Don’t speak. Just feel it."
I did. It was like a second heartbeat, one born not of blood, but of magic—old and strange and mine.
And then it spiked.
A bolt of heat surged up my spine, and suddenly, my body jerked forward. My hands flared with golden-white light. I opened my eyes to find sparks dancing between my fingers like fireflies in a storm.
But I was shaking. My control was slipping. I thought it was easy and I finally had it in my grasp, but right now... It didn’t feel like control. Itw as a fucking freaking ss.
"Breathe!" Siona snapped.
I clenched my fists, trying to force the magic back down, but it fought , flaring brighter.
"Don’t fight it! Redirect it!"
"To where?" I shouted, struggling against the power that now poured from like an open faucet.
"To the ground. To the sky. Let it go."
Let it go! Let it go!
But to where? Where can I....
"Free it, Zara. You don’t always have to be in control. This is not Snow and Vera. You can be free and let your powers breathe."
I inhaled when I heard Astra’s voice in my head. With a shout, I slamd my palms into the earth.
A shockwave of light burst from my hands, rippling across the training field. The ground trembled and the wind howled.
When it finally cleared, I lay there, panting.
Siona crouched beside , her eyes glowing faintly.
"You have it," she murmured. "You just need to learn how not to drown in it."
I coughed and managed a weak smile. "So that’s lesson one?"
"No," she smirked. "That was just the warm-up."
I groaned as I sat up, limbs heavy. "I think I miss sword training already."
She chuckled and offered her hand. "Then you’re going to hate lesson two."
And just like that, my first day began.
Siona smirked as she motioned toward the sigils drawn into the earth.
What followed was brutal.
We moved into sigil work. Ancient symbols were ant to shape and direct energy. Siona taught the basic formations—spirals for control, triangles for defence, crescents for amplification.
She showed how to push my magic not just through my hands but into these shapes—how to trace them with power, not ink.
"Each one is like a vessel," she explained. "Your magic must fill it. No overflow. No gaps. If you lack focus, the sigil will reject your power or explode."
She wasn’t exaggerating. The first ti I tried, the sigil flared red and spat the energy back at like it had a mind of its own. I was thrown backwards five feet.
The second ti, I managed to light it, just for a mont.
By the fifth attempt, the entire spiral lifted off the ground in a sphere of glowing gold light—and held steady.
Siona’s expression flickered, almost proud. "Better."
After an hour of this, my head pounded. My fingers burned. My legs felt like they’d collapse.
But I was also—quietly—thrilled.
For the first ti, I wasn’t just reacting to my magic. I was commanding it.
By midday, Siona called the lesson to an end. "We’ll begin combat magic next. For now, eat. Rest. Tomorrow we go again."
I thanked her and headed back. When I returned to the mansion, I was sore, sweating, and practically crawling up the stairs.
By the ti I stumbled into the bedroom, every part of my body ached. Siona had officially declared war on my muscles, and I’d fought back with everything I had. And still lost.
Snow was already waiting inside, a towel around his waist, freshly showered. His hair was damp, sticking to his temples. The second his eyes found mine, he grinned.
"You look like a carriage has run over you," he teased.
"I feel like it," I muttered, kicking off my boots and reaching for my clothes. "Siona is a demon."
He walked over, gently brushing the sweat-dampened strands from my forehead. "She’s doing what she needs to. You’ve always been powerful, love. But now... you’re starting to own it."
I leaned into his touch. "I don’t know whether to thank her or scream into the void."
"Do both," he said with a chuckle. "But not before you get in the bath."
I blinked. "You drew a bath?"
"I had it ready since after you left. Let’s just say um, the last 30 minutes," he said, his voice lowering slightly as he slid an arm around my waist. "Now co on, before you pass out and make carry you there."
Snow led into the bathroom. Steam curled along the edges of the marble tub, which shimred with golden oils and flower petals floating at the surface. The scent of eucalyptus and lavender filled the room, creating a calming and warm atmosphere.
I let him help undress. Neither of us said much—it was a comfortable silence. His fingers worked slowly, brushing against bruises I didn’t know I had, and when I finally slipped into the water, it felt like my entire soul sighed.
He slid in behind and pulled into his chest, arms curling around . I lted into him as his warmth grounding .
"I’m proud of you," he whispered into my ear.
I didn’t respond with words. I just held onto his arms and let myself rest for a while.
We didn’t discuss battles or alliances. Not yet. For that mont, we just soaked, we just breathed, and I let myself be still, for once.
After the bath, we dried off, wrapped in thick towels. I padded barefoot across the floor, lazily reaching for a robe when—
Knock, knock, knock.
We both turned toward the door.
Snow raised an eyebrow. "That was quick."
The door creaked open a little, and one of the maids stepped in, eyes respectfully averted. "Alpha Snow... Lady Zara... I’m sorry for the interruption, but you have a visitor."
Snow frowned. "Who is it?"
The maid hesitated. "A Lycan, sir. He introduced himself as Lord Sterling."
I froze where I stood.
Lord Sterling—he wouldn’t co unless it was serious.
Snow’s expression shifted instantly. "Sterling?"
The maid nodded. "Yes. He said he ca on behalf of the council... and that it concerns what the Lycan King spoke of."
My fingers tightened around the edge of the robe as Snow and I exchanged a glance.
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