“Because it’s my strength as well.”
Garild and Kirheen fell silent, both piecing together what they’d learned. It was Kirheen that spoke first. “So, if we’ve been using our power without knowing, how do we get it under our control?”
Tomias leaned forward, propping up his chin with laced fingers. “Practice, my dear.”
Kirheen looked down at the cards in her hand, trying to decipher the meaning of them. She held five cards, each one with a different symbol. Tomias sat to her right, holding a different set of cards, though instead of symbols they were numbered. She suspected Fenir and Garild held the same, but from her angle, she couldn’t tell.
“The rules are quite simple. You are going to take turns figuring out which card your bond mate is holding. This isn’t a guessing game. I want you both to try very hard to concentrate and use your powers to your advantage. I want you to know what the other person is holding,” Tomias said, taking the cards from Kirheen. He shuffled them together, took the top card and flipped it for him and Kirheen to see. It was a symbol; two blue vertical lines with a circle between them.
“Start out gently. I want you to concentrate on your opponent, study them. Once your concentration is locked, you should feel a slight change, a gentle pressure here,” he tapped between his eyes with a finger. “Don’t let it alarm you. You’re just feeling the natural resistance of their mind.”
Kirheen looked at him uneasily, remembering the overwhelming pressure she’d felt when Herzin had entered her mind. The thought made her mouth go dry and she felt sweat on her palms. She wiped her hands on her robes, trying not to look as nervous as she felt.
“Kirheen, don’t fret,” Tomias said softly, reaching out to steady her hands. His touch was gentle and reassuring, his fingertips pressed softly against her skin. “It's not going to be like that.”
“How do you know,” she questioned.
He smiled. “Kirheen, we use these powers every day. You’ve been using them. Don’t let that experience control you. I won’t lie, this will strain you, but it won’t hurt you. Not like that. Please trust me.”
She studied him, searching for a lie hidden within his brown eyes, but she saw nothing. If there was a lie to be found, she couldn’t see it. “I’ll try.”
“Then let’s begin. Study your card and keep the symbol firmly in your mind. Once you’ve done that, we’ll hide the card and begin.” They took a moment to commit the card to memory and then shuffled it back into the deck.
“Think of their mind as a wall. Feel the resistance of it, feel it push back against you. But every wall has a weakness. Find it and you find a way in. Stay focused on the information you seek, avoid distraction and you’ll be victorious. You may begin.”
Garild glanced at her momentarily, uncertainty clouding his dark eyes. He fidgeted nervously, eyes scanning the room. Distracted. Taking a deep breath, she tried to reach out, feeling for the resistance she’d felt before. There was a slight vibration, a gentle tingle between her eyes but it wavered, faltering as she tried to push further. She frowned. Well, that didn’t work.
It was clear he was unsure what to do, his focus wavering between her and Tomias. She sat quietly, studying him, her expression revealing nothing. She pushed again, this time with more strength. The vibration returned, but this time stronger. She could feel the pressure building, the thread connecting them pulling tight. And then she was there, against the walls guarding his mind.
It was an odd sensation, a feeling of floating outside of yourself. It made her feel dizzy. She closed her eyes, trying to block out anything that might distract her. She visualized the wall, millions of glimmering blue threads, tightly bound together. There was no weak point that she could see, and it seemed to stretch on forever, an endless wall holding back a tangled web of information.
Reaching forward, she touched one of the threads. It glowed brightly, sending ripples of light along the wall. She watched it dance across its surface for as far as she could see. After a moment, the light returned, glowing in the same thread she’d touched. The section of wall she stood in front of lit up, it’s blue light blinding. She stumbled back, felt the vibration waver and suddenly she was back in her own mind. She gasped, eyes flying open as she tried to regain her sense of self.
“Are you alright,” Tomias asked.
She took several unsteady breathes, looking bewildered. “Y-yeah, I’m fine. That…that is just a very odd sensation.” Tomias smiled knowingly.
Garild was focused on her now. “You were just in my mind, weren’t you? I could feel something, a slight shift.”
“She was,” Tomias confirmed. “Did you try blocking her?”
He shook his head. “No, I couldn’t find her. It was all just noise and light.”
“You’ll need to focus harder. Envision your walls and find the source of the intrusion. You’ll need to push her out or she’s sure to break through. Be gentle about it though. And Kirheen, his natural defenses were enough to push you out. Push harder. Go ahead, you two. Try again.”
This time it was Garild that pushed first. She could barely feel it, a slight tingle, like a fingertip traced across her skin. She closed her eyes, envisioned her walls and found him instantly. He stood before the threads, hands hovering over them uncertainly. He reached out, touching the wall gently. The wall shimmered, tendrils of light radiating out in all directions. There was an increase of pressure and a thread darkened, its glow fading. The darkness spread quickly, infecting the other threads around it. There was a loud snapping sound as one of the darkened tendrils frayed. It held for a moment before it gave way, leaving behind the smallest of gaps in the wall. Others followed in quick succession, a loud series of pops sending Kirheen into a panic.
