I flexed my fingers and a small sphere of Water formed above my palm, wobbling unsteadily.
Llewellyn raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"
Well, what did he expect?
"You're still thinking too much. Stop thinking. You just need to sense it."
"I am sensing it," I said, gritting my teeth. The sphere grew slightly larger, but it still looked like it was going to collapse in my palm any moment.
"You're not." Llewellyn moved closer, circling me. "You're trying to control it like it's a tool. Water isn't a hammer—it's alive. It wants to move."
I clenched my jaw. "Maybe give me more than cryptic fortune cookie wisdom?"
Llewellyn raised an eyebrow.
"Fine. Attack me."
I blinked. "What?"
"Hit me with everything you've got. Don't hold back."
Wait—was he serious? I mean, he could fight entire Knots by himself, he could definitely defend himself against me. But—
"Are you sure?"
Llewellyn's mouth quirked up. "Did you think we came here for a picnic?"
I narrowed my eyes and hurled the Water sphere at him.
Llewellyn didn't even move. The sphere splashed harmlessly behind him.
"Is that all you've got?" he said. "Again. And this time, stop trying to be precise. Let go."
Well, then. I gathered more Water, forming a larger sphere this time, and threw it at him.
It rolled pathetically toward him before splattering on the ground.
"What is this, bowling?"
This asshole.
I gnashed my teeth, circling him. "I'm doing my best here."
"Your best is terrible." He crossed his arms. "My grandmother could throw better than that, and she's been dead for fifteen years."
There was no real malice in his taunts, but I was still getting mad.
"Just so you know, your words are not helpful."
"Neither is whatever you're doing." He gestured dismissively at the puddle on the floor. "Water responds to emotion. You're holding back. Why?"
"I'm not—"
"You are. What are you afraid of? Hurting me? Looking stupid? Both?" He scoffed.
I gritted my teeth and formed a wave. It crashed against his barrier, spraying everywhere except on him.
"Congratulations," he said dryly. "You've successfully watered the floor."
This absolute—
Fuming now, I summoned Water and sent it hurtling toward him in a furious rush.
For the first time, Llewellyn actually moved, raising his hand to strengthen his barrier.
The Water crashed against it like waves hitting rocks, sending a cold spray back toward me.
"Better," he said. "Now you're actually trying."
Can I just punch him?
I tried again, but this time it was definitely worse.
"You're approaching this like a problem to solve. Magic isn't intellectual, it's instinctive."
"What is with this cryptic bullshit? That makes no sense!"
"It doesn't have to make sense. It has to work."
He stepped back. Then, without warning, a stream of Water shot toward my face.
I ducked, barely avoiding it.
What the hell?!
"Defend yourself!" Llewellyn said, sending another jet of Water my way.
I dodged again, rolling to the side. "This is your training method? Just attack me?"
Llewellyn's lips quirked up. "Sometimes pressure helps. I've seen you in action when your life depends on it."
...Wait, was that another compliment?
Before I could recover from it, another stream shot toward me. I ducked, but it splashed against my chest anyway, soaking my hoodie.
Goddamnit.
Llewellyn looked pleased with himself.
I glared at him and sent a barrage of Water jets at him from different angles. He deflected each one effortlessly, not even bothering to move his feet.
"Stop thinking about what you should do and just do what feels right!"
If I could just do it, why would I need training?!
Water responded to my frustration, rushing harder. A stray droplet landed on Llewellyn's cheek.
Llewellyn touched the wet spot with his fingers, raising an eyebrow at me.
I threw myself at him with everything I'd got.
For the next twenty minutes, I dodged, ducked, and got thoroughly soaked while Llewellyn kept up a steady onslaught of Water attacks without getting more than a few droplets on him.
I stopped thinking about technique or control and just moved.
"Come on," Llewellyn said.
The itch in my chest flared.
Fuck, what? Why now? I thought this was a Knot-related phenomenon, but there was no Knot nearby. What was going on?!
Llewellyn stepped up his defense, moving more deliberately now, stepping closer to me. Seeing him so completely dry while I was getting more and more soaked was pissing me off.
I attacked, but he sidestepped it with no effort at all.
The itch in my chest burrowed deeper.
I tried to create distance, but he didn't give me a chance.
…I hadn't realized he was this quick.
Before I could react, he had me pinned against the wall.
The itch in my chest sparked violently.
"You're still fighting yourself," Llewellyn said. He was so close I could see the patches of clear green in his irises. "As is, you're currently fighting two people: me and yourself. Let go completely."
Easy for him to say. What would happen if I let go completely?! This thing in my chest currently wanted to devour everything in sight.
I stared at him, breathless, then broke free and ducked under his arm, sending a Water whip at his legs.
Llewellyn jumped over it easily, swept my legs from under me, and forced me to the ground.
I escaped his grip just before he could pin me.
That seemed to annoy him.
The next attack, he didn't miss.
Before I could even understand what was happening, I was down on my stomach, arm twisted behind my back, with a smug Llewellyn sitting on the backs of my thighs.
"Don't hold back," he repeated, pressing me into the floor. "I know there's more."
He let me go.
I rolled away, feeling unsteady, and tried to hit him while his guard was down, but he just sidestepped it.
I kept attacking, but Llewellyn kept countering, pinning me in holds I couldn't break free from, keeping me down for fifteen seconds, then letting me go.
"I said stop holding back," Llewellyn repeated, circling me again. "You're wasting energy bracing against yourself. This is Water. You need to let it flow."
"I'm not—" Fucking hell. He cut me off with another surge of Water that caught me in the face.
I wiped the Water from my eyes, fury building. "Would you stop—"
Another jet, this time knocking me off balance. I stumbled backward, barely keeping my footing.
"Make me," Llewellyn said.