“It must be nice to use your powers to help people every day,” I said wistfully. “That was the first time I ever felt a connection to my abilities. I have been so off about how to use them.”
“You’ll get there. Perry used to cause huge gusts at the littlest things when we started here, but he’s a lot more controlled now. We went through a ton of lamps in our cottage that first year,” he said mimicking the motion of wind crashing through a living room. Laughing, he motioned for us to take a seat on a sunny spot between the docks and Coventry Hall.
“You two lived together?”
“Our first two years,” the wizard responded. “He went from being a stranger to being closer to me than almost anyone else. He got me through some really rough times here,” Orpheus shared, more seriously than I had seen him before. “I couldn’t tell what I was feeling from what I was sensing. I acted on other people's emotions or caused them to have my emotions. I hurt people in the process.” His face clearly expressed how painful the memories were for him. “Perry helped me stay... me. He always believed I could be the best version of myself. I would never tell him this, but I kind of miss not having him down the hallway this year.”
“Well, your secret is safe with me.” I told him.
“Good, because he does live in the cottage next door. So, some people might think that I have attachment issues or something.” Orpheus’ laugh filled the air and I joined along. Sitting on the grass chatting with him made me feel like a normal college student.
“So, do you always know what people are feeling? Can you ever take a break?” I looked over at the man sitting next to me.
“Yes, and not really,” he said thoughtfully. “There is always this surge of input when I am with people. I have learned to tune it out a bit and how to differentiate between my own feelings and the feelings of others, but I can’t block it out completely.”
“What about a mind blocking potion?” I inquired curiously. I knew from living with my mother that a well-brewed potion could keep even the most powerful Mind Witches from invading your thoughts.
“Doesn’t block emotions from me or stop me from manipulating other people’s emotions. Perry and I tried that.” He sighed. “For the most part, I sense just the edges of feelings when people are calm. A taste, really. However, when people are emotional that hits me harder.” I looked away thinking about how he had helped me on the dock the first week of school and felt terrible. “No need for feeling guilty,” he added, eyes sparkling. “I liked being able to help you and using these powers for something good is important to me. Besides, if something had happened to you, Perry would have been so upset. He has been waiting for another elemental at Spindlewick since we got here.”
“He’s pretty much banished me to the reading room,” I added thinking about the guy that I had not been able to get in two words with since the bonfire. In my mind, I saw the vision of him from Lady Apollonia and wondered, again, what she would have been able to tell me about my future. As these thoughts rolled through my brain, I wondered what the man next to me was picking up. “So, do you basically know what people are thinking?” I asked hoping the answer was no.
“Not really. Feelings aren’t always coherent or logical. From sitting next to a person, I can piece together some things about what is on their mind, but I can’t read thoughts.” He paused. “When I touch people, though, I get an extremely detailed picture of what that person has been feeling. Sometimes, I can even see images of what triggered those feelings.” He looked troubled by this.
“That must make it hard to be close to someone,” I said.
He nodded sadly. “Most people think that my powers make relationships easier, but no one really wants you to see their deepest feelings the first time you kiss or hold hands. Plus, whoever I end up with is going to have to be really even-keeled.” He got up, “So, you see, everyone here is screwed up. We are just not as powerful as you.” He laughed and I joined in.
“Well, I’ll keep on the lookout for an open, even-keeled person for you.”
“Deal,” he agreed smilingly and offered me his hand to get up. After our conversation, I wasn’t too keen to touch him, but he had been so open with me. I didn’t want to rebuke him. I held out my hand to his, trusting him with my hopes and fears. However, before our hands touched a heavy wind came through and knocked Orpheus over about 2 ft. He landed on the ground with a thud. Worried that I had caused it, I rushed over to see how he was, but I found him laughing.
From the corner of my eye, I spotted the source of the magic. It was Perry. He was heading towards Orpheus and me fast.
“What the hell were you doing?” He demanded.
“Relax,” Orpheus said, sitting up. That casual response did not sit well with my trainer who sent a blast of wind to knock him back down. It wasn’t as hard as what he used on Brett, but it was a concentrated gust.
“Perry, don’t,” I commanded, worried that he was going to hurt the empath. “He’s your friend and you could hurt him.” Perry turned on me with wild eyes, but when his gust moved towards me, it caressed me like a gentle breeze. He took a step in my direction like he was being pulled by a magnet.
“If he touches you, he'll know everything you are feeling- secrets, fear, desires.” Perry spoke softly but with a dangerous edge.
“I know,” I replied quietly. “He told me that.”
Perry’s eyes opened wide with surprise. He looked to Orpheus, who looked like this conversation had taken a turn that he was not expecting.
“Perry,” he began, but his friend was not interested.
“Why would you let him do that?” Perry asked, stepping closer to me.
“Well,” I began. “He had just finished telling me about his powers, and when he offered me his hand, I felt…”
“She felt pity, Perry. She didn’t want to hurt my feelings.” The air elemental seemed to relax a bit at this answer.
“You should never have put her in that position.” He offered his own hand to Orpheus and helped him up. A meaningful look passed between the two.
