Cloaked: Easthaven Crest, Book One

by Justice, A. D.

  “Hi, Sara. Are you ready to take your powers to the next level?” Aris grins, a bit of mischief twinkling in her eyes.

  “I’m absolutely ready. Lead the way.”

  She and I walk out, heading to the forest floor to practice. “No more stairs for you. You’ve earned the right to a little fairy dust. Kobi, if you don’t mind.”

  I follow her line of sight to a tiny fairy hovering just over my shoulder and smile. “Hello, Kobi.”

  “Hi, Sara. Are you ready to fly?” Kobi grins back at me and rubs her hands together. Sprinkles of fairy dust rain over me, and my feet lift off the floor. “Now, just think about where you want to go.”

  The tingling in my stomach makes me laugh but I do as she says, and I’m gently lowered to the base of the tree. Aris claps encouragingly then motions for me to follow her. I look up at Kobi with the biggest smile on my face. “Thank you, Kobi. That was awesome.”

  “My pleasure, Saraya.” She winks before flittering away, disappearing into the distance by blending in with the natural flora and fauna of the forest.

  “Up until now, we’ve worked on the basic tutorials of what you’d need to control your magic. You’ve learned a few tricks and tips—reading minds, having conversations, minor spells, and conjures. Now we’ll start the real work. Offensive and defensive spells, special maneuvers, and creating safe zones.”

  “Let’s do it. I have a couple questions I’m hoping you can help me with first. I asked when I first came here, but it was so hectic, I didn’t get an answer.”

  “Of course. What’s on your mind?”

  “Why do I have a calmness that settles over me when I’m here? And why can I feel others trying to get into my head here but not out there?”

  She looks at me as if she’s waiting for the punch line. Then she realizes I’m serious. “That’s amazing. The calmness is because you’re in your element—you’re at home with the other mages, and deep down, you sense it. The power flowing through the Veil is full of white energy, and your spirit feeds on it, in a good way. You can feel the others trying to get into your mind here because you’re more in tune with the magic inside you while you’re here. We need to find ways you can take that same focus back into Easthaven Crest with you. If you can channel the level of white light contained in the borders of the Veil, you’d be unstoppable.”

  “Is that not the same as stealing power from my sister mages?” I don’t want to be accused of pilfering magic from my allies.

  “Not at all. The magic here increases because of how much we use it. If we were able to do the same out there, the air would be full of excess white energy. But we have it contained inside our enchanted area, so it has nowhere else to go. But a mage vessel would be a tremendous sight.”

  “That also sounds kind of scary.”

  “There’s nothing scary about the white light. It’s the darkness you have to be wary about overtaking your mind. Don’t let your thoughts go down that path, no matter what happens or who hurts you. Anger and fear will take much more away from you than they’ll ever give you.”

  “Have you had a lot of interactions with witches and warlocks?”

  “I’ve had a few run-ins with them. The witches are always trying to recruit mages to their covens. There’s strength in numbers, and the more people they have in their clutches, the stronger their collective magic becomes. Warlocks are more elusive than witches. Their main goal is always gaining all the power for themselves. They don’t want to share it with anyone.”

  It’s only a matter of time before the warlock behind this coup makes himself known. I’m not looking forward to facing off with him, but I do want to get on with finding Nana and living the rest of my life in peace. Whether that life will be here, I can’t say right now. Every day I’m here strengthens my magic and makes it harder to imagine returning home and forfeiting everything I’ve gained…and everything I still have to achieve.

  Aris leads me to a trail that takes us deep into the forest, away from all the mage homes and shared spaces. The trail ends in a large opening where the carpet is so thick and vibrant green, it almost doesn’t look real. The sun is bright and warm, the birds chirp in the distance, and a light breeze blows around us. The scent of honeysuckle, cedar, and pine fill the air, another reminder of the forest behind the only home I’ve ever known.

  And my friends. I haven’t seen them in weeks. They must be worried sick about me.

