Seventh Born

by Rachel Rossano

  “Watch where you are going,” Renato exclaimed as we reached the top of the great stairs that descended into the foyer. A young trainee hurried past with a muttered apology and bowed head. Stepping down three steps and out of the way, I followed him with my eyes as he trotted past me, down the stairs, and disappeared through the doors into the main dining hall.

  Another scuffle of feet and a muffled protest from Renato drew my attention back behind me to where he still stood on the first step. A burly young man wearing the robes of a trainee barged past my assistant, pushing him aside.

  The young man then plowed into me, his shoulder connecting with my stomach. Air fled my lungs with a sudden whoosh and suddenly I was falling backwards. Instinctively, I reached for my amoveo. The energy flooded through me as I fell, spreading out and giving me a clear impression of my surroundings. Simultaneously, I caught the railing and solidified the newly materialized energy field between me and the stairs. The combination slowed my descent and then pulled my fall to a stop. The back of my head missed the sharp edge of a marble step by only three inches. Thank you, Almighty, I prayed.

  “Are you all right?” Renato asked as I worked to right myself. My ribs were screaming at the abuse, and I knew that words were not possible.

  “Where is he?” I asked.

  Renato straightened to look around. I closed my eyes and worked on breathing once more. The last time I had been bludgeoned like that was when I played a new wrestling game with my older brothers when we were young. Using the energy that still hung around me in a cloud, I traced my own bones. Nothing was broken, just bruised.

  “Gone,” Renato said as he reappeared at my side. “I sent a talent after him. We will find him and reprimand him.

  “I doubt you will find him,” I sent as I tried to straighten. “He didn’t look like a talent I know.” As I ran over my glimpse of him in my memory, I caught the reason I was so certain. “His hair was cut in the fashion of a Segius.”

  I felt Renato stiffen. “So, you think it was planned by the Mesitas?”

  “I don’t know.” Air unwillingly entered my lungs again as I forced them to expand. Pain laced my ribs.

  “Can you speak?”

  I looked up into his worried golden eyes with a grimace. “Painfully.”

  “Did he break something?”

  I shook my head.

  “Are you sure? Maybe you should see the healer.”

  “No,” I managed. “I know a broken rib when I feel it. I am only bruised.”

  I could see from his expression that he didn’t believe me, but he backed off to give me space to catch my breath.

  “So, it has begun,” he said, his voice grim as fear flickered across his face. My stomach was suddenly queasy. The line between words to physical violence was crossed. I closed my eyes against the realization that every aspect of my life was going to become shared. After this I would go no where without a body guard, and security would be as tight as possible.

  Almighty, I know this must be in Your plan, but how long? Oh, Lord, how long?

  Zezilia

  I LAY ON MY STOMACH on my bed. The heavy tome of code lay open across the end of my bed before me, but my thoughts were not on it. Instead, I was watching the bird family outside the window. The mother was giving the mostly grown babies flying lessons by pushing them out of the nest. There was only one left and he was protesting more that others before him.

  Just as the mother pushed his fluffy little body over the edge, the door of my bedroom crashed open.

  “Korneli is here,” Candra announced as she launched herself at my bed. I scrambled to get out of the way as she barely missed my legs with her knees.

  “When did he arrive?” I asked as I closed the code book to make more room.

  “Oh, hours ago,” she responded. Suddenly still, she began fingering the edging on my pillow. “He, Selwyn, and Father have been holed up in the study for hours now and I am bored.”

  “I am supposed to be studying.” I nudged the tome with my bare toes.

  “But there is no one to talk to.”

  “Didn’t Eldivo come with Korneli?”

  Candra laughed bitterly. “Why would I want to sit and listen to him talk? Besides, Galatea and Eloine have him cornered. Galatea is pumping him for information about Korneli, and Eloine is making calf-eyes at him. Sheesh, one would think he was a prince from the way Eloine talks.” Leaning back, she mimicked her older sister, twirling her hair and acting shy. “Eldivo this and Eldivo that.” Candra tossed a shoe at the wall. “I am sick of listening to her. Galatea is almost as bad over Korneli. ‘Korneli is so handsome.’” Candra batted her eyes fetchingly at me.