Think, think, think. You’re a natural blocker, so block him! She steadied herself, honing in on the gap quickly forming in the wall. She focused on the healthy threads, trying to pull them closer together to seal the gap but they wouldn’t budge. As the gap widened, she felt a surge of fear. Her thoughts, her feelings, they were all she had and only a wall stood between them and Garild; A wall that was quickly disintegrating before her eyes.
Instead of fixating on the gap, she focused on the surrounding wall that remained. With a quick burst, she pushed against it, forcing it forward towards Garild. It reacted, glowing brighter, the threads coiling together in a strengthened bond. She pushed again and this time the wall bulged, the blue light intensifying until it was almost blinding. Garild recoiled, his hands covering his eyes. Though stunned, the gap in the wall still widened. She needed to remove him from her mind, but the only thing she could think to do was to force him out. Trying to keep a steady hold on her powers, she forced some of the threads forward, snaking them around Garild as he stood stunned. As gently as she could, she flung him backwards, feeling a wave of relief as the bond snapped, her mind suddenly her own again.
She turned her attention back to the wall, even as she heard Garild gasp, probably suffering the same sensation she had felt when she’d been pushed back. With the intruder gone, the darkening threads had ceased their advance and she was able to relax the wall, letting it sink back into its original shape. There was still the gap to contend with, an opening that couldn’t possibly withstand another attack. She drew in a breath, and focused on the outside edges of the wall, trying to draw the power of them down into the breach. The outer edge of the wall dimmed, while the rim of the gap glowed with renewed strength. Slowly, new threads began to appear, weaving their way back and forth across the gap.
The process slowed after a time and her vitality with it. She felt tired, her energy draining with each new thread she formed. She found it hard to maintain her focus, and once, several threads broke before they could form, her power wavering too much to keep up.
As she started in on a new section, the entire wall flickered, the blue light becoming unstable. Something caught her eye and she found Tomias standing outside the wall, watching the process with concern.
“But I’m almost there. If I don’t fix it, the next time he attacks, I won’t be able to stop him.”
He frowned. “If the whole wall is gone, will it matter? Leave it be and let your mind rest. We’ll resume training once the breach is closed, but you need to let it repair on its own. Rushing it won’t fix anything.”
She hesitated, the sense of the gap filling her with unease. It was a weakness, an uncontrolled variable and she didn’t like leaving it open to anyone. Just a couple more threads. She gave a final burst of power, forming several new threads at once. Immediately she regretted it. There was a loud crack, and a section of the wall crumbled, sending a cascade of blue sparks shooting into the air. The rest of the wall flickered, and she stood helpless, terrified that one wrong move would send the rest of it crumbling down.
Tomias shook his head. “You really aren’t one to listen, are you? Very well.” Holding up his hands, he pressed them gently against the air where her wall had crumbled. There was a sudden surge of power and the broken section of wall began to heal at an alarming rate. In a matter of minutes, it was as if the damage had never been done. The gap filled in, shimmering once more with icy blue light. She felt herself being pulled and then she was back in the room, blinking rapidly as she adjusted to the light.
Garild looked pale, his brow covered in sweat and his eyes wide.
“You look terrible,” Kirheen said.
“I’m alright, Kirheen. Just feeling a little dizzy.” He put his hands up, covering his face as he tried to keep the world from spinning. “You aren't looking so good yourself.”
“I’m rather tired,” she admitted. Exhausted was more the word she should have used. She felt absolutely spent, her eyes heavy and her thoughts sluggish. The thought of training another minute was almost unbearable.
“You both did very well,” Tomias said with a friendly smile. “You’re catching on quickly. Just like anything else, it’ll take practice before you can use your powers without completely exhausting yourself every time. As you may have noticed Kirheen, some things such as blocking, take a surprising amount of energy. You need to learn to conserve your energy and work smarter.”
“What happens if you push too hard,” Kirheen asked, feeling guilty that she hadn’t listened to Tomias. It was a weakness of hers, and while she could recognize that, controlling it was something else entirely.
“Depends on how far you push it. Exhaustion is just the start. You push beyond that and you risk losing your mind, unable to ever get the wall back as it should be. I’ve also heard of some falling into a deep sleep, never to awaken. Not gone from this world, but not really alive either.” With that he reached out and flicked Kirheen hard on the cheek. Her hand flew up, and she gaped at him, eyes blazing with annoyance.
“What was that for,” she hissed.
Tomias smirked. “That was for not listening to me. I get enough of that from Fenir. I don’t need it from you too. Next time I tell you not to push yourself, please don’t pretend that I don’t know what I’m talking about and do it anyways. I’ve been using these powers a lot longer than you have.”
She rubbed at her cheek. “Well, don’t worry. I think I learned my lesson.”
“I’m glad you’ve come to your senses. How are you feeling?”
“Terrible and slightly annoyed with you. I don’t think I’ll be able to move from this spot,” she yawned, melting into her seat. “I feel like I spent my day running around the whole of Sanctuary. Repeatedly.”
“To be expected. And you, Garild? Still feeling dizzy?”
He shook his head. “No, I’m alright now, just tired.”
“You both have an hour. I’d recommend getting a good nap in before we resume our training. It’ll be even harder next time, and I expect someone to win the game.” He smirked. “No pressure.”