  “Clear your mind, Saraya. Your thoughts are getting the better of you, feeding on your fears and worries. Focus on the here and now, what you need to accomplish to reach your end goals. If you bring your friends into this now, you’ll only put them in danger. The warlock knows you’re here. He can sense you, and he will use anything and everything you care about against you.” Aris closes her eyes, inhales deeply, and leans her head back to soak in the sun.

  Following her cue, I do the same, letting the worrisome thoughts fade away and the calm serenity of the forest take over. When I focus on what’s around me, glimpses of forest creatures flash behind my eyes. Squirrels scurry from one tree to another, romping and playing with one another. A doe and her fawn walk silently, picking out choice morsels to graze on while remaining vigilant against any threats. Birds nab insects off the ground and out of the air. A black bear rolls a fallen tree over and claws the ground underneath in search of grubs.

  “Excellent.” Aris’s soft voice pulls me out of my trance.

  “What’s excellent?”

  “You’re a natural. We all have animal spirits. You may know them as familiars. When we match with one, they allow us in without hesitation, letting us see the world through their eyes. You just did that on instinct.”

  At first, I’m not sure what she means. Then I realize I wasn’t merely watching the animals of the forest from afar. I was one of them. “I didn’t know…”

  “It’s okay. That was your first time, so it’s normal not to recognize the difference. Close your eyes, clear your mind, and go back to that place. Then tell me which animal represented your spirit.”

  I do as she says and seek my animal spirit again. When my vision becomes clear, I look down at the big paws and backward at the long, lean body. And its flicking tail.

  “It’s a mountain lion.”

  “Powerful, lethal, fiercely protective of its own, and unmatched in stealth. Certainly not a creature to be underestimated.” Aris sounds impressed. I’m just thrilled my animal spirit is a mountain lion.

  “Will this mountain lion recognize me on sight? Will I ever see it?”

  “Yes, and yes. That animal felt your spirit reach out, and it answered. That bond will never be severed, and she will fight to the death to protect you. She considers herself as yours now.” Aris nods toward the edge of the forest. I follow her line of sight until my gaze lands on the most beautiful creature stepping out of the shadows.

  My heart knows her on sight.

  She strolls up to me then turns and rubs her side against my leg like an overgrown house cat. I kneel beside her, run my hands over her thick coat, and rub my face against hers.

  “Laurelai,” I murmur against her nuzzle. She puts her paw on my shoulder, hugging me to her, and I hear her whisper my name inside my mind.

  “With white magic, you can enter other animals’ minds to see through their eyes, but your bond will only be with this animal.” When Aris scratches Laurelai behind her ear, she makes a soft purring sound.

  “She knows she’s loved. I can feel what she feels, and I can hear her thoughts.”

  “It’s the same for her too. You don’t have to speak out loud for her to hear you. I’ve never seen a mage and her familiar bond so quickly. Fate has spoken.”

  “I’ve waited for you all my life, Saraya.”

  Chapter 13

  With Laurelai watching and guarding from the sidelines, Aris and I begin tapping into my untested magic. My mind is wide open to allow her full access to read it and guide me when I need more help. She directs me to clear all o
utside thoughts and focus on the white light emanating from everything around us—the trees, the grass, the fairies hiding under the leaves and behind the bushes, and my familiar. It’s even flowing from both of us. I can see it in Aris’s thoughts.

  “Yes, I can see the light in others, whether it’s light or dark. You can as well, and that’ll help you quickly determine who’s a friend and who isn’t, unless they’ve cloaked their energy.”

  “Wouldn’t that mean they’re not friendly?”

  “No, not necessarily. There are many reasons why you’d want to keep your energy hidden. Ginevra has always taught us to be very careful about who we allow to see ours. Our enemies are cunning and will stop at nothing to erase us from memory, so it’s best not to give them ammunition against us when we can prevent it. Yours is hidden because of the cloaking spell, so stop worrying about who has seen it before now.”

  “That makes sense, and thanks for putting my mind at ease. Now show me how I can see others’ energy.”

  “Let’s use Laurelai as an example. You can tell when an animal is a threat by the color of their energy. Focus your thoughts on her heart—not the actual heart beating in her chest, but her nature and temperament. What do you see?”