  “He is handsome,” I pointed out.

  “But that isn’t all. You should see her journal.”

  “You aren’t supposed to be reading her journal,” I protested, suddenly panicked. My own journal was full of carefully thought out notes about the elusive Ilias, prayerful entries to the Almighty, and highly personal notes about my studies. “You haven’t been reading my journal, have you?”

  Candra pulled a face. “Why would I do that? You are nice to me. Even though you are Galatea’s age, you treat me as though I am human. To Galatea, I am just a pest.”

  “Probably because you act like a pest to her.”

  “Why should I ruin her delusions of grandeur? She thinks of herself as the...” Her voice suddenly cut off. I looked up to find the reason. Galatea stood in the open doorway glaring at her younger sister.

  “I think of myself as what?” she asked Candra, barely contained anger flaring behind her eyes.

  “Nothing,” Candra replied, picking at the toe nail of her bare foot.

  “What do you want?” I asked before further hostilities were exchanged.

  “Father wants you in his study,” Galatea replied without taking her gaze from Candra. “He wants to talk to you while Korneli is still here.”

  Taking up the heavy code book, I stood and crossed to the door. Galatea stepped inside so that I could pass.

  “Please don’t break anything while I am gone,” I said and then quickly left.

  Behind me, Galatea closed the door, her voice rising even before the latch caught. I hugged the tome to my chest, grateful that I wasn’t going to have to witness the two of them argue. I wasn’t really afraid that they would hurt each other. Despite their noise, they did love each other, and some days could be so loving toward each other that I yearned for a sister. Other days, like today, they couldn’t seem to get enough strife. Yelling, backbiting, and sneaking, they drove each other to distraction.

  As I stepped into the front room on my way to the study, I met Adreet coming from the kitchen. She was wiping her hands on her apron and frowning. “Have you seen Galatea?” she asked.

  “She and Candra were in my room when I left.”

  “Good, I need to speak to both of them. Elione is in the kitchen watering the floor with her tears and will not tell me why she is crying. I am hoping one of them can enlighten me.”

  “Where is Eldivo?” I asked.

  “Oh, he is out looking at the gardens with Delmar. He thinks he knows what is eating our tomato plants, but he won’t be sure unless he sees them.”

  I nodded and continued toward the study. Adreet’s even tread climbed the stairs. I was certain that she would sort it all out. I just hoped it was before Errol was finished with me so I wouldn’t have to get involved.

  Chapter XIV

  Zezilia

  The corridor was surprisingly silent as I approached the study door. I had expected at least some of the conversation between the men to be vocal. Tentatively, I knocked on the heavy wooden door.

  “Come,” Errol’s voice responded.

  I lifted the latch and entered.

  I noticed Selwyn first. It wasn’t because he was visibly obvious. In fact, he was the least noticeable of the three men. Standing in the dark corner, he hid in the dim shadows behind bright sunlight coming from the window. Head d
own, arms crossed, tanned skin, dark clothing, only his eyes caught the light. But as I met his gaze, I caught a storm of emotions that made me pause for a moment on the doorsill. Something was warring within him, tearing him apart.

  Korneli and Errol’s attitudes were similarly uncomfortable. Errol leaned back comfortably in his customary chair, arms crossed across his slightly rounded belly. Korneli also reclined slightly, but he didn’t look comfortable. Perhaps it was his personality, or just some past training, but he was sitting as straight as one could and still be relaxed. His handsome features were bland, but a definite essence of annoyance emanated from him. His emotional cloud wasn’t nearly as thick or strong as Selwyn’s, but it was still pronounced.

  “Please take a seat,” Errol instructed.