“It wasn’t like that man,” Orpheus said quietly responding to something he learned from their contact. “I know how you...I would never...”
Perry nodded, turning back to me.
“I don’t know what is going on here,” I responded. “This rushing, winds first, to rescue me thing is a bit much, though.”
“Sometimes my friend is too curious for his own good,” Perry replied finally, and Orpheus looked at me guiltily.
Confusion overwhelmed me. “Curious?” When he didn’t answer, I understood. “You tried to see my feelings on purpose?”
“Khlorie, that’s not...” Orpheus began to respond, but I walked away. Perry groaned behind me and I heard two sets of footsteps follow. They cut me off after a few steps with their long strides.
“Full truth?” The blonde empath asked.
“That would be nice.”
“Do you remember when you got startled at the bonfire?” I nodded. “You told me that you were remembering something a Divination Witch once told you, but you were looking at Perry.” He paused. “There is so much up in the air about our futures. I thought that maybe you knew something that would help him.”
“Why didn’t you just ask me?” I responded, cheeks flushing.
“I should have,” Orpheus conceded. “Sometimes, it is hard to know who you can trust here. Honestly, I am used to using my powers to get a read on a person, before being so upfront with my intentions.” Silence hung in the air between the three of us.
“Did a divination witch tell you something about me?” Perry asked finally. Having an empath around really sucked. How could I explain something that I didn’t understand?
“It’s hard to explain,” I began, taking a seat on the grass. Pausing for a minute, I considered whether or not to share. Looking at Perry’s concerned face, however, I knew I couldn’t leave the conversation there. Although, they both would have deserved it. “It started whe
n I didn’t get selected for a specialty…” Launching into the story felt like blowing the dust off an item rarely touched. While I often thought about Apollonia, I had never spoken of that night again. Perry and Orpheus were patient listeners as I found my way into the story. When I got to the part about connecting with Apollonia, feeling the tether, and seeing the visions, I paused. “They went by so fast. It wasn’t until that night on the bonfire that I realized it was you I had seen.”
“What were we doing?” Perry asked, finally.
“Nothing,” I responded, cheeks heating. “It was just a quick glimpse of your face. I don’t know what Apollonia knew about you. She never got around to telling me anything.”
“Why?” Perry wondered. All of the fear I felt watching Marshal Trackerson capture her came flooding back. I felt sick.
“Give her a second, Perry,” Orpheus warned. My trainer nodded and looked back at me sympathetically.
Collecting myself, I continued with the story, leaving nothing out.
“They cut out her tongue, right there in front of you?” It was a rhetorical question and Perry’s voice was filled with a quiet disgust. Leaning towards me, his voice dropped to a whisper. “Are you sure that they never got the opportunity to interrogate her?”
“She killed herself before her mind blocking potion could wear off. That’s what they told me.”
Perry and Orpheus looked at each other pointedly, and it crossed my mind that they knew something that they weren’t telling me. There was a reason that Orpheus wanted this information. I believed him when he said he was worried about Perry, but there was more.
“I’m sorry that you went through that,” Perry responded finally. For a second, it looked like he was going to reach out and take my hand, but he pulled it back at the last minute. The mask of blanket indifference fell back onto his face. “I’m also sorry that we pried into your business.”
“I suppose it involved you in some small way,” I responded.
“You met me. The vision came true” he added.
“I don’t think anything Apollonia showed me is as simple as that. Judging by the way you two are looking at each other, I seriously doubt that either of you think that.”
Perry stood up, readying himself to leave. “I can’t think of anything else it could mean. Sometimes the simplest answer is the right one.”
Standing up, I felt a breeze against my back. It was getting more intense as I figured out what to say next. “What is it you are not telling me, Perry? I know it is something.” The breeze was now turning into a windstorm, whipping against my cheeks. My skirt swung left and right as the indecisive breeze took hold. Hair came flying out of my top knot. I motioned the gusts swirlings around us. “Are you doing this just so you don’t have to talk to me?”
“Khlorie,” he replied. “This is not me. This is you. You are triggering your Air powers.”
Looking across the lawn of Coventry Hall, I saw picnic blankets and books flying through the air, caught by my winds. Students scrambled to grab their lost belongings. The energy I felt in meditation was back. Underneath my skin, the power hummed, waiting for my control. Like when Odysseus unleashed the bag of winds, my powers left gusts moving in all directions. Needing to contain them, I pulled towards myself with my hands, silently commanding the winds to follow the motion. Given a mandate, the breezes I’d called forth began circling around Perry and I. The ability was invigorating.
“Air is the element of inquiry,” I told my trainer. “I guess I did learn something from all of my reading.” Perry’s face remained impassive as the wind swirled around us. He moved to take control of the gusts. However, this wind tunnel was my creation, and I would not allow it to bend to his will.
Feeling emboldened by the surge of power coursing through me, connecting me to nature, I stepped towards him. “I triggered my power because I have questions that you are not answering. I will release the winds when you do.”
The mask on his face fell momentarily, and a smile crossed his face before he nodded consent.
“Why is Orpheus so concerned about your future?”
