Training Tia

by Isabella Laase

  Her voice and mannerisms ignited a small tremor of recognition, and I simply stared until she scowled. “It isn’t polite to stare. Unless you’d like to spend some time in the corner, lower your eyes and eat your breakfast. You haven’t much time.”

  She was right about the rudeness. I’d been raised by people with old-fashioned values, so I did what she asked without an argument.

  The food smelled wonderful, and I tried to reach for a warm, gooey cherry pastry first, but Nanny didn’t miss a beat. “You can have that when you finish your eggs.”

  Her scolding made me feel like I was nine years old at Owen’s dining room table, but before I could lick the sugar off my fingers, I felt Zane’s presence.

  His power bit into my soul and all resolve to explain that this was a big mistake evaporated. I couldn’t even picture Florida on a map. I jumped out of my chair and ran into his arms while dismissing the nagging questions regarding my personal sanity.

  He lifted me off my feet with an easy laugh and responded to my thoughts. “I understand you’re confused, but you will see soon enough. I am here to give you back your powers, and it will all begin to make sense.”

  I looked behind him for a box or a bag. “Where are they? My powers?”

  “I have held them inside me,” he added with an indulgent smile. “I wouldn’t trust them to anybody else. Come, lie on the bed, and let’s talk.”

  Nanny and Hawa were dismissed with a nod, and they quickly disappeared. He took my hand and led me to the bedroom, which had already been tidied. Having a nanny around to do the work wasn’t all bad, but I still had serious concerns over the bath routine.

  “Do you think you could tell them I can take my own bath? It’s a little embarrassing.”

  Zane scolded, “Don’t challenge the structure I’ve laid out. The bath is an integral part of your training. It connects your nerves, relaxes your muscles, and keeps you focused in order to control your powers. Without this, you will remain vulnerable.”

  I wasn’t giving up that easily. “I can relax, just let me try yoga or something. Or even a real massage. Give me something to work with here?”

  Glancing around the room, I whispered, “She put her fingers in places nobody should ever put them. Some things are sacred.”

  “You must listen to me carefully, little one. Training is going to be a very difficult experience. Your powers will bring incredible stress and anxiety until you can access the relaxation in your subconscious.

  “We use a great deal more of our brains than humans and have much more control over the energy around us. If you’d had your powers since you were born, this wouldn’t be so hard. Nanny and Hawa will teach you to control your body and build the necessary connections to your mind.”

  He nudged me to lie down on the bed so he could rub my stomach. His touch warmed my soul with as much comfort as the day before, and I grew weak and sleepy.

  Content to lie there all day, I mumbled, “Why did you take my powers away from me in the first place? Did I do something wrong?”

  He replied softly as he worked the rest of my body, “You are the daughter of two of the most powerful members of our coven, so you possess tremendous strength. We have enemies and needed to hide you, but we couldn’t do that if you were emitting the energy that comes with your powers. The success of our plan rested with a normal little girl.”

  He waited a moment before he dropped his bombshell. “You are also a submissive by definition of our ceremony, and you still need a strong alpha to be complete. If we’d added your powers, Owen wouldn’t have been able to handle you on his own.”

  The revelation that my big, powerful father was unable to care for me caused a moment of panic. “Am I some kind of freak?”

  “No, pet. You are strong and powerful by your birthright, but you are my mated submissive and you are as you should be.

  “With training and education, you will soon be by my side. Our children will be the most powerful our coven has ever known, and we will take control when my father is ready to give it. That is why some people want to keep us apart.”

  “But why do I have to stay here? If you’re so strong, can’t we do all this in Florida?” I’d really been looking forward to sunshine and theme parks.

  “This will not be an easy process. When your powers are returned, you will experience resistance to our ways. Right now, we are overwhelming you so it is difficult to challenge your new world. When you access your strength, you will struggle to find obedience, but you will obey me always. You would be discovered and killed within the day if you tried to leave here. Do you understand?”

