by Jess Bowen
Phoebe stepped forward next. She looked nervous but excited to be facing the unexpected. Dorian took a few seconds longer to attack her than he did the others. When he did, Phoebe’s shield went up, and Dorian backed off.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to!” Phoebe said, flustered.
“It’s okay; you just have to keep your powers at bay. That’s a good defense, but you also have to learn to fight without it.”
Phoebe nodded as she crouched down again. This time Dorian jumped a little more quickly, and Phoebe shoved him back roughly. Though he was moving slowly and lightly for the benefit of the beginners, even he looked surprised by Phoebe’s strength. He jumped back up, and Phoebe crouched again. He lunged at her, and she dodged as she kicked the back of his knee.
He crumpled for a second before regaining his position. He moved toward her again and swung his arm out to grab hers. She moved swiftly, caught his arm, spun into him, elbowed him with her free arm, and lifted him over her shoulder as he gasped from the blow. He landed with a thud on his back. Phoebe still had her arm attached to his, however, and he twisted his wrist to grab onto her arm and pull her down. He rolled over, lay across her chest, and pinned her. She squirmed, trying to get out from under him, but gave up in defeat after a few seconds.
Phoebe did look rather proud of herself, though, and Ethan couldn’t blame her. She had been the best so far. Dorian helped her up, looking extremely surprised, but smiling. Ethan was nervous. How was he going to compete with that? He anxiously stepped down from the tiers for his turn.
He stood in front of Dorian and felt as if the rest of the room disappeared. Ethan’s concentration was totally focused on Dorian as he watched the man’s every move, waiting for him to attack. With Dorian’s every twitch, Ethan’s muscles tensed. Dorian came at him, and Ethan blocked him and turned his arm around into an uncomfortable position. Dorian twisted out of it and countered Ethan by pulling his arm behind his back. Ethan elbowed Dorian in the stomach, which loosened his grasp long enough for Ethan to slip his arm out.
Dorian swung at him, and Ethan blocked him again as he kicked his foot around and tripped him. Dorian stumbled for a moment before regaining his footing and moved faster, finally pinning Ethan against the mat. Dorian was slightly out of breath. Ethan had done better than he’d expected. It was nowhere near as good as Phoebe had been, but he hadn’t been pinned to the mat within seconds, either.
Ethan took his seat again, feeling better about training and about what he was doing here. Evan bounced where he sat as he waited for his turn. Phoebe said Ethan did better than she did, but he ignored her. She was wrong. Lucy took his hand again as he sat down. He hadn’t realized what a regular occurrence this had become until just now. Not that he minded. Perhaps that was why he hadn’t noticed. He really didn’t mind at all. Had he not been so preoccupied the past few days, he might have noticed it sooner. Lucy’s hand was cool and small compared to his, and he liked it rather well where it was. When the sun hit her hair just right, it glinted from red to gold.
In this one moment where he felt comfortable, where he felt like he belonged here, Ethan realized that part of the reason was because of her. He couldn’t explain it, but he belonged to her. She had staked her claim from the moment he first met her. The dreams of the girl with the red hair that turned to gold in the sunlight, the musical laughter—he hadn’t been searching for her. His subconscious was trying to lead him to discover that she was right in front of him, the most obvious place to look, yet so often overlooked. Why, though? What gave her that claim? Why was he hers?
I’ll explain it to you sometime.
16. Connection
Whoa, Ethan thought. Did I just hear Lucy in my head?
Yes.
Ethan looked at Lucy, suddenly alarmed.
Don’t worry, you are perfectly sane. I told you I would explain it to you sometime, but not now. You’re just going to have to get used to hearing me. Her green eyes sparkled happily.
What? Why? Are you going to hear all my thoughts? Do you have Phoebe’s talent? What’s going on?
No, I do not have Phoebe’s talent, and no, I won’t hear all your thoughts, only when I choose, and you can hear mine when you choose.
Why?
I can’t tell you.
Is this a joke?
