Shadow Legacy: A Dark Fantasy Romance by Colleen Mitchell

Author:Colleen Mitchell [Mitchell, Colleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2025-02-18T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Rowan stood at the center of the forest clearing, ready and eager to train. Cora stood by an old maple tree, her hand resting on its gnarled trunk as she watched Rowan with a mysterious glint in her eyes.

“Now, remember,” she said, her voice as crisp as the spring morning air around them. “Magic isn’t just words and gestures. It’s about feeling, understanding, instinct.”

Rowan nodded, trying to grasp what seemed like an elusive concept. “I’m ready.”

“Good. Then let’s begin.”

Cora showed Rowan again how to visualize the connection to the earth and to pull on threads of energy. Rowan listened to her instructions and studied her every move, her brows drawn together in concentration. When she felt ready, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and centered herself amid the symphony of the forest around them.

She imagined her feet growing roots. But doubts and fears flooded her mind again—old insecurities and new uncertainties that ate away at her concentration. The more she tried to filter the noise, the louder her thoughts became.

You’re not trying hard enough, they whispered. You’re not strong enough.

She shook her head as if to physically dislodge those insidious thoughts. But the image in her mind wavered and crumbled like a sandcastle succumbing to an unrelenting tide.

Her eyes snapped open, her teeth clenching in frustration.

Cora watched, a slight frown creasing her otherwise impassive face. “Come sit with me.” She gestured toward a mossy patch beneath the ancient tree.

Rowan hesitated. She wasn’t used to giving up. It chafed at her, but a sympathetic flicker in Cora’s eyes softened her resolve.

Cora placed a calming hand on her shoulder, guiding Rowan to sit. “We might be going about this all wrong.” A warm smile curled the corners of her mouth. “Magic is as diverse as the world around us. There are earth witches, like me, who can command plants, soil, and stones to our will. Fire witches, like my daughter Ruby, can call forth and sway flames like a dancer leading their partner. Air witches can summon gusts, gales, and lightning with a flick of their wrist, and water witches can call forth rain or command rivers and lakes. We’re all attuned to different elements, but we all use our connection to the earth and the Goddess to harness our power.”

Rowan listened attentively, hoping there was another way she might learn to use magic—one that didn’t require perfect concentration.

“And then . . .” Cora paused dramatically, glancing at Rowan. “There are necromancers. You’re not like the rest of us, dear. Your power’s extremely rare and not elemental. You don’t command the forces of nature. You command the forces of death.”

Rowan bit her bottom lip, apprehensive about what this might mean for her training.

Cora leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “I believe we need to focus less on your connection to nature and more on your unique abilities.”

Rowan nodded slowly. “How so?”

“I believe,” Cora said carefully, “that your connection is more to . . . well, death itself. It’s an entirely different type of magic that will take time to master.

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