The Guardian (The Gifted Book 1)

by C. L. McCourt

  Daen leaned back in the lounge, held up his hand, and created a small silvery blue ball of energy. As he rolled it around his hand, he explained, "Good. Then we can proceed without that discussion. But before we do, I need to ask, did you feel any pain while you were attempting to create your first energy ball?"

  Rhea remembered back to what it felt like. "It stung a little on my hands and arms but just for a couple seconds. Why?"

  "When you created the energy ball, you tapped into energy sources around you, including the energy that sustains our life. I don't know if you affected Randell or yourself, but I could feel your pull."

  Rhea didn't like where this was going.

  Daen rolled the ball onto the back of his fingers. "Your objective when using a gift is not to harm those you are protecting, which means you need to avoid taking their energy, the energy they need to survive."

  Rhea was stunned and little freaked. "You mean I could have hurt you or Randell?"

  He shook his head. "Although what you did was unusual for your first attempt, you didn't do any permanent damage; besides, I wouldn't have allowed you to go that far." He continued to manipulate the energy ball in his hand, changing its shape, size, and color. "But, given your unusual first-time success, I believe you have the potential to do a lot more. That's why we're having this conversation."

  Anxious not to harm anyone, Rhea asked, "How do I keep from using the wrong energy?"

  "By learning how to recognize the signatures of common energy sources, such as light, wind, thermal sources found in the ground ... even the electrical charges found in atoms. But for now, we'll focus on energy found inside us. If you can recognize it in yourself and others, you can avoid using it and possibly risking someone's life, including your own."

  "What do I need to do?"

  "Experiment and practice. Here ...," Daen extinguished the energy ball and extended his hand to Rhea, "... take my hand."

  Rhea shook her head. "No. I don't want to hurt you."

  Daen took Rhea's hand in his. "I won't let you. Trust me. You need to learn this."

  Rhea slowly, with a great amount of uncertainty, gripped Daen's hand.

  "Good. Now think about me. Think about what makes me live, my heart, my lungs, everything."

  Rhea shook her head. "No."

  "Rhea. This is important. Do it." He could see fear in her wide eyes. He was a little nervous himself.

  Rhea closed her eyes and thought about Daen. At first nothing happened. Just when she was about to give up, however, her hand started to feel as if it were just waking up after having the circulation cut off. The pins-and-needles sensation was somewhat painful, definitely uncomfortable.

  Daen suddenly felt the pull and the pain that went with it. He hadn't truly believed she could do it, but given her success with the energy ball, he knew he shouldn't be surprised. "That's it. Do you feel it?"

  Rhea nodded.

  "That's what it feels like to take energy from something with a heart, human or animal. Now release my hand." The pull continued after they broke contact. "Rhea. Stop pulling."

  She opened her eyes to see a rather tired-looking Daen. "What have I done?"

  "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

  Rhea hoped he was right. "How do you keep from using someone else's energy?"

  Daen rubbed his hand across his jaw. He was about to reveal another gift she might have and wasn't sure how to break it to her. "Um ... I can't pull the energy from anything with a heartbeat, so I don't have any experience to share with you. I can use only my own energy and that from objects and plants around me."

  This news unnerved Rhea. "So this means I have a variation of your gift?"

  Daen hesitated.

  "Daen?"

  "I'm not sure. I've heard of a gift similar to this. It's called the healer's touch. But that gift works in the opposite direction that yours is manifesting. The healer's touch can take energy from plants and other sources that don't have a heartbeat, just like the energy ball gift, but instead of creating a ball, the gifted passes that energy to something or someone who needs it to heal. But yours seems to pull from the one who would typically be the receiver."

  Pull? What did he mean by pull? This was what she'd done to him; the opposite of healing. She needed some good news right about now. "Could I be able to do both push and pull?"

  Daen nodded. "It's possible. Let's perform another test." He took her hand in his again.

  Rhea tried to pull her hand away. "No. I might hurt you."

  Daen gripped her hand. "It's okay. Do as you did before but pull from only nonliving sources around you. Once you feel the flow of energy entering your body, think about pushing it towards me."