No, I can’t tell you because it’s forbidden. There are only certain people who can lift the ban, and until they do, I can’t tell you.
Why?
Because it…complicates things. Her eyebrows pulled together.
What things?
How about this—you know how Phoebe and Syran have a connection, how they trust one another and stuff?
Yes, Ethan replied, having no idea where this was going.
Okay, well, we now have a connection, and because of it, you can hear my thoughts and I can hear yours, part of the deal. I can’t tell you any more than that.
They watched the match going on below. Evan was doing pretty well at defending himself. Still not as good as Phoebe, Ethan thought, but who was?
Yes, she was pretty good. I think Dorian was letting her win, though.
If we have a connection, why couldn’t I hear you before?
Because you didn’t notice and accept it until a few minutes ago.
Let me guess, part of the deal?
Good guess.
So what now?
Now, I go take my turn.
What? No! She can’t go fight Dorian. He’ll hurt her. He’s so much bigger than she is. Ethan had begun to talk to himself, forgetting that Lucy was still there, listening to his thoughts.
Relax; I’ll be fine and back before you know it.
Despite Ethan’s anxiety, Lucy rose from her spot beside him and walked down to the floor.
This was just so crazy. Accepting that anyone could hear his thoughts was something he was still getting used to. He realized, though, that with Lucy, he didn’t mind. He was just surprised. Curious, Ethan wondered if she just had to be close for him to hear her thoughts, so he focused back on her where she stood on the floor and settled on another question to ask her.
What is the connection we have? Can you tell me that?
I could, but you’re going to have to figure it out for yourself. Now be quiet; I need to concentrate.
Ethan focused. She was crouching down. Dorian was about to lunge at her. She was good; instead of taking the blow and shoving him back, she dodged him completely and tripped him as she moved. Dorian stumbled but managed not to fall as he turned to face her again. She feinted left and at the last second twisted around to the right and shoved him down.
But she made almost the same mistake Phoebe had, and he grabbed her arm and twisted her onto her back on the mat. She was pinned. Dorian congratulated her, and Ethan exhaled as relief flooded through him. She bounded back to her seat and took Ethan’s hand again. He pulled her closer and put his arm around her shoulders, glad that she wasn’t hurt.
I told you I would be fine. She smiled contentedly as she settled against his ribs.
Doesn’t mean I won’t worry. Why won’t you tell me?
It’s better if you figure it out for yourself, just like you did a few minutes ago. It’s easier to accept that way. It shouldn’t be too hard. I was surprised you figured the first part out as quickly as you did.
Does everybody else know about this? Is this something just Phoebe and I don’t know about?
No, I know because of my connection with it. Most other people don’t know even when this happens to them.
This is completely insane, you know.
For you, yes, I know; for me, not really. It’s just part…
Of the deal…got it, Ethan thought and smiled.
Don’t be sarcastic. You know the others are starting to stare; it might be time to have an audible conversation.
Right.
Ethan looked around at Phoebe, Evan, Jared, and Cynthia. They seemed a little confused; however, they didn’t have time to say anything because t
he last match up finished and they were put through the paces of their physical training. Lucy was silent the rest of the afternoon as she trained, and so was Ethan. This training required complete concentration. Luckily, for Phoebe’s sanity at least, Dorian didn’t go near Kali for the rest of the day. It was probably the longest and most intense workout of Ethan’s life. By the time dinner was over and they had all returned to the room, they gave in to their exhaustion.
“I don’t think I am going to be able to move for at least five days,” Evan said as he slumped across one of the couches.
“I see that and raise you three weeks,” Phoebe challenged from the floor beside the couch. “I don’t think I can even get up off the floor anytime soon.”
“Me either,” Jared groaned from the floor in front of the fireplace.
“That’s good,” came Cynthia’s voice from the next room, “because I don’t think I can get off this bed for a week.”
