"If I hear your voice one more time, Ryx, I swear I will break your jaw myself," Avanya snapped. She kept her focus pinned on the girl in the bed, not even sparing him a glance.
Eryx flinched as the sharp words hit him. His mouth fell open in indignation. He began to mouth the words, "You would not dare," but wisely kept the retort buried in silence, his throat working as he swallowed his pride.
Avanya softened immediately as she turned back to Sumaya. Her hand hovered in the air, a reassuring presence near the girl's shoulder. "Sweetheart, you are doing it wrong. Do not tense up. You are trying to force it, trying to wrestle it into shape, but this is not something you control like that. It is like breathing. Like stretching after a long sleep. Close your eyes again. Relax your shoulders. Let it rise instead of shoving it down. Feel it build."
