“Good. Now, do you trust me to not let you fall?”
It took a moment for me to get my wits about me. As much as I was scared of falling, scared of breaking my body again, I knew that I trusted Ilyan. He would not let anything happen to me; of that, I was sure. I nodded once in agreement, and a wide smile spread over his face.
“Good. I am going to teach you to fly the way my father taught me. I want you to use the wind to launch yourself into the air, straight up. Can you do that?”
“No,” I said, panic seizing me.
“I won’t let you fall, Joclyn. I promise you this above all else, I will never let anything hurt you. I am only here to protect you.”
“Okay.”
“Now get down and prepare to jump.”
I crouched down to the ground as Ilyan had instructed, my palms lying flat against the ground.
“Now call the wind to you,” he whispered behind me.
I closed my eyes tightly, attempting to forget that anyone was there, forgetting my previous failures. I breathed out, letting my magic come to a boiling point under my skin. My magic moved away from me easily, stretching away and bringing the wind back with it. The warm tongues licked at my feet and the tips of my fingers. I moved it around, amazed at the control I had over it. It obeyed my every thought.
“Now, jump.”
With one swift movement, I kicked off from the ground, the wind propelling me upward, my arms extending out, warm air whipping past my fingers. The sensation was amazing; I could have never guessed that so much freedom lay in this, in flight. My face rose to the sun, enjoying the warm rays and the breeze that moved across my skin. The feeling of the wind’s soft touch brought back memories of a million car rides up the canyon and a million tree races. Even through the bitter-sweet memories, I smiled. Then the wind began to change.
I had flown too high. The air zoomed past me as I began to fall. I looked around desperately for a branch large enough to land on, my instinct from the tree races kicking in. There was nothing, not even a stem big enough to support my weight.
I had been here before. I had fallen. I had almost died. I screamed in fear and agony as gravity pulled me toward the earth again. My body tensed, preparing for the awful impact that waited for me below. Instead of hard dirt though, I felt strong arms. My body clenched further as I looked into Ilyan’s face, his arms cradled around me as he propelled us upward. His wind moved around us as we flew toward a tree, a large branch stretching out before him as if welcoming us. Ilyan landed on the branch safely, his arms still wrapped around me.
“I told you I wouldn’t let you fall.”
“Thank you, My Lord.” I moved away from him, careful to keep myself standing on the tree branch.
“I am just Ilyan now, Joclyn.”
“Thank you, Ilyan.”
“You are very welcome.” He smiled softly. “Now, we are going to do it again, but this time I want you to focus on the wind. Set your mind on what it is doing and how I am controlling it. Do not let fear enter your mind. I will be here, always.”
I nodded and closed my eyes, calling the wind again. The warm breeze came almost instantly, but it wasn’t just my magic controlling the movements of the wind. Ilyan’s magic intertwined with mine as the wind swirled around us. It was not my magic that eventually forced the wind to push us off the tree branch. Ilyan’s magic surged, sending us flying into the air. My body tensed in panic as my feet lost contact with the branch.
“Relax your body; do not think of the movement you are about to accomplish.” Ilyan’s voice was soft in my ear as his hands moved to grip my waist. “Focus only on the wind. Focus on its movement, on its warmth. Focus on how your magic will bring it to you. And do not worry, Joclyn; I will never let you fall.” With that, he threw my body into the air, the wind he controlled pushing me up and away from the tree.
I screamed for only a moment as my body left the security of his arms, terror grabbing hold of me. Before I could act on the fear, Ilyan was there again, his arms wrapped around me as he kept me safely against him, our bodies floating through nothing. He stayed there just seconds before throwing me in a different direction, spinning me through the air away from him.
As I twirled through the air, my magic moved away from me, my calm body giving it leave from its prison underneath my skin. My magic mingled with Ilyan’s as he controlled the wind that supported me, our combined magic flowing and dancing. I continued to fly forward as our magic worked together to guide me. Ilyan grabbed me gently and continued moving us through the open air.