Anneliese gasped and stumbled a step, her breath snagging in her throat. Panic flooded her chest. She could not understand what had gone wrong. One moment the power had been within her grasp, the next it had turned feral, as though it meant to burn her from the inside out. Terrified and confused, her gaze flew to Elowyn's, grasping for refuge in the witch's unwavering composure
Elowyn's voice cut through the trembling light that now stretched in the clearing. "You focused too fully on the sun's energy and forgot your own. It surged against the intrusion, mistaking it for a threat. That is why I told you—let the outside energy sense yours first. Let your fire grow accustomed to it before you move a step further."