“He thought you knew something concerning.” Perry answered quickly. “You didn’t.”
Perry moved closer to me. My winds curving in around him, holding us in a tighter cocoon. As the tunnel got smaller, it became nearly impossible to see Orpheus and the rest of the Coventry Hall lawn. His eyes locked with mine and I wasn’t sure if he was trying to intimidate me, distract me, or something else. Distraction was certainly a word to describe how I felt. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to lose control of this wind tunnel.
“Do you really think Apollonia’s visions meant nothing?” I challenged. He stepped closer, now inches away from me. It took all of my energy not to close the gap and run my fingers across his chest.
“I think that sometimes it is best not to know too much.” His voice was low, and he met my eyes with intensity, like he was drinking me in.
“Sometimes, it feels like you are avoiding me. Other times you help me, fight goons, or call me beautiful.”
“You are beautiful,” he said quietly. “And I’ll always help you.”
“But…” I prompted.
“But,” His eyes dropped from mine, releasing the heat that had formed between us. “I don’t want you to get attached to me.” Cold water might as well have been poured over my face.
“What?” My tone reflected the shock in my voice.
“It’s important that we keep this professional,” Perry added. When he looked back at me, his face was cool, indifferent. I wanted to slap him. “Did I answer all of your questions?”
“I don’t recall being unprofessional with you,” I responded finally, using the best imitation of my mother’s voice I could conjure. “To that end, leaving me to my own devices because you don’t want to be around me is unprofessional. I need an independent study partner willing to work with me on handling these powers. You decide if that is you and let me know.” With a downward wave of my hand, I collapsed the tunnel. In my anger, the action was a bit too abrupt, and I ended up knocking back a circle of kids who had been gawking on the hill.
“Lesson One,” Perry hissed coolly. “When you release winds as strong as you created, you have to do it slowly or people get hurt. Lesson Two, all of that reading I assigned is helping you. I seem to remember you being totally aware of what triggered this wind tunnel. Lesson Three, we practice when I say we practice. I am the advisor here.” He paused. “I don’t think we need to see each other tonight. You just got your lesson early.”
“Oh, were we going to see each other?” I shouted sarcastically. “That would have been a change!”
“Um, guys,” Orpheus’ amused voice cut through the air, breaking up the fight. In my anger, I didn’t realize that we had an audience of people staring at us. Two people emerging from a wind tunnel screaming at each other wasn’t an everyday occurrence, not even at Spindlewick. Turning to him, I could feel my temper start to calm.
“Do NOT use your power on us right now Orph,” Perry commanded, but his voice already sounded calmer.
The empath threw up his hands in surrender, his smile growing even larger. Around us, kids I’d knocked down were helping each other up from the ground. My face fell into my palm. Tsunami-girl strikes again. My mother would be mortified on so many levels. Perry was right, though, I handled this incident better because I was gaining an understanding of the properties of elemental magic from the books he assigned. The readings were forcing me to ask questions and think about how my powers might manifest. Looking back up, I found Perry studying me again. For a moment, I thought he was going to say something. Like so many times before, however, he thought better of it and simply walked away.
Orpheus strode over to me, as Perry made his way up to Coventry Hall. “He’ll be in the garden all afternoon,” the empath sighed. “It’s always where he goes when he is upset.”
“Well, his evening is totally free now,” I said sharply, and
the empath nodded.
Turning on my heels so that I could make my own exit, my foot got caught in a divot caused by my wind tunnel and I went crashing to the ground. At the last minute, I felt hands grab my forearms, pulling me up before I landed on the grass. My relief was short-lived as I felt an intruding energy curling inside of me. Memories and moments flashed through my mind and the feelings they conjured overwhelmed me. Feelings I’d buried rose to the surface! The despair at losing my father consumed me before dissipating into the foreign energy. Love for my mother. Fun with Brigid. Awkwardness from my first kiss. Fear from the night with Lady Apollonia. Failure from not getting selected for a specialty. Appreciation for Itzel. The helplessness of triggering my water power. The deep connection to Perry that I didn’t understand. One by one, the feelings arose and then were gone.
Orpheus now knew every emotion that I had ever felt in my life.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
You can’t run. You can’t hide.
This spell will search far and wide
Over the mountains, valleys, and lakes
This spell will do whatever it takes!
I should have been used to Itzel’s singing textbooks by now, but I was constantly surprised by the kind of spells that could be sung. Sure, many chanters were in it just for entertainment, but there was a real power in sung magic for those who committed themselves to the practice. Laying out in a bathing suit because she was desperate for some sun, Itzel listened to the song carefully. The textbook was spelled to sing once solo and then again with multiple part harmonies. She loved every minute. I, on the other hand, was seriously considering spelling myself soundproof ear wax. We must have made a funny pair to anyone who passed by one witch in a full-length skirt, the other laying out in a bathing suit listening to an enchanted, singing textbook.
“Maybe you should use this spell on Perry,” Itzel laughed. “You really haven’t talked to him once since the wind tunnel? That was weeks ago.”
Elements of Power (Council of the Harvest Moon Book 1) Page 13
