Free Save Aether (The Trinity Key Trilogy Book 3) by L.M. Fry Page A

hilt and converged all of her energy into the sword. Although, nothing spectacular happened, she could feel a bond with the weapon. It wanted her to pick it up. Theo, Valera, and Eli shivered in the corner.
    “Maybe work with something else without a blade. See if you can control your power before trying to use the sword.” Steam rose from Valera’s mouth as she spoke.
    Julia didn’t want to release the relic, but Valera was right. She needed to conquer aether before wielding Ealga’s sword. Replacing the blade on the table, she faced the others. In her mind, she formed an ice mound. Holding her arms in front of her, she centered aether in one spot on the floor. When she opened her eyes, a knee-high blob of snow sat in front of her. She stomped her foot, and the pile melted into a puddle.
    “This is not what I pictured in my head. I don’t understand.”
    “Try to relax a little,” Theo suggested. “You’re so tense.”
    “Yeah, let aether flow. Don’t force it,” Valera added.
    Their advice frustrated her even more. She knew she was tense. Her jaw ached because she was so tense. How could she not be tense? Eli came out of the corner and touched her shoulders. Theo and Valera suddenly disappeared into the background as if they weren’t even there.
    “You can do this,” he whispered.
    She looked into his soft brown eyes. The air swirled around them and grew frigid. The puddle froze beneath her feet. The urge to be closer to him moved her forward, but her foot slipped on her icy creation. She stumbled forward. Unable to steady herself, she ploughed into Eli’s body. With an oomph, they both crashed to the ground, Julia landing on top of him. The ice melted under their bodies. Mortified, Julia shifted, trying to stand. Her foot slipped in the water, and she slammed back into him – hard.
    “For Danu’s sake, stop,” Eli moaned.
    Julia stilled. Theo and Valera started laughing, making her even more self-conscious. Julia rolled off him and covered her face. Eli grabbed his ribs where she’d crushed him.
    Theo took Valera’s arm. “Um, we’re going to go look around at the other artifacts.”
    They bolted out of the room. Julia’s cheeks could have melted the sun. She couldn’t look at Eli, so she lay on her back, trying to hide her embarrassment.
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she murmured.
    He turned on his side and brushed hair from her face. She turned to face him. His smirk was radiant. Julia didn’t know if she should crawl away, or stay. She couldn’t look away. His finger traced the line of her cheek.
    “I know,” he whispered.
    Pulling away, she stood up.
    “I… uh, I… maybe I should…” she stammered.
    He sighed. “You’re right. We’re here to practice. Not play.”
    He winked at her and got up. Relieved and reeling, she closed her eyes and soaked in aether. The energy felt like a shield around her. With a deep breath, she reformed the icicle in her mind. This time she felt the power flowing through her arms and out her hands. A pillar of ice rose at her feet. It grew until it reached the ceiling.
    “Ahem!” Professor Scrod stood at the door, tapping her foot on the floor.
    Julia jumped. She suddenly felt like a naughty child caught playing in in her mom’s armoire. Even Eli wilted. Professor Scrod entered the room and dug through the pockets of her house robe.
    “I don’t even have my notebook! How am I going to record this?” She tsked at the two of them. “You should have woken me. Amazing… just amazing. How did you form the pillar? Did the Sword activate your power? Was the ice created from the moisture in the air? Hold on a second, I need to write this down.”
    Professor Scrod left the room and proceeded to tear apart a desk. Pens, books, and a large stapler went flying. Theo and Valera returned to the room. They grabbed Julia and hugged her. She’d finally done something on her own.
    “That was awesome!” Theo squealed.
    “Ah, ha!” Professor