  Rhea did as he asked. She reached for the energy around them, from the air, the grasses, the sun's heat. Once she had control over it, she imagined a trail of power flowing down her arm and into him through his hand.

  Daen didn't feel anything at first but then he sensed a mild tingling sensation in his hand. It felt good, refreshing. The sensation crawled up his arm and warmed his body. Already he was feeling like he had before the first test. It felt so good he didn't want it to stop but he knew he had to. He pulled his hand away, and once again the connection didn't break. "Okay. You can stop."

  Rhea stopped the flow and looked at Daen. He was refreshed and smiling.

  Daen said, "Nice job."

  "So this means I have the gift of healing?"

  Daen nodded. "You probably can't heal every illness, but at least you know you can help. It will take practice for you to sense the injury and apply the right effort, but at least you know you have the potential to heal and defend."

  While the healing gift was nice to have, she also had the power to do the opposite, to steal life energy, to kill someone. A chill ran down her spine as she looked at her hand. No, she would not be that person. She would not take a life. She took a deep breath, shook off the heebie-jeebies, and smiled. "Now what?"

  "Remember the stinging sensation you just experienced as we proceed with your lessons. I don't want you hurting yourself or anyone else."

  "That's the last thing I want to do."

  "What's the last thing you want to do?" Randell stepped out onto the porch.

  Rhea gave him her you-are-not-going-to-believe-this look. "Suck the life out of someone."

  Randell stopped and went rigid. "Excuse me? ... Wow, look at you."

  Daen and Rhea replied, "What?"

  "Her aura, it's changed."

  Daen looked concerned. "How so?" He'd just revealed a gift that could be used for serious wrongdoing. He didn't want to hear Randell say her color had flattened or grown dark.

  Randell saw the concern in Daen's eyes. "No, it's not like that. It's bright blue and has gold flecks sparkling in it. What were you doing out here?"

  "Daen was teaching me how to distinguish between the energy around me and the energy that sustains human life ... or any life with a heartbeat, I should say."

  "I tested her. She has two gifts. She can move or transfer energy in and out of a person ... as well as make energy balls."

  Randell nodded but then looked confused. "So what does the 'suck a life force' comment mean?"

  Rhea cringed. "It means I have the ability to kill someone with the same gift that I can use to heal them." Rhea's body shuddered as an uncontrollable chill ran over it. "The idea of it gives me the heebie-jeebies."

  "I'd say. Dang!" Randell shook his head. "Hey, the reason I'm here is Mom wants me to show Rhea where she'll be staying. Come on."

  Daen interjected, "She's got a lot to learn. I was going to start her sword-handling lessons."

  "Why don't we start with a demonstration after I show her to her room?"

