“We’re well prepared if she does what we think she will do. She may surprise us.” Long gray hair flowed from the elder man’s head. Weathered hands cradled the large gazing globe on a tall stand. Inside its misty veneer an image came into sharper focus. As he watched, a young woman in an aikido gi walked forward and bowed to a large man who was a foot taller than her. The woman stood with her feet apart, her eyes never leaving the tall man. Her hair was tucked into a sparring helmet. Everything about her exuded confidence and precision. When her opponent made a quick move towards her, she deftly stepped aside and in lightning speed had him on the floor. Another person came at her, and another. She spun in circles and effortlessly lifted into the air using her legs and arms in exact movements to outmaneuver and overpower them. As the elderly man watched, transfixed, the young woman suddenly looked up from a crouch directly into his eyes. He startled and took a step back. That’s impossible! She can’t know I am seeing her! As if in answer, the woman slowly stood and raised her arm deliberately and pointed at him. Her face was partially hidden behind the helmet, her mouth set in resolute determination. As he stared incredulously, the mist clouded over the image and it slowly disappeared. The man stared into the nothingness for a few moments. Then he took a breath.
“Gurdyn, we may have underestimated this young woman.”
The dark warrior looked up from his wine. Black eyes below heavy brows regarded The Magician coldly.
“What do you see?”
“She has more power than we thought.” He looked up from the seeing globe, gray eyes troubled. “More than her mother had.”
Gurdyn stood suddenly, overturning the goblet. Dark red wine spread over the table. “Let me see!”
“The image I saw is gone.”
“Well get it back!”
“I can’t do that. The images come and go as they will.”
“What use is that to me?” Gurdyn bellowed. “Summon my son and the council,” he growled. “She will not prevail!” and his powerful fist came down on the table.
Seventeen
Danica walked into the lake and kept walking until she was swallowed by the water and she disappeared below the surface. She allowed herself to sink down to the lakebed where she spent some time walking along the sandy bottom. She spotted a pretty shell and picked it up to examine it. Even after months of training, she still felt the momentary panic when she knew her breath should be used up, but then she calmed herself. She had become comfortable for increasingly long periods of time under water.
Jimmu spent an hour every afternoon giving her lessons. He taught her all the strokes and she was proficient and graceful in the water. She always wore the bracelet he had given her, and she felt the powerful protection of the charm.
Her swimming lessons were now devoted to endurance. On her first day of endurance training, Jimmu, in his typical style, had insisted she swim across the lake at the narrow end. She looked across its half mile width and then looked at Jimmu like he was crazy.
“That’s too far. I’ll never make it to the other side.”
Jimmu looked at her scornfully. “You will make it, and then you will swim back.”
She looked incredulously at him. “I get winded swimming to the raft. I’m telling you I can’t swim that far.”
“You can. And you will!” He took her arm and led her to the water. She was wearing a black racing swimsuit cut high on the leg and high on the neck with straps crisscrossing the back. She had on a swim cap covering her hair, and goggles that fit tightly to her face. When they got to the bank of the lake, Jimmu sat her down and put swim fins on her feet.
“You’ll find swimming easier with these,” he said, adjusting the back strap to make them snug. He looked out over the lake. “Head for that point that extends out into the water. Now go.”
And she did. She had found that there is no arguing with Jimmu, so she started out swimming for the far shore. Immediately she noticed the difference in speed and accuracy of her stroke using the swim fins. She marveled at how her body skimmed the surface and at how fast she was traveling. After a few minutes of sheer pleasure and enjoyment, she began to tire. She looked in the direction of the point and judged she still had half the distance to go. That man is so controlling. Now he’s going to cause my death!
Soon her muscles began to ache, and she felt like she was dragging a thousand pounds behind her. She concentrated on the stroke of her crawl for a few moments. She watched the droplets of water like crystal beads drip off her arm as it came out of the water, arching over and back down. She watched the air bubbles leave her mouth and float to the surface when she put her face in the water, and she concentrated on calming her breath to make it regular and steady. She felt her feet, empowered by the fins, propelling her toward the point of land.
