Hayley’s POV

Aiden and I stood in a secluded glade, the morning sun filtering through the trees, casting dappled patterns on the ground. I held it in my hands, its power pulsing reliably now that I was learning to listen for the beat of its carriage.

Aidan stared at me, a look of adoration mixed with greed in his eyes never leaving mine. "Are you ready to try again?" he replied calmly and reassuringly.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "I think so. It feels more flexible now when it responds.

For the last few days, every free moment, we had been training my connection with the...