Much to Verissa's own surprise, she relaxed as Asher's hand encompassed her own. She opened the fist, and felt relief and something... else, as his fingers intertwined with her own. There was a flutter of something within her stomach. She gave his hand the slightest of squeezes, a sort of thanks for acknowledging her claim on Jasper's life. 

But a year of slavery made her stomach drop. She knew that she wasn't strong, and she knew from seeing the years of training the Ebon Knights had put in that a lot of time was needed to become strong. But it still felt like so long. And that was when she realized, thanks to Asher's words, that she had an advantage. Her magic. That could give her an edge, one to speed up the process. That also meant she would need to practice her magic just as hard as she practiced her staff. It meant a lot of exhausted nights. It meant a lot of pain. Verissa knew she had to do. She knew she had to be free. Free to choose the life she wanted. 

She bumped her small shoulder against Asher's hard bicep playfully, [color=bc8dbf][i][b]"I have a good teacher."[/b][/i][/color] She looked over at him, her face smiling softly in appreciation, seeing the slightly forced smile on his own. Deciding to edge away from these thoughts of freedom and separation, she lifted his hand up between them, [color=bc8dbf][i][b]"Would you like to see it? My magic?"[/b][/i][/color]

Without waiting for permission, she let the magic flow from all of the skin of her hand, bleeding through Asher's hand. He wouldn't be able to feel the magic, but he'd be able to see the lavender glow spreading through his hand. She covered both their hands in the liquid like magic, letting him study the glow if he so desired. Then she expanded it, making it into a bubble around their hands, glowing, clearly stretched and strained, some spots clearly thinner than others. Then she nodded at it, and it disappeared from sight. 

[color=bc8dbf][i][b]"It's a bit rushed, but try to touch your hand with the other."[/b][/i][/color] She knew it was a weak shield, but it kept their wrists together, like a snug sleeve. It would prevent any pokes or prodding from breaking through, but even a proper punch would break it. [color=bc8dbf][i][b]"I met a man once. Sort of a man. A shade. He was a knight. He told me this magic used to be called Praetorio, old tongue for protect or walls. I prefer to call it shielding. It reminds me of the shields that the knights used to protect themselves and others."[/b][/i][/color] She paused, to look at her dogs, both of whom were trying to nap, [color=bc8dbf][i][b]"I used it as a cast to help set Remilia's leg. I've used it to stop people from bleeding out that would've otherwise died. And... I used it that first night we met, when Jasper tried to kill me. It protects me and others. That's all I know of it really."[/b][/i][/color]