Before she knew she had arrived, her knees scraped the bottom of the lake and she pulled herself onto the shoreline of the point. After a minute of heavy breathing, she sat up and looked back across the way she had come. She was not only ready to swim back, she was also certain she would make it. Yes, she was tired. Yes, her muscles were aching. She felt a strong sense of determination envelop her, and she stepped into the water and began her swim back. This time she put herself into a meditative state and was unaware of anything but the rhythm of the stroke and her breath. Arm comes out, face turns out, breathe, arm goes in, face goes in, release the breath. Soon she was pulling herself onto the shore, tearing off her swim cap and goggles. As she lay on her stomach, spent and breathing hard, Jimmu came up next to her and squatted so that she could hear him.
“That was good. You’ll do that for the next week. Every day. Then we’ll begin slowly increasing the distance. Soon you’ll think nothing of a three-mile swim.”
She couldn’t talk. Instead, she stared at him, her cheek on the wet sand, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She was angry with him and, she realized, desperate to please him.
In a fluid movement, he straddled her back and slowly and methodically began massaging her neck and shoulders. She melted into the touch of his warm hands, his strong fingers finding every sore muscle. She closed her eyes and surrendered. His hands moved down the length of her back, spending time on muscles she didn’t know she had. She allowed herself to become absorbed into the feeling as he moved to her thighs and then her calves, and, after removing the fins, finishing with her feet. Danica thought the massage was done when he rolled her over. He straddled her again and leaned over and put his hands on either side of her face. At first, she thought this could be the prelude to their first kiss, but then he began to gently massage the muscles of her face. She watched him, his face was inches from hers and he seemed engrossed with his massage. His eyes were the darkest black, deep as a well, fierce brows framing them. His cheekbones were pronounced. His nose straight and bold. And his lips. Her eyes lingered on his lips, soft and full. She longed to kiss those lips. What would he do if I kissed him? Would he like that? Or would he pull away from me and look at me like I’m crazy?
He was watching her watching him, and his desire was consuming him. She was the one who could read minds, but he knew exactly what she was thinking. He was shaking with the longing to take her in his arms and lose himself in her.
Suddenly he jumped up and stepped away, startling her.
“Remember—every day for a week,” he said hoarsely, and he strode away in the direction of the hotel. As he walked up the path, he berated himself: You’re such an idiot! You almost lost it and put everything at risk! All our plans up in smoke because you couldn’t control yourself. What a jerk! But he couldn’t shake the feel of Danica’s body underneath his hands and the thought of what he almost did.
Later that night after dinner, Jimmu and Phil lingered at the table over cups of espresso.
“How’s her swimming training going?” Phil asked.
“Good. She just needs to increase her endurance. Give me another month with her and she’ll be ready.”
“She’s doing very
well in Aikido also, and her language instructor says she’s conversational already. I haven’t told her anything about her mission yet. I don’t want her to over-think it and not be as effective as she could be.” Phil looked thoughtful. “Danica has come a long way, but she still gets fearful. She still lacks confidence in her abilities. I’m worried that when she is on her mission, she will let her fear get the best of her.”
“What’s your plan for her?” Jimmu asked.
“I’ll have Neith take her through the obstacle course tomorrow and see if that helps.”
“It will either help her or scare her to death!”
Phil shifted in her chair and looked at Jimmu closely. “You’ve changed your mind about Danica.” It wasn’t a question, and Jimmu responded accordingly.
“I have. I think she is perfect for this mission. Her talents have expanded exponentially. She’s usually level-headed, quick and sure. She can handle any weapon thrown at her. She swims like a fish and excels in martial arts. And you should see her ride her horse on the racecourse!”
“Usually?”
“Sometimes she doesn’t totally trust The Magic. Sometimes she overthinks things.”
“What do you mean?”