  When I do as Aris says, I feel the energy pulsing inside me, buzzing like bees around an enormous hive. The separate vibrations fuse into a single source, and faster than a snap of my fingers, Laurelai’s golden coat glows in a white sheen. I laugh nervously, amazed at the smallest act.

  “You’re so beautiful, Laurelai. Inside and out.”

  “Now, let’s do a test so you can see the difference,” Aris says to me. “Laurelai, I want you to imagine someone hurting Saraya.”

  In a flash, my familiar’s energy turns from bright white to a deep red, the color of murderous intent. Her lip snarls, she bares her teeth, and she springs to her feet, ready to pounce in my defense. Her demeanor leaves no doubt she’d kill for me.

  The feeling is mutual.

  “Perfect. Thank you, Laurelai. Your mage is safe. You can rest again.” Aris chuckles lightly. “You would pair with a mountain lion. I sense the same resolve in you that’s in her. You’re stronger than you realize, Saraya.”

  “This is amazing. What’s next?”

  “Next, you learn to pull that energy into you and send it back out as a directive. Our relationship with the light is symbiotic. It wields its power through us, and we channel it to create magic. One doesn’t exist without the other, so what we send out is always with the utmost respect for the light. Always both a request and an expectation, but never taken for granted.”

  “So, I can draw it into me and ask it to do anything I want?”

  “Pretty much, yes. Just remember, if you ask the light to do something out of malice, you’ll automatically invite the dark energy inside you. Even if you don’t mean to or want to turn to that side of magic. For example, if you’re upset with someone and throw a spell at them to hurt them in some way out of anger, you invite the dark magic in. You can apologize all you want later, but that mark is still inside you. There’s a fine line between using magic to protect yourself or someone else and using it as a means for revenge.”

  “I understand, and I’ll be cautious with controlling my emotions. What I had in mind is much cooler than that anyway.”

  “Let’s see what you’ve got, then.” Aris walks to the edge of the clearing and stands beside Laurelai. “Take it away.”

  My first solo attempt at using such powerful magic may be overly ambitious, but this is a test of what’s genuinely inside me as much as it’s to demonstrate my skill level for Aris. I draw in as much of the white energy as my body can take before it feels as though it’ll crack apart from the intense buzzing in my every cell. Then I focus it on one objective and wordlessly direct it to do as I ask.

  Fly.

  With my face tilted to the sky, I imagine the white energy pushing me off the ground. My feet leave the earth beneath me, and I hear Laurelai in my head, cheering me on from the sidelines. I can see it, feel it, and taste it—soaring through the treetops is almost within my reach. When I open my eyes and look down, I’m hovering a couple feet off the ground, but I can’t seem to gain more traction than that. A bird takes flight from a branch nearby, soaring into the wild blue yonder, while I’m stuck in this meadow, unable to join it.

  Then I crash to the ground with an ungraceful thud. My knees buckle under me, and I tumble the rest of the way down on my side. Aris eyes me from beside my familiar, and I wonder what she’s thinking, but I purposely block it. I’m disappointed enough in myself, so I don’t need to hear anyone else’s interpretation of my failure.

  “It’s not a failure.” Aris crosses her arms and locks her gaze on me. “You didn’t fail. You lifted off the ground. With the sheer determination in your mind, I thought I’d see you soar like a phoenix right before my eyes. But you took your eyes off your goal. You looked around at the circumstances and what your mind believed to be true, and you lost sight of what you wanted to accomplish. This level of magic takes time, patience, and practice.”

  I stalk off into the forest to be alone for a few minutes. My own ambition drives me to places I don’t always want to go. My adamant belief I had to go off to college to be successful wasn’t correct. My strong-willed conviction that life in Aspen Springs would never be enough failed the test. And now, the complete and total letdown of not achieving what I believed I could is almost crushing. Almost. As I calm my mind, her words filter through the noise in my head until my attention is on what I can achieve instead of what I can’t.