  Daen shrugged. "Fine. I'll get the weapons. Meet me back here."

  ~~~

  The light from the kitchen shone through the door and windows, creating a patchwork of dark and light squares on the groomed back lawn. Daen was already warming up, executing the da
nce Randell had first seen when he was thirteen. Daen stood half in and half out of a square of light, his sword reflecting the light for a couple seconds before disappearing into the darkness as he went through the moves.

  The familiar squeak of the screen door told Daen that Randell and Rhea had arrived. They stood silently, watching him as he completed the dance.

  "That's very cool." Rhea was nodding. "Is that what you want to teach me?"

  "Yes, and more." Randell reached behind the low porch wall and pulled out a dowel, one of the dowels he and Daen had used when he was a boy. "Here, take this."

  "What's this for?"

  "Think of it as training wheels. We don't want you hurting yourself ... or us ... until you're used to having a 'sword' in your hands."

  Daen stepped up and wiped the sweat from his brow. "You ready?" He pointed with his sword. "Randell, yours is right there." He turned and positioned himself in a square of light. "Rhea, you stand in that square of light, just behind me so you can mimic my moves. Randell, would you mind spotting her for this round?"

  Randell stepped in behind Rhea and laid his sword on the ground. "Sure."

  And so the dance began. After about an hour, Rhea was exhausted. She was amazed at how heavy a dowel could feel. After the slow motion of the dance, the positions she held, and the long day, it was no wonder her arms ached.

  "Can I sit the next one out?" Rhea was already heading for the steps that led to the porch.

  Daen watched her wobble away while Randell took a battle stance, inviting Daen to engage. Daen obliged.

  Rhea sat on the steps, watching in awe at the power and grace they displayed. She was so entranced that she didn't notice Pam step out onto the porch until she sat down next to her.

  "Amazing, isn't it?" Pam said. "Randell's been sword fighting with Daen since he was thirteen. We wouldn't let him handle a real sword until we were convinced he wasn't going to cut off his leg or kill Daen, so they used the dowel."

  Rhea held up the dowel.

  Pam laughed. "Yep. That would be Randell's first sword." Pam looked at Rhea's face. Even though it was hidden in the shadows, Pam could see her exhaustion. "You should go up to bed. The boys could be at this for a while."

  Rhea wanted to go to sleep but she was afraid to ... and besides, she was enjoying the show.

  Pam could see the hesitation in Rhea's face. "Randell told us about what happens sometimes when you dream. Don't worry; I've removed anything that could be damaged from your room. If you have an episode, little harm will be done."

  Rhea turned her head to see a loving and understanding mother sitting next to her. She felt a tiny pang of jealousy that Randell had been so lucky to be raised by a mother who believed him. Rhea was so touched by Pam's understanding she could only whisper, "Thank you" before standing and entering the house, leaving behind her sword and also some of her fears.

  ~~~

  "I'm free." Gauvin lay on the ground exhausted, breathing heavily.

  "Don't just lie there; untie me," Bestian growled. His temper was at a peak. They'd woken when the sun was just dipping below the horizon and their camp was growing dark. Since waking, they'd spent their time squirming around, trying to reach something sharp enough to cut the ropes.

  Gauvin had caught a glint from the hilt of his knife when the clouds had opened momentarily to reveal the moon. Keeping his eye on the spot, he had managed to wiggle his way across the camp to his knife, where it had been buried hilt deep. It had taken some time and some cuts on his hands and arms to pull the knife free and position it so it was between his wrists and against the ropes. Carefully, patiently, Gauvin had moved the knife against the ropes.

  Each time he’d thought he was close to cutting through the ropes, he had tried to rush the process by pulling his hands apart to break the rope. But his efforts had only caused him to reposition the knife, nicking his hands and wrists in the process. After two attempts, however, he had managed to break free.

  Bestian, during this time, had managed to maneuver himself onto his knees, thinking he could move more efficiently and seek his knife. He had scanned the area but he couldn't see. The clouds had closed again, blocking the moon's light, leaving them in total darkness.

  "What are you waiting for?" Bestian barked at his useless partner. It was his fault the Luxatran had gotten away.

  "I have to cut the ropes on my ankles," Gauvin replied. And he was taking his time, too. No way did he want to free Bestian. It was his arrogance that had gotten them into this situation in the first place, but he knew Bestian wouldn't think that way.

  After freeing his ankles, Gauvin freed his partner and quickly backed away from him.

  "That's right. You better stay clear of me. It's your fault we lost them. If you'd tied our hostage as you were supposed to, he never would have gotten free. And because you got yourself knocked out, I had to try and subdue two of them."

  Gauvin's jaw dropped open. He so wanted to cast the knife in his hand into the chest of the wretch standing across the camp from him. But the one thing he'd learned over the last four months was patience. There was a time and place for everything. "What are your plans now? Can you still sense them?"

  Bestian stood silently, eyes closed. He reached as far as he could, but got nothing. He opened his eyes to Gauvin's expectant face. "I found them once, I'll find them again." Not wanting to defend his talents, Bestian ignored Gauvin and started to break camp in the dark, fumbling about as he did.

  "Why not wait until first light?" Gauvin couldn't see Bestian but he knew what he was doing.