“Ouch,” Ethan mumbled as he hit a sore spot on his leg on the edge of the table while he sank down into the second couch beside Lucy. She leaned over the arm of the couch on the other side, her hair obscuring her face.
“I can see what they meant by ‘intense’ training,” Lucy commented from under her hair.
Are you okay? Ethan thought concernedly.
Fine, just tired and sore. Your leg okay?
Yeah, just a little bruise.
“And they expect us to do it again in two days,” Phoebe groaned.
“Not to mention our lessons tomorrow,” Jared sighed.
“I think tomorrow might be one of those ‘if you’re going to be late don’t come at all’ days,” Evan said with a strained voice as he tried to sit up. After a minute, he gave up and lay back down. “It will take at least two hours just to walk down to the arena.”
“I don’t think we have much of a choice, though,” Lucy said. “Can you imagine what Jade would say if we missed tomorrow?”
“Something that would make us all feel useless, I’m sure,” Cynthia offered from the next room.
“Not to mention what Dorian and Cassius would say,” Ethan said as he massaged his leg where he had hit it on the table.
It was absolute torture. Ethan had suspected that training would be hard, but he had never expected it to be that tough. Every muscle in his body burned, and he felt like a hundred-pound weight was weighing him down. He had never been in bad shape, but he now felt as if he’d never before gotten up off a chair in his life.
“You’d think if they were going to make us feel this bad, they would have some way to deal with it,” Evan said. His arm swung over the side of the couch and hit Phoebe in the stomach.
“Ouch. I’m down here, you idiot,” Phoebe said indignantly.
“Sorry, I can’t turn my head or I might have seen you,” Evan apologized.
“Did anyone ever notice how comfortable these beds are?” Cynthia said from the next room.
“These couches aren’t too bad, either,” Ethan replied.
True, true. Lucy thought.
“I expect if there was any part of my body that didn’t already hurt, the floor would be hurting it right now,” Phoebe said.
“Well, you didn’t exactly pick the best place to lie down. Here, hop up on the couch,” Evan said as he offered his hand to Phoebe to lift her up.
Phoebe took his hand gratefully, and as he helped pull her up, they both seemed to move a lot more agilely than Ethan thought was possible given the amount of pain they were all in. After Phoebe had settled on the couch, she offered her hand to Jared, who was also on the floor, and helped him up and into a chair beside the couch. Lucy looked as if she was drifting off to sleep, and Cynthia had been quiet for quite a little while now.
Almost asleep, if my back wasn’t killing me, Lucy whimpered in her thoughts.
Why don’t you lean back then? That can’t be comfortable, Ethan mentally offered.
Because I can’t move.
Ethan reached forward and grasped Lucy’s free arm and pulled her back into his chest. She groaned at the pressure exerted on her arm, but seemed comfortable enough afterward.
Thanks.
Of course.
“There has got to be something to help,” Ethan said out loud. He was feeling even worse after the small movement to help Lucy.
“Hey, wait, maybe there is,” Phoebe said as she released Sapphire. “Who wants to send their companion with Sapphire? I don’t want to send her by herself.”
Evan released Bree. “Why? Where are they going?”
“To go get Dorian. There is no way they expect us to get through this training without some way to be able to move again.” Evan nodded in agreement, and Phoebe turned to Sapphire and Bree. “I need you two to go find Dorian and bring him back here, please.”
Sapphire and Bree nodded and set off. After a moment, Cynthia yelled from the other room.
“They can’t get out the door.”
“Get up and open it then,” Phoebe yelled back.
“I will as soon as you do.”
“Fine then. Lucy, do you mind?” Phoebe asked.
Lucy waved her hand without opening her eyes, and they all heard a click that meant the door had opened. After the two companions left, it seemed everyone lost the will to even speak. Ethan suspected that Lucy really had fallen asleep, because her head had slumped forward and her red hair hid her face. There was also no answer to his thought, so she was either asleep or too tired to answer. Jared too looked as if he was asleep. Evan and Phoebe gazed off into space. Cynthia didn’t say anything more from the next room.