  The nausea returned to churn my stomach. “You aren’t asking me to choose, are you?”

  “You have no choice on leaving. With or without your powers, you will stay by my side. If you reject them, our children will still be born with incredible strength, but you will be unable to protect them or yourself. Learning to control your powers means freedom, and I will enjoy a well-trained mate.”

  My face fell, but he tapped his finger under my chin. “Trust me. This is what you were born for, and you will begin to remember when I give them back.”

  Trust was easy, and I had no idea why. I was pulled toward his control by something so frustratingly close to my comprehension that I couldn’t identify it. “Will I remember my real parents?”

  “You will remember them, but nothing good can be gained from remembering their deaths.”

  “Was I there? When they died?”

  A granite chin and hardened eyes met my question. “Yes. You were there.”

  I appreciated that he didn’t lie to me, but given the last twenty-four hours, I was pretty sure there was more to the story. “Was it a car accident?”

  Zane looked away. “No. And we will not discuss it. Do you want your powers, little one?”

  Plain and simple, I was scared of the impending change to my life. Witches, covens, and magical powers were just insane. The last few days had challenged every belief in myself, my past, and my future. My life in Ohio and New York had little meaning, and I couldn’t envision myself in a bathing suit in Florida no matter how hard I tried.

  Looking to defeat the last of my resistance, I asked, “If I don’t like them, will you take them back?”

  He gave a small chuckle. “Yes, I’ll take them back.”

  I closed my eyes. “Okay, fine.” I was too curious to say anything else, but my body shivered with an uneasy panic.

  Already hypersensitive to Zane’s touch, his every movement made my heart race, and I jumped at his first contact.

  “Hush, Tia. Trust me,” he scolded gently.

  With methodical movement, he worked his fingers down my neck and angled delicately toward my breasts. He reached under my shirt and played gently with my nipples, pulling and pinching them into subtle peaks.

  I briefly closed my eyes to enjoy the moment when some forgotten part of my processing kicked in, and I demanded, “Wait a minute. Is this part of the whole power thing?”

  Zane smirked. “Of course not. I just like playing with you, and you looked so stressed lying there.”

  “Really?” I said with a snarl. “You couldn’t think of something better? This isn’t easy, you know.”

  “Fine.” With one hand, he touched my forehead and my entire body grew warm with an intensity I’d never imagined. I was sure that I glowed, but my skin didn’t appear any different.

  Zane moved his hand away, and I said, “That’s it? That wasn’t so bad. You exaggerated.”

  He waited patiently and suddenly it hit me. It was like the biggest caffeine jolt you could image…morning cup of coffee times a thousand. My heart raced faster than my body could handle, and I jumped to my feet.

  “Holy fucking shit. I can’t do this. Take it back. I can’t do it.”

  I repeated the words over and over, but he just let me ramble. He was not nearly as intimidating either, and I found a new arrogance. “Do something. Make it stop, you stupid asshole, o
r I’m out of here on the next fucking plane to Florida.”

  Zane sighed. “There aren’t any planes around here. We don’t exactly travel like that.”

  He didn’t try to touch me, but added calmly, “We are going to have our first lesson. Inside of you is your inner symbol. We all have one. It’s a transformation into a being or an animal that brings you the most comfort.

  “When you change into this, you will find peace, and you’ll also have the body to move quickly and wear some of this off. You just need time.”

  “What’s my fucking inner circle fucking thing?” I couldn’t even swear correctly.

  “Could you at least try to watch your language? I’ll give you a get out of jail free card today, but this isn’t going to continue. You will be our queen, for God’s sake.”

  “Just do something. Just fucking do it.”

  He gently pushed me back to the bed. “Your symbol is a dog. Both of your parents had dogs and so do I. You just have to find it.”

  My rambling response was delivered at the speed of light. “I don’t want a dog. I don’t even like dogs. I had a dog once, and I thought he was annoying, but I named him Ginger, but he was a boy and…and then I got the cat and named him Sim—”

  Zane put his finger to my lips. “Relax, pet. You need to relax.” His voice continued its attempt to soothe my tension, and his hands returned to work on my tight muscles.