Kirheen stifled another yawn. “What’ll you two do?”
Tomias glared at his bond mate. “Oh, I’m sure we can find something else to argue about while we wait for you.” Fenir grunted, shaking his head. He rose from his seat and stepped outside.
“We’re off to a good start. See! He’s already mad!” Tomias rose with a stretch, yawning loudly. “Take a nap you two, before you infect me with your exhaustion. I’ll wake you in an hour.”
Kirheen just waved her hand, too tired to speak any further. With the last bit of strength she could muster, she dragged herself to their room, flinging herself onto the bed. She didn’t even bother to slip under the covers, the cloying fog of sleep already too thick to ignore. She heard Garild plop down on his bed, heard the door click shut as Tomias stepped outside and then she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter 9
Tomias sighed heartily as he sank down on the steps next to Fenir. He ran his hands over his face, surprised to feel the prickle of hair on his normally clean shaven face. Had it really been so long? The week had flown by as he'd adapted his role to that of instructor. It had been quite a shift from his mundane duties, but he was starting to like it. “How do you think I’d look with a beard,” he asked Fenir.
“Ridiculous,” Fenir scoffed.
“Really? I think I’d look rather dashing. I might just keep it.”
“Do as you wish. Just don’t expect me to claim any relation to you.”
“You always threaten me with that. A shame we look so similar. I don’t think you can claim otherwise.”
Fenir snorted, turning the conversation to other matters. “How do you think they did?”
“Quite well, actually. Now if only I can keep Kirheen's curiosity in check, I think we’ll be okay.” Truth was, he was surprised how quickly they had both caught on. It normally took much longer before they could enter each other’s minds, let alone use their powers to start chipping away at each other. They’d done both, a sign that they had a decent feel for their powers. The late start to their training wouldn’t be so detrimental after all. “In any case, Nyson will be happy.”
“I suppose so. He’s pushing quite hard for results this time around. Could be dangerous.”
It was true. The incident with Herzin had agitated Nyson and caused a delay in training, something that he deemed unacceptable. He was expecting to see results and he wanted to see them soon, especially when it came to Kirheen. Despite what Tomias had told her, she didn’t have any predominant strengths. She wasn’t a natural blocker; she was a natural at everything. And such a person could be shaped, molded and trained to be whatever you needed them to be. It was precisely why Nyson was so interested in her, and why he would push Tomias and Fenir to train them as quickly as possible, no matter the cost.
While Tomias respected Nyson, he wasn’t about to go push them to the brink, especially not with Kirheen. She was too curious, too quick to find shortcuts and all too eager to take them. It was a dangerous situation to try and teach restraint to someone who had the potential to do so much more. He’d have to teach her control, before she accidentally hurt herself or others. If it meant taking longer with their training, then he was willing to face the consequences. He wouldn’t risk it.
“You think he’ll push for her to be on the Council,” Fenir asked, face troubled.
Tomias frowned, his brow furrowed. “It seems likely, though I hate to think what would become of Garild if she is. Council status would dissolve their Bond, and unless Garild is strong enough, he'd spend the rest of his days making clothes and food for the rest of them. With how much Kirheen hates being Bonded, I’m sure she’d leap at the opportunity to be on her own if it were offered. She’s smart though. Hopefully she’ll figure out the truth sooner rather than later. Maybe it will convince her that being on the Council isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
“What truth is that?”
“That Nyson does
n't want them for anything but their powers, however big of a show he puts on. He just wants people that can be effective against the Darkness, people he can shape and mold to fit where he needs them.”
“If he asked, would you try to convince her? Do you think you even could?”
He shrugged. “Could I? Yes. Do I want to? No. I don’t entirely care for the art of manipulation, despite the fact that I’m damn good at it. It just doesn’t feel right, changing a mind like that. She’s still a child and one that might be a little too headstrong to be part of the Council!”
Fenir grunted. “Age is a funny thing here. She's older than she looks. I'd say she probably isn' t too far behind us in age. Quit making it sound like we're old, brother.”
“Gah, I know! Sometimes I forget. Damn if I don’t feel it though. I swear by next year I’ll need a cane.” They were only in their 23rd year, still young themselves. Having been Bonded since birth, their powers had come naturally to them. Following the incident that had cost Fenir his voice, their powers had grown exponentially. The constant need to communicate mentally had brought them closer, made them stronger. The accident had been both a blessing and a curse.
His mind drifted back to that day. They had been so young, two scrawny pale twins with powers they had yet to master. They had been attending a meeting with Nyson to discuss their future participation in the Council when an ashen haired woman had burst through the door, her face contorted in rage. She'd flung all she had at Nyson, every ounce of power mashed into one desperate blow. It was a true testament to the power of their leader that he had been able to divert the amount of power hurtling towards him. Unfortunately, it had cost Fenir. The dissipated energy had flung outwards away from Nyson, speeding in their direction. Fenir had pushed him away, saving him from a blast that surely would have killed him. Though he survived the blast, Fenir' voice did not. Something had shifted inside his head, blocking him from speaking and he'd never been the same.
The Bonded: The Allseer Trilogy Book I Page 7
