energy, I realized, and the feeling of it coursing through my soul was incredible.
I was light as a feather. Merely an idea floating on the wings of a summer wind.
There it was again. The shimmering portal. I reached out, and this time… this time I felt it tingling my fingertips. I giggled as I ran my hands through the mass of liquid diamonds, trying to understand what it was made of and how I could make one of my own.
“I’m there!” My own voice sounded like a distant echo.
“Hold on to it. What do you see?” Brandon asked.
How could I describe this gaping mouth of raw celestial energy? I couldn’t. “I can tell you how it feels,” I said. “Warm and cold at the same time. Sharp and soft, too. It’s made of everything and nothing at the same time.”
“My energy is yours, Astra. Use it,” he replied.
As if electrified, I allowed my spirit to record and untangle the cosmic tendrils of wonder that made up this incredible phenomenon. I felt myself getting up again, a sharp current flowing through my legs. My hands were on fire as I imagined myself grabbing onto the edges and opening the shimmering portal wider so we might step through it. I wasn’t feeding on Brandon’s energy anymore. I’d let go of him.
Myst gasped. “She’s doing it!”
I opened my eyes and saw it. Small and thin at first, my hands glowing pink as they ripped the very fabric of this world apart. Brandon stood a few feet back, his blazing blue eyes wide with wonder and… pride, I realized, as he beheld my work. Emboldened by what I’d accomplished, I used the last drops of energy I had left to pull the edges of the shimmering portal farther apart.
My muscles ached. My bones hurt. I’d reached my limits already.
I cried out, unable to hold the damn thing anymore. As soon as I let go, the gash closed, and semi-darkness returned to the clearing. The world stopped vibrating, as did my soul. It was over, but I’d done it.
“Wow,” Thayen managed, a grin stretching over his face as he looked at me. “Astra, you did it…”
“I know, right?” I replied, beaming with pride. I couldn’t stand anymore, and I didn’t even realize it until Myst gasped and the image shifted before me as I fell. Brandon was quick to sweep me off my feet, taking me into his arms. “What’s… what’s happening?”
He gave me a soft smile. “You’re exhausted, that’s what’s happening. You’ll have to stop for tonight, Pinkie. It’s time to get you back to bed.”
I’d learned the difference by now between his choice of names for me. Whenever things were serious and Brandon needed me to understand the intensity of what he had to say, he used my name. Whenever he was being affectionate or wished to simply take the edge off and play around, he called me Pinkie. I let my head rest on his shoulder, wrapping my arms around his neck as he carried me away from the clearing.
“See you tomorrow, Astra,” Thayen said from somewhere behind us.
I might have answered, but I wasn’t sure. Melting in Brandon’s arms, I didn’t think I could keep myself awake for another minute. It didn’t matter, anyway. I’d done it. I’d opened a shimmering portal.
This was the confirmation I’d needed—now I knew I could do it again and better. It was no longer a matter of “if” but rather of “when,” and that made me look forward to tomorrow. I only hoped I’d open a portal somewhere in The Shade where the enemy wouldn’t spot it right away. Brandon’s chest felt hard against my relaxed form, his taut muscles firm beneath the black leather. His scent filled my lungs, though I wasn’t sure what fragrances adorned his spirit—it was something sharp and vibrant, with only a tinge of sweetness. I breathed him in, glad to be in his arms.
Soon I’d be in my bed. Part of me wished we could stay like this for a while longer, but darkness came over me and silenced the last stream of consciousness I had left. The world of dreams waited.
Thayen
Astra was incredible.
It wasn’t the first time that she’d defied the odds—not even close—but this was a whole new level, even for her. I was insanely proud of her, proud of being part of the same family, of having been taught similar values and core strengths. This wouldn’t be the last amazing thing she would do, either.
“She did