  I moved to obey with hesitancy. The air fizzled with unspoken words, both sent and unsent. I was fully aware of the contention between Selwyn and the two men seated before me. As I claimed the chair where I sat for lessons, Errol shifted and a loaded sending passed between him and Selwyn.

  From his corner, Selwyn frowned darkly. “That was a low blow,” he answered aloud.

  “But it is true,” Korneli responded.

  “Your answer?” Errol asked.

  Selwyn met my curious gaze. His emotion changed and a strange look crossed his face. “You say it is the only way.”

  “If there was another, I would have pursued it.” Errol replied.

  “We do not take this lightly, Selwyn,” Korneli assured him. “If it was for anyone else, we would not ask you for this.”

  Selwyn’s dark eyes clouded. Pain flickered in their depths. “If it were for anyone else, I would not even consider it. But for him...” He closed his eyes. “I will.”

  Although none of the men’s physical attitudes changed, the air was suddenly less tense. Selwyn’s cloud shrunk, but the forbidding feeling didn’t leave. He still was unhappy about the agreement.

  “I received a letter from the Sept Son last week,” Errol began. I turned to find him lifting a heavy parchment piece from the top of the desk. “An unknown group is launching attacks upon his person. So far, there have been four fake accidents. It isn’t clear if the attempts on his person are meant to maim or kill. Either way, the letter has brought it to our attention that you are going to need more defender training than I can give you. Korneli, as your tester, cannot take on the role of teacher. That is why we have asked Selwyn to train you for the next months.”

  This was the answer to my question about what they intended me to do after I completed training. “So, you mean for me to be a defender?” I asked because I wanted to be sure I understood it correctly.

  Errol frowned. “No, not a defender.”

  “Then what?”

  Korneli and Errol exchanged a glance, but it was Selwyn who answered. “They mean you to be something for which they have no name.”

  “Selwyn!” Errol’s rebuke was sharp.

  “I know you don’t agree with this, but it is for her own good,” Korneli said.

  “Zezilia, look at me,” Errol requested.

  I met his gaze. His strange green eyes flared intensely.

  “We aren’t telling you everything for your own safety and well-being. When it is time, I will explain what all of this is about. For now, please trust me.”

  Biting back a protest, I nodded. “It would be easier to be content if I knew when I would be allowed to know,” I pointed out.

  “Fair enough,” Korneli said.

  Errol nodded. “Half a year before your graduation, I shall reveal the purpose that we have for you. Is that agreeable?”

  Since it was now the middle of my second year, I had only a year to wait. After already waiting for a year and a half, another seven months shouldn’t be too terrible. I agreed.

  The last of the tension suddenly dissipated with a silent sigh of relief from all three men. I hadn’t realized that it had been such a serious issue. Suddenly thankful that I hadn’t made more of a fuss, I listened as the three of them outlined the time that I was to spend with Selwyn over then next few months.

  Korneli didn’t participate except for occasional comments on the parameters of the testing he was going to require at each testing session. When he was not needed, he contented himself with watching me. I tried to not let him know that I noticed his attention.

  “I will be restricted. As I explained earlier, I am not going to be able to demonstrate any of these tactics for her. I refuse to allow her to touch my mind,” Selwyn was saying, when suddenly Korneli turned to Errol. I felt the sending and saw Errol’s frown.

  When I glanced at Korneli as Errol replied, his face lit up with amusement.

  “She knows you are talking about her,” Selwyn said. Suddenly, I was the center of attention.

  “Zezilia, is this true?” Errol asked. “Can you tell when we are sending between us?” Fear filled my chest.

  “Yes.”

  “The only other person that I know of who can sense other people’s sendings is Ilias. Can you understand what we are sending?”

  “No,” I said. My brain latched on to the fact I could do something that only Ilias could do, giving me a thrill of triumph.

  “Am I to understand that this is something you weren’t aware of?” Korneli asked Errol with surprise.