Ethan felt quite comfortable himself at the moment and closed his eyes. He was in the garden and walking toward the fountain. He sat down, but the blond-haired woman was not there. He sat waiting, hoping she would show up in time. Just then he heard footsteps heading toward him through the darkness.
“I believe these are yours,” Dorian said, jolting Ethan from sleep.
Dorian stood over Sapphire and Bree as they danced around, obviously pleased that they had found the right person.
“Yes,” Phoebe said.
Dorian looked around at all of them slumped on the furniture and smiled. “Feeling a little sore, are we?”
“A little?” Jared asked incredulously.
“Yeah, we’re only contemplating whether death would be an improvement on our present condition,” Evan added sarcastically.
“I think I’m already there,” Cynthia said from the other room, “and it doesn’t feel any better.”
“Did I forget to mention we have an elixir for that?” Dorian said, almost laughing.
“Does intentional forgetting count?” Ethan asked. He could tell that Dorian had purposely not told them about the elixir just to see how they dealt with it.
Twisted sense of humor perhaps? Lucy mused.
Phoebe glowered. “If I could move right now, you would be very sorry.”
“Ah, well, sorry. It was at Cassius’s request. He wanted to see how well you would hold up. Here you go; just one drink should do it,” Dorian said as he pulled a bottle of liquid out of his pocket.
He handed it to Ethan since he was closest. He took a drink, and it felt like hot liquid pouring down his throat. Instant relief seemed to course through his body right from his stomach, and he suddenly felt like he could jump up and start the day all over again. He handed the bottle to Lucy. A look of happiness passed over her face as she took a drink. She then handed it to Jared, who gave it to Phoebe and Evan. When Dorian received the bottle back, he took it in to Cynthia, who stumbled into the room behind Dorian a minute later. Lucy lay back across Ethan’s chest.
You don’t mind, do you?
She was cool but comfortable. No, not at all.
“I know it seems like a lot, but we want you to be ready. I will send this up to your room after every training session. You won’t need it for long; your bodies will adjust soon enough,” Dorian said as he stowed the bottle back into his pocket.
“Oh, that’s just wonderful. I can’t wait to feel like this three times a week,” Phoebe said sarcastically, still not over her irritation.
Dorian laughed. “You’ll be fine. It doesn’t take long, I promise.”
Phoebe tried to look angry for a little longer but smiled anyway. “Are you taking me to my class tomorrow? I still don’t know how to get to Cassius’s office.”
He shrugged. “Sure, I’ll meet you after dinner.”
“All right.” Phoebe smiled.
That’s going to be a tricky one, Lucy thought.
What? Ethan silently responded, having no idea what she was referring to.
Those two.
What about them?
Remember that connection thing?
Yes.
They have the potential. Neither one of them will accept it, though. Of course, Phoebe can already hear his thoughts, so it might not take that long.
Ethan looked between Dorian and Phoebe. They were watching each other thoughtfully. He couldn’t pretend he hadn’t noticed their fascination with one another.
Wait, can Phoebe hear us now, if she wanted to?
No, another part of the deal. Completely private conversations, even from Truth Seekers.
Nice.
Dorian said goodnight to them and made his way out of the room as they settled down to enjoy the rest of their evening. Everyone seemed quite comfortable where they were, and they spent the rest of the night talking.
“Does anyone know some of the other creatures Petrozan has working for him besides the Shamarian?” Phoebe asked.
“I don’t think they actually work for Petrozan, but he gives them free run of the land, and that’s what they’ve always wanted. He does have his own army of metallic soldiers, though,” Jared answered.
“Metallic soldiers?” Ethan asked.
“They’re made out of liquid metal and are given life by Esmeralda’s fire powers. They’re usually led by Zuriel,” Cynthia explained.
“Zuriel?”
“Petrozan’s closest ally, aside from Esmeralda, of course. Zuriel is the acting general of the army when the king and queen aren’t at the castle,” Evan said.