  Overwrought nerves yielded some small concessions when another terrible thought came to my mind, and my voice took off in another race.

  “Zane, what if I’m an annoying little dog? What if I’m like a poodle or a Maltese and all I do is bark at leaves. Nobody will want me, and I can’t do that. I don’t…” Words slurred under my weighted anxiety.

  Again, he used his voice to soothe me. “You aren’t a Maltese. Your mother and father were two of the most powerful beings in the coven. You have a large, respectful symbol. You’ve done this before. Start looking into your memories. They are back.”

  I closed my eyes and saw nothing. “I can’t get past the rush. I can’t do it.” I sobbed uncontrollably but allowed him to pull me close.

  “I’m going to use some tricks to calm you down. They won’t hurt, but your heart will slow and you will start to remember.”

  He didn’t wait for an answer and laid his hands on my brow. Connected to his power, steady warmth flowed downward, and by the time it reached my toes, I’d caught my breath and the world refocused.

  I immediately recognized my mother. She was kind and loving and pulled me into her arms for a comforting hug. We had the same soft brown eyes and curly brown hair, but hers rested well past her shoulders. She appeared very tall, but my memory looked at her from the vantage of a child. Everyone would have looked tall to me.

  The man by her side was my father, and I caught my breath. “I didn’t like my father very much, did I?”

  He frowned. “A lot of people felt that way about him, little one. Don’t let it bother you. Now, take your clothes off before we go to your symbol.”

  I moved to obey but stopped with suspicion. “Hey, is this clothes thing for real, or are you just messing with me again?”

  “Think about it…you’d look pretty stupid as a yellow lab with jeans on.”

  The insight seemed fair, and I stripped. “I can’t believe I’m comfortable without my clothes. I’m not exactly a nudist. I won’t even wear a two-piece bathing suit.”

  “It’s your past catching up to you.” He chuckled. “Clothes and material things don’t have the same meaning when you have so much more available. Besides, if you’d ever tried to put on a skimpy bikini for the whole human world to see your ass, Owen had orders to paddle you.”

  “Well, that’s sad. I’ve always loved clothes shopping.” I was still edgy but didn’t feel as though I was going to explode.

  “Now,” he said softly, “you know how to do this. You have done it many times. Close your eyes. Find the part of your brain that has greater access to your subconscious. It is the source of all your power.”

  His words made sense, and the place he described was very close, but I couldn’t find the action to get there. Frustrated, I snapped, “I can’t do it.”

  “You are trying too hard. Relax.”

  Gentle hands continued to rub my stomach. I focused on the routine and tried to anticipate his next move. Connected to his strength, my muscles relaxed and my breathing slowed to a normal rate.

  He said, “Your mother taught you by telling you to go to your inside room. Do you remember how to do that?”

  With my eyes closed, I took deep breaths to the same pulse as Zane’s touch. Our connection grew even stronger, and the memories slowly formed.

  I am sitting on my mother’s lap while she whispers comforting messages. Her hands rub my back gently as she guides me to the necessary relaxation.

  “Relax, Tia, so you can find your room. Do you remember the fun we had the last time?”

  I am barely old enough to speak, but I understand her words. My eyes are closed to her touch, and the muscles in my body connect directly to my soul.

  Every muscle and nerve ending is in tune with my mind when a new world opens before my eyes, and it is filled with wonders and peace. I am whole.

  My mother is in my room and takes me in her arms. We laugh together, and I easily communicate without the need for words.

  I look at the stuffed bunny on the shelf, and it appears in my arms without anybody moving. I clap my hands with delight and my mother offers her pride.

  I understood what I needed to do. Under Zane’s touch, every muscle in my body connected to one focus. Even the private spaces Nanny explored earlier came into my control. The simultaneous strange and familiar effect brought fuzzy images before my eyes, but I knew that it was right.