  Errol shook his head. “She didn’t tell me.”

  Selwyn spoke up from the corner. “She would rarely have an opportunity to find out that it is significant. The only time that there are two or more talents other than herself present is when Errol and I teach her jointly or you and Eldivo visit.”

  “Good point,” Korneli admitted.

  “Have you always been able to do this?” Errol asked me suddenly.

  “No,” I replied, watching his face as he thought. Ideas were whizzing around in his head as his face settled into his usual thoughtful look, puckered brow, lowered eyebrows, and pursed lips.

  “When did you first notice it?” Korneli asked.

  It took me a moment to recall. “It was the first time that you and Eldivo visited. We were sitting at the dining room table and you reprimanded Eldivo for poor manners.”

  “And since then, have you noticed it more?” he immediately asked.

  “Sometimes,” I replied.

  Korneli turned to Errol. “She is still developing her awareness. This is unusual for her age. That means that she hasn’t reached her full potential yet.”

  The excitement in his voice surprised me. I noticed new things all the time; why was this so exciting to him? It was nothing new to me. As I learned more about how to use the talent, I became more aware of senses that had always been there. It was sort of like walking; the muscles were all there the whole time, I was just learning to use them. I turned to Errol for an explanation.

  He leaned forward with a sigh. His calm manner was a sharp contrast to the animation in Korneli’s face. “A talented child first discovers his abilities at an early age, four years being the earliest known. From then on, he continues to discover senses and capabilities for a period of about five years,” he explained. “We call it the period of discovery. At the end of those five years, the child reaches the level of power or strength that he will have for the rest of his life. When the child enters the teen years, his ability to concentrate grows to the point where he is teachable. So, then the trainer steps in and begins to mold the talent that is already there.”

  Turning to Korneli, Errol said, “Zezilia appears to be a special case. First of all, until I happened upon her using her abilities like an untrained four-year-old, she had no awareness of her talents.”

  “How can that be?” Korneli looked at me in surprise.

  I shrugged my shoulders. All of this was new to me.

  “When I had the Sept Son test her initial potential, he found the power of a fully grown child of her age. Since then, I have noticed leaps in her abilities that cannot be simply accounted for by saying she is growing more skillful.”

  “So,
” Korneli frowned, “you are telling me that she is still in the discovery stage. She hasn’t reached the extent of her powers and will not reach it for another two and a half years. So, this discovery of sensitivity to activity between other talents isn’t the first of its kind. Errol, why have you hidden this?”

  “I haven’t.” Errol crossed his arms and frowned back at Korneli.

  Korneli shot a questioning look Selwyn’s way. A sending passed between them.

  “Considering Zez knows when you are sending and receiving, I would suggest communicating verbally or by sending to all of us,” Selwyn replied. “The answer is yes. I have known about it from the beginning.”

  “I haven’t known about it,” I protested. “You mean that more of these senses are going to appear? How many more?”

  “We don’t know,” Errol admitted.

  “But we will help you adjust,” Selwyn assured me with a gentle sending of reassurance.

  “Does the Sept Son know about this?” Korneli asked.

  “I have kept him informed as we have discovered each, just as he is kept updated of Zezilia’s training progress.”

  Korneli nodded. “Good. Taking all this into consideration, I would recommend that you have him conduct the final testing. I can handle the basic skills and memorization checking, but from what you are telling she has already passed me in ability.” He turned to me with an apologetic smile. “I am sorry to suddenly spring this discovery on you,” he said.

  It wasn’t his fault. I should have seen it myself, except I had nothing to measure my abilities against. I couldn’t have known, and I now understood why Errol and Selwyn hadn’t pointed it out to me. Already, my brain was cluttered with worries, fears, and frantic thoughts as to how this would affect my life now and in the future. If the other students my age knew, if Eldivo knew, I would never be seen as an equal again. He would see me as even more of a strange being to be kept at a distance and respected. Already, he was visibly uncomfortable in my presence.