Jimmu sighed. “Today at the lake she got winded swimming to the point and back. There’s no way she should be out of breath. It’s like she thinks she should be winded, and so she is.”
“She’s allowing her past experiences to determine her reactions.”
“Yes. She’s not opening herself to the possibilities of all The Magic can do.”
“The obstacle course will force her to trust in her Magic.”
“It’s pretty intense. Is she ready for it?”
Phil chuckled. “When we brought her here, we thought her talent was with her mind. We had no idea she would excel in the physical realm. Her mind and body are coalescing into a more talented and powerful Covert.” Her eyes got wistful. “I knew when I first held her as a baby that she was a special girl. You see it now, Jimmu?”
“Yes.” He paused. “Phil, maybe I’m not the best choice to go with Danica on her mission.”
“You’re the perfect choice, Jimmu. Why would you say that?”
“It’s just …” he looked down at his hands. “Sometimes I feel a little out of control when I’m with her.”
“She’s powerful. She would make anyone standing next to her dizzy. Don’t interpret that as physical attraction, Jimmu.”
“Believe me, I know what physical attraction feels like and this is definitely it.” His eyes met hers.
Phil sighed. “You humans are so complicated. I trust you won’t act on your feelings! We need her concentrating one hundred percent on her mission. Agreed?”
Jimmu sighed. “Agreed.” But he knew how difficult that would be.
Danica let herself into the small meditation room. It was empty and lit by candles. The walls were hung with dark tapestries and numerous cushions were strewn about. She sank to the floor, her sigh echoing off the high ceiling. She sat crossing her legs in front of her, straightening her back and resting her wrists on her knees. Behind closed eyes, images from the day flooded in. Her hands clenched reflexively, and her neck ached. She allowed the images to come and go and she concentrated on steady breathing. Slowly the ache in her neck disappeared, and her muscles relaxed. Her fingers opened, palms facing up. The breath found her and emptied her, sweeping her mind clear like a cosmic broom. She was surrounded by comforting warmth. Nothing mattered. Nothing was good or bad, true or false, right or wrong. She was unaware of her physical body and surrendered to a sense of balance and well-being.
An hour later she awoke, her head resting on a cushion and her arms hugging a pillow. She felt peaceful and she sighed deeply and stretched. Her afternoon at the lake came back to her. She acknowledged her attraction to Jimmu, and at the same time she felt it was important to keep her distance from him. He’s so handsome, and he ties me in knots. I need to keep my head clear when I’m with him. An image of his full lips floated into her mind. She felt a stirring in her body thinking of what it would feel like to kiss those lips. Then she jumped up and shook her head. I need to get that out of my head!
She left the meditation room and made her way to her room, planning to read her novel for an hour before bed. She had discovered that the library itself had something to do with the books coming to life. When she read in her room, they were simply books.
Reading will take my mind off Jimmu. But even as this thought crossed her mind, she knew it wasn’t true.
Eighteen
The following morning Danica met Neith after breakfast. She had been told to dress in long sleeves and sturdy pants and shoes because she would be doing an obstacle course. Neith looked her over approvingly.
“We’ll get a ride out to the course, Danica,” and when they stepped outside there was a jeep-like vehicle waiting for them. A smiling young man in a safari shirt sat behind the wheel.
“Good morning,” he said. “I’m Sam.”
She climbed into the back seat. “Hi. Danica.”
“Take us to course number four,” Neith said.
Sam raised his eyebrows. “Starting with the most difficult?”
“Yes. Phil’s orders. She’ll be fine.”
“If you say so.” He put the car into gear, and they left the hotel.
How difficult can it be? I can crawl under things and scale walls, Danica thought as she pictured what an average obstacle course looked like. She stole a glance at Neith who stared straight ahead. Sam also was quiet.
“You’ve never told me much about your power as a healer, Neith.”
“She’s not like the other healers,” Sam said. “I’ve seen her do amazing things.”