  Bestian stopped moving. Gauvin heard a growl and then a slight thud as Bestian hit the ground. "I'll grant you this favor, seeing as how you are incapable of moving without the light. But don't expect another one."

  Gauvin rolled his eyes as he sat down and leaned against the tree behind which he was hiding. He might have slept most of the day away but it had been anything but restful. In minutes, he was asleep.

  Bestian drifted off while thinking about the man who'd attacked him. That made two Luxatrans who needed to be taught a lesson.

  41

  Hunted

  The crunch of dried leaves echoed against the trees, the sound more intense than it should have been. The darkness started to lighten as she moved between the trees, dodging branches and stepping over decaying logs. She was alone in this unknown forest with its unusual plant life.

  As she walked, she glimpsed something sparkling for an instant and then it would be gone behind one of the many trees that blocked her path. She picked up her pace, constantly moving forward, trying to reach it, whatever it was.

  She stepped out into a small clearing; at the center stood her prize. Mesmerized by the strangeness of the object that floated in the middle of the clearing, she stepped forward. As she got closer, she saw a tiny silver line floating in the center of the sparkling object. The silver line became larger and larger the closer she got, until the silver line seem to separate from the object.

  Time slowed. The silver line wasn't a sliver line. It was a knife, flipping end over end, flying straight for her. As soon as she could see what it was, time returned to normal and the knife raced for her.

  Panicked, frozen in place, she instinctively raised her hands to block the knife and screamed.

  A rumble sounded around her, the sound of a door rattling in its frame, a chair scooting across the hardwood floor, a dresser being slammed against a wall. Rhea opened her eyes to see the guest room in which she'd fallen asleep.

  Within seconds, the door flew open; Daen filled the opening as he looked around the room. He saw her in the middle of the bed, her breath ragged, her eyes expressing her fear. Randell's face appeared next, watching her over Daen's shoulder, wondering if everything was okay.

  Rhea calmed herself as she looked around the room. Nothing looked out of place, but then, there wasn't anything to throw.

  "Get out of ..." Pam shoved Randell "... the way." She shoved again, creating an opening betwee
n the two large men blocking her from the room. She turned and faced them once inside the room. "Go back to bed. Leave her be."

  Without a word, Daen and Randell stepped away from the door. They knew what had happened. Daen had felt it. But since Rhea seemed okay, they yielded to Pam's orders.

  Pam closed the door. "I assume we just experienced one of your dreams." She picked up the chair that had ended its trip across the floor by tipping over.

  Rhea lay back against the headboard. "I'm sorry I woke you. Are you okay?"

  Pam sat on the edge of the bed. "We're just fine. Can I get you anything?"

  Rhea shook her head, glancing around the room, looking for her backpack. She slipped from the bed to retrieve her journal and turned on the lamp mounted on the wall. "I need to write it down before I forget. Randell and Daen think my dreams might be visions, and if that's the case, this is one vision I need to be ready for."

  Pam was curious as to what could have been so frightening. "Are your dreams always frightening?"

  Rhea shrugged, "This one wasn't that bad. I'm getting used to them, actually. It's just, when I get a new dream and it surprises me, I tend to ... um ... cause a mess."

  Pam sat quietly after hearing her explanation. She was amazed at how well the young woman dealt with this phenomenon. She watched Rhea quickly write down what she'd experienced. Then Rhea flipped the page and started drawing a picture. It took only a moment and she was done.

  Rhea handed Pam her journal. "Go ahead. I can tell you're curious. You have a right to know what's going on, since you're helping me." Rhea lay back on her pillow and tried to calm her still-racing heart.

  Pam flipped through the pages, scanning Rhea's notes and images. Some of her encounters were quite terrifying. She laid the journal on the nightstand and stood to leave. "Thank you for sharing that with me." She glanced at her watch. "Breakfast will be ready in about an hour. Ander is taking the day off, so I'm preparing a weekend breakfast."

  Rhea sensed tension in Pam's voice when she mentioned Ander taking the day off. "He told you, didn't he?"

  Pam nodded, her hand gripping the doorknob.