I started my warm-up solo, seeing if I could cast a portal around ten yards away without even Xen to back me. It felt like I was pushing wet cement through the kelcimite, but it opened and stabilized before I let it go. “Not doing that again,” I said to no one in particular.
“That is what you have me for,” Xen chided, stepping into place behind me.
I felt our connection come to life and instantly all of their energy was at my disposal. I cast a portal out to the last distance I had done the day before without Daria’s help. It came a little easier than it had then, but I also hadn’t been casting for hours yet. “One more?” I asked Xen over my shoulder. I felt their nod and set up to cast out to the fourth marker. The portal wobbled precariously before it stabilized and was large enough to