Neith turned in her seat to better address Danica. “My Magic allows me to heal wounds, internal and external.”
Danica looked at her wonderingly. “That’s a great gift. I’m envious.”
“We all have ways we can heal others. Your Magic is just as powerful.”
Danica rode in silence digesting that. After a bit she said, “How about you, Sam. Why were you brought to the Beyond?”
“I’m a marksman.”
Neith snorted. “That’s putting it mildly. You should see Sam on a horse with a bow and arrow riding at a full gallop and hitting the bull’s-eye time and again from seventy meters away.”
“I would love to see that!”
“You’ll get your chance at the next gathering,” Neith said.
“When is that?”
“It’s just a few months away. You’ll enjoy it. There’s always lots to do, and you’ll meet people from the other communities.”
After driving through miles of grassland, Danica asked, “What kind of course is this?”
Neith said, “It’s an obstacle course but unlike any you’ve ever experienced before.”
She caught Sam’s eyes in the rear-view mirror. He looked nervous. Soon they came to a flat area bordered by heavy forest. There was a structure set up with ropes, tall poles, climbing walls, huge tubes, water, and sand pits.
Okay, I can do this. It doesn’t look too bad.
All three got out of the car and walked to the area at the beginning of the course.
“Take your time on each segment, Danica. You’re not on the clock. We’re more interested in your problem-solving skills and your mental acuity. Think everything through carefully. Try to stay calm. And let your Magic work for you.”
“Segments?”
“This first segment is a pretty straight-forward course ending with a water challenge. There are many parts you are probably familiar with from your training, but these all have a twist to them. The second segment will take you into the forest. The last part is mostly underground.”
“Underground?”
Neith handed her a canteen, a dagger in a sheath, a compass, and goggles. “You’ll need these night-vision goggles when you go underground. Everything on the course is numbered. Go in order
and don’t skip any parts.”
Danica saw a number one on a sign tacked to a post in front of a large pool of water. There were various sizes of logs floating in the water and she looked across the pool where she spotted a number two.
“Are you ready?”
Danica attached the canteen and dagger to her belt and put the goggles and compass into a deep pocket of her pants. “Yes,” she said.
Neith grasped Danica’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Rely on your Magic, Danica. Most of these challenges are going to mess with your mind. Just keep your head and you’ll be fine.”
Danica licked her lips nervously. “Okay.”
She stepped up to the pool and looked at the logs. Some of them moved gently in the water and some didn’t. Some of these logs are stationary. The one closest to her bobbed slightly so she avoided that one, choosing one that she had to take a leap to reach, banking on it to not move. When she landed solidly, she balanced on it and she found it was stable. She surveyed the other logs and the distance she had left. She took a deep breath and confidently stepped onto the next stationary log, and then leaped to the next ones until she had successfully made it across the pool.
“Good job Danica!” Sam yelled.
Neith smiled and nodded encouragement.
At number two she came to a platform with a long thick wire cable stretching thirty feet across to another platform. There was a sand pit five feet below. When she stepped up to the edge of the platform and looked down, the sand pit disappeared, and a massive cavern yawed below. At the bottom of the cavern a wild river wound around boulders and between craggy outcrops. She could hear the rushing water far below and felt beads of perspiration on her forehead. Where did the sand pit go? What’s happening?
Her breathing was uneven, and she felt panicky. She kept staring into the pit, knowing that one false step would send her to the bottom of the cavern.
“Breathe, Danica. It’s an illusion,” Neith yelled above the sound of the river.
Danica put her hands on her hips and looked up to the sky. Breathe. It’s not real! She avoided looking into the pit and felt her heart calming. Then she stepped on to the wire, arms outstretched to her sides, and put one foot in front of the other, never taking her eyes from the opposite platform that grew increasingly close as she walked across the wire to the other side. When she stepped on to the platform and looked behind her, she saw the sand pit five feet below. Neith and Sam clapped encouragingly.
The Acolyte: Magicians of the Beyond Page 10
