talking about it.
“Then, tonight, when those trolls attacked, Jalissa and I were rallying the defenders and trying to give the healers and wounded time to escape. Things looked desperate for a moment there, and it reminded me of the ambush outside of Lethorel. I reached for the heart bond, for Farrendel. I’m guessing Farrendel sensed enough through the heart bond to know I was in trouble.” Essie shrugged and waved her hands in front of her. “Next thing I know, his magic is blasting from me. I’m not sure if it was him or me or both or how he even deciphered enough through the heart bond to figure out what I needed. Communication is hardly precise.”
Averett faced King Weylind. “Do you have any thoughts on how such...magic-sharing is possible? It won’t hurt Essie, will it?”
“I am unaware of such a thing happening before, though I suppose it is not out of the realm of possibility.” Weylind cleared his throat and glanced at the ceiling of their shelter.
Essie glared at him. “What does that even mean? And no cryptic answers this time. I don’t care if it is a sarcastic answer you would give to a two-year-old as long as it’s understandable to magicless humans.”
Weylind raised that eyebrow at her again.
Essie planted her fists on her hips. The gesture lost something since she was sitting down, and she managed to elbow Averett in the ribs. “Come on. Spit it out. This isn’t the time for your elven sense of propriety.”
Weylind’s shoulders lifted in the restrained, elven shrug. “As I said, I have never heard of those with an elishina sharing magic like this before. But there is much even we elves do not know about elishinas. And an elishina between a human and an elf with Farrendel’s magic is bound to be more unpredictable than most.”
That wasn’t much more helpful than his first comment, but at least Weylind was trying. Somewhat.
“I guess it makes sense. I mean, if we’re sharing enough life essence or magic or whatever for me to keep his heart beating while he’s grievously wounded and for him to extend my life by several centuries, that’s already a lot of sharing going on. What’s a little magic on top of all that?” Essie leaned her elbows on her knees. Now that she thought about it, she wondered why she hadn’t thought of it before. Perhaps because it would have sounded crazy, if she hadn’t already done it.
“Most of the time in an elishina, both already have magic and have no need to reach for each other’s magic.” Weylind gestured to her. “But in your case, you do not have magic while Farrendel...”
“Farrendel has enough magic for both of us.” She probably hadn’t needed to say it out loud. Everyone there had to be thinking it.
“Indeed.” Weylind glanced around the shelter, at Essie’s brothers listening but not interrupting, before he focused back on her. Some twist to his mouth or hitch in his breathing suggested he was struggling to find words. But at least he was trying to accommodate her by being more forthcoming. “Each elishina is as unique as the individuals bonded by it. No one can predict exactly how it will manifest. It is known elishinas can be strengthened through ordeals, especially when the elishina is still new.”
So being young and in love made the elishina do such crazy things that even the elves didn’t dare predict what could happen? That was...comforting.
“But that doesn’t answer my question.” Averett pointed at Essie. “Will it hurt her?”
“If Farrendel’s magic was going to hurt her, it would have done it while surging through her.” Weylind’s voice was back to matter of fact.
Essie nearly snorted. So reassuring to know how worried her brother-in-law was about her.
“Guess that answers the question of whether I’m immune to his magic.” Accidentally wielding his magic against charging trolls probably wasn’t easier—and definitely not safer—than sticking her hand into his magic to test it, but at least she knew.
“There’s one big question no one has thought to ask yet.” Edmund broke into the conversation, glancing to Essie before focusing on Weylind. “How does Farrendel have the ability to use his magic? I thought the whole reason he was captured was that the trolls had a way to block his magic. If he can use his magic, does that mean he has escaped somehow? I think that would be rather important information to know before we march to Gror Grar.”
Right. Essie had told her brothers some