  She’s right, of course. I tasted a morsel of success and pouted when I couldn’t finish the whole cake by myself. I’d built up the expectation in my own mind, thinking I should be able to do something very few in history have managed. Holding my focus on the goal at hand will keep me alive when this cloak over me lifts. My every step must be in the right direction of building my skills so I can stand on my own two feet when the time comes.

  I emerge from behind the tall trees and darkened forest, ready to face the light again. “Okay, I’m shaking it off. What’s next?”

  “It’s time for you to meet A.M.” Aris grins devilishly, letting me know she’s about to reveal yet another level of magic.

  “Who is A.M.?” I glance around but don’t see anyone. With a swish of her hand, Aris conjures a being out of thin air. She looks real in every way, but her mannerisms are a little too stiff. Her movements aren’t fluid enough to pass as an actual living person. But the attention to detail in creating her is impressive.

  “A.M. is our Artificial Mage. She has state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, learning from every interaction and applying it to the next scenario. We’ve used her to train young mages how to counteract dark spells. Because we can’t create the spells without taking the darkness into ourselves, we use her to do it for us since she’s completely fake, only running off the programming built into her quantum computer. She’s far superior to the binary computers in your world. Her responses are infinite and diverse, able to change based on how she reads the signs around her.”

  Aris and I practice for hours, with Laurelai watching and helping, pointing out when the artificial intelligence training robot was about to hurl an offensive magic spell my way. Aris helps me decipher the energy levels, the deviations in energy flow, and the almost imperceptible changes in A.M.’s demeanor.

  We move through the paces of learning to harness the energy surrounding others to anticipate their next move. Even slight tremors in the flow of light around a dark witch or warlock can help me identify when they’re about to throw what I’ve affectionately dubbed a magic bomb in my direction. Reading their aura, for lack of a better word, can give me the split-second advantage to incapacitate them before they’re able to cast a dark spell on me.

  When we finish at the end of the day, I’ve almost mastered the art of intercepting and obstructing dark spells. My mind is mush and my body is tired, but I feel
as if I’ve accomplished more today than on all the others combined. One of the harder skills to master was connecting with animals other than Laurelai and using my powers to see through their eyes. After my disappointment in my attempt at flying, I wasn’t about to let the ability to telepathically communicate with other animals elude me. When I finally became proficient at it, I knew exactly how I’d use my newfound talent.

  But that’ll have to wait until I’m alone and confident my thoughts are shielded.

  Aris, Laurelai, and I stroll through the woods on our way back to the Veil. After a long day of exhausting mental work, we don’t have a lot left to say. The silence of the forest is calming, taking me back to the time I spent in the woods behind my home in Aspen Springs. Every little thing reminds me of Nana, but one of the magical tricks Aris showed me today was how to sense Nana’s presence.

  She’s here in Covis Realm, and she’s alive. I can’t pinpoint exactly where she is, and Aris said the cloaking spell is so potent, I won’t be able to break it. But I’m stubborn and refuse to accept that as the definitive answer. My bond with Nana is resilient. I know if I can feel her, then she can feel me. Maybe with both of us reaching out, we’ll be able to communicate.

  My thoughts drift back to Talia’s warning—keeping my powers at full strength, needing all my wits and cleverness, and about Saban.

  You think about him a lot. Laurelai cuts her big gold eyes up at me. I swear she arches one eyebrow at me. He must be very important to you.

  I’m not sure what he is to me, to be honest. The term soul mate has been thrown around a lot lately about us, but that’s not a label I’m comfortable with just yet. I reach over and scratch her head behind her ear. Her muscular body brushes against my leg, and her purring engine cranks up to high. I’m still amazed by her. The only mate I’m sure about is you, Laurelai. You understand me.

  I do understand you, Saraya, more than you know. When I meet Saban, I’ll know if he’s your soul mate or not. If he’s not, his jugular will be extra tasty. She releases a playful growl, making me jump and laugh at the same time. Oh, there’s something else you should know. No one else can hear our conversations, even if they’re actively reading your other thoughts.