  “I see it. I’m there.” Even as I spoke, my body relaxed further to reach a level of comfort I hadn’t experienced for many years.

  His voice came to me from inside my soul. “Take a deep breath, and bring the space into focus. Find the dog and step into it. As long as something is in your sight, it’s yours to control, but the yellow lab is your comfort.”

  The room held all sorts of treasures that were hidden in corners and tucked under blankets. I wanted to explore, but anxiety wrapped around my stomach and the images faded.

  Before it was gone, I quickly looked for the dog. She sat on the floor by a fuzzy fireplace and gave me a familiar smile. Zane’s voice repeated the instructions to step into her, and I took one last deep breath before I obeyed.

  Within seconds, I was back in the castle with four legs and a tail. I couldn’t speak, but I wagged my tail proudly.

  “Good, pet,” my master said. In this form, I didn’t even mind the nickname.

  “Now, I’ll change, too, and we will run together. The freedom will settle you down.”

  Zane immediately changed to a canine, and I was a little jealous. His symbol was more wolf than dog and way cooler than mine.

  Despite his different appearance, he still emanated major testosterone and a powerful persona. With the same sense of submission to his authority, I wanted to please him more than ever. I gently nipped at his shoulder, and he rubbed my neck with his muzzle.

  Doors opened as he approached, and he led me down dark, stone corridors until we came to the outdoors. My feet took off at a run, and I was probably a hundred yards away when he caught up to me. Instead of comforting nudges and quiet affection, he bit my shoulder in obvious anger.

  I yelped and hung my head. He took a few steps and motioned for me to follow, but when I got ahead of him again, he bit even harder.

  The message was clear. We could run together, but I was to stay by his side. Strangely, I appreciated the instruction. I licked his face but kept my eyes lowered in deference. Life was simple tucked into the serenity behind our symbolic forms.

  While we ran through a wild and untamed wilderness, I formed more images from my past. Memories of Zane appeared many
times. He respected my mother, but his interest and attention were always focused on me. I couldn’t put one image of my father and Zane together.

  My biological father was very different than Owen. Owen was strict and wouldn’t hesitate to paddle me if I was naughty, but I’d never had any doubt about his love and devotion. My biological father was cold and distant, and I was clearly afraid of him. The memory brought me to a halt, and I whimpered.

  I am tiny and frightened, and his punishment is excessive for a small child. My mother enters and shouts to stop him. My father turns his anger on her, and I hide under the bed. Their powers are strong and the battle is fierce, but the memory is dominated by my terror, and I relive the moment as though it was real.

  Zane sensed my fear. He pushed me to the ground and cuddled against my side until I stopped trembling. Under the weight of so many emotions, I made a conscientious effort to stop looking for my past and focused on his strength.

  By the time he got us back to the nursery, exhaustion had set in. He talked me through a return to my human body, then held me on his lap while I snuggled for comfort. I had a small meal and a glass of milk before he carried me to bed.

  My body demanded the rest, but I wasn’t ready to let him go. “Don’t leave me, Zane. Please.”

  “Hush, little one. You are stronger than you think. I’ll stay here until you fall asleep, then I’ll bring your staff back. They will care for you and let me know when I need to return.”

  He added, “I am going to order the bars be put on your bed while you sleep. You can get up as soon as there’s adequate supervision, but I don’t want you wandering the castle getting into trouble.”

  I roused in a panic. “I don’t want a cage. Please. Don’t cage me.”

  His voice remained soothing. “Think of it like a crib, little one. Safe and sound. You can get up anytime you want as long as somebody is watching. There are too many people coming and going from your rooms, and I doubt we could lock the whole nursery to your powers. The locks on this smaller space will give me more control.”

  His tone became serious. “Remember, your safety ends at the hallway, and you can’t leave these rooms unless I’m with you. As soon as you wake from your nap, call for your nanny, and she will come to you.”