Mirror Bound

by Kirsten Bij't Vuur

Confronted with the subtlety of a true adept he must have felt lacking quite a bit of skill, which might just motivate him to spend more time on honing his own magic-skills.

  'That was an impressive piece of work, Tristan,' Paul observed, 'you're really

  subtle.'

  Tristan answered soberly: 'Comes with the territory, I'm always trying to find a way around something or someone, or I'd insult a lord, or disrespect a minister, or give my game away to the witch hunters.

  Do not be mistaken that they will not take down a noble, for they will if they can. I need a lot of ritual to perform magic, and though it makes my discipline powerful, it also makes it vulnerable to discovery.

  I'd be very grateful for a visit to your father Melissa, to get one of those shields, and I am certain I can do something for them in return, make it safer for his circle to convene.'

  I replied: 'Be sure to mention this to my dad, he may be very interested, they suffer a lot from persecution.'

  Tristan said: 'I mean to involve him in this project as well, he can be a perfect bridge between the classes, even Paul's parents take him seriously and still he remains one of the people.

  'In my world, you could practice magic openly and to your heart's content,'

  Lukas said, 'everybody does it. Which is why I felt kind of useless there.'

  'Think of what introducing steam would do to the people of your country, Lukas,' Paul observed. Lukas looked at him slyly, and said: 'I am, and I like it.

  Maybe we should go there some day, so we can practice our magic openly until we've reached the level we want to, and bring some technology to them.'

  Tristan said: 'If your father were reasonable enough that you could go back whenever you pleased, Lukas, this would be a good thing for the three of you.

  Paul, I do think you lack only six months of regular magic use to make adept status, you have great knowledge and great power.'

  Working magic in a group was probably new to Paul, and I guessed it motivated him a lot, for he really seemed to enjoy teaching us, but he never really practised magic unless it was strictly necessary, like during the raid.

  And there he had not been subtle at all, just flinging power at anything that needed to be solved. I did think a year of practising magic would do him good, but Paul thought differently: 'I enjoyed working magic with you, Tristan, and I admire your dedication to the arts, but to me it is a duty and a burden, and I'm stuck in this part of the city as guardian, so I will never be able to travel and learn different ways to use my magic.

  I'll stick to my other art, and just use magic to protect the ones I am

  responsible for whenever it is needed.'

  That sounded very despondent, and I hoped this negativity was caused by being in contact with the corrupted node for some time.

  Still, I felt drawn to him, to hold his hand and offer him my support. Putting an arm around him and kissing him on his cheek, I managed to get a smile from him, and a loving kiss in return. I longed to ask him about his disappointed speech just now, was it the burden of guardianship that aged Paul nearly a decade beyond his true number of years?

  I wanted to know, but I had too often spoken to him in haste, hurting him with my words, so I kept my question to myself.

  But of course I had a partner in crime, and Lukas did not hesitate to ask what had been on my lips: 'Does it burden you so much, Paul, this guardianship, this responsibility, that it adds years to your apparel when you are awake?

  When you sleep you look as young as Melissa, and she tells me you are of an age with her, yet when you awake the years ride you again like an unwilling steed.'

  Paul bent his head and replied: 'Both of you mentioned that before, that I look my true age when I sleep, but I only know this face I wear by day, and it does indeed look aged beyond my years because of the huge responsibility I bear.'

  Now I dared speak: 'If I wasn't afraid he'd steal your soul, I'd ask Jonas to take one of his photographs of you, so you could see your younger self. He is so endearing. Your sleeping you, not Jonas, though he is a nice guy.'

  This was all confusing Tristan greatly, and as we all climbed into the carriage he said: 'How old are you then, Paul?'

  Paul smiled, not triumphantly, but rather a bit sadly, and said: 'I was twenty-one last February.' Tristan was absolutely shocked, and said: 'And you have been a guardian since?'

  'My twenty-first birthday,' replied Paul. 'And when did you reach master status?' Tristan enquired further.

  'At sixteen,' Paul replied, 'I started preparing for my guardianship two years after that, and never had the time to study for my testing, though of course my parents wanted me to dedicate my life to magic, I wanted to be independent, and I wanted to be a crafter. I think they have never forgiven me for not becoming the youngest adept in the guardian tradition.'

  Now, Tristan laid a hand on Paul's shoulder, and asked: 'Who appointed you guardian?'

  He replied: 'Our council did, they also appointed Melissa to me as apprentice.'

  Shaking his head, Tristan observed: 'Someone wants you to burn out or die young, putting you under so much pressure. You are barely of age, yet you look and most importantly, you sound like my age.

  You should be out there, getting to know the world, being young, not bearing a responsibility suitable for a mature man. I thought you my age and young for the job of guardian.

  Someone is doing you a really bad turn, and I think they need to be corrected.

  I reached adept status at twenty five, you're years ahead of me, but though you seem happy now, the cost may be too high. Do you mind if I have a word about this with George?'

  Paul replied: 'George always opposed my appointment, but he had no say in the council since he's not of our tradition.

  Besides, at the time we didn't have a lot of contact, so he didn't dare interfere.'

  Now Tristan nodded comprehendingly: 'Ilsa told me about your estrangement, a sad business, I'm glad you managed to resolve it. A man can stand alone for only so long, it is not healthy, and for a boy it is even worse.'

  It seemed like something had fallen into place for Tristan, knowing Paul was so young, he explained: 'I thought it was strange, you mingling so well with those young people, I thought they lacked respect towards you, but now I understand: you grew up together, you're one of them, whenever you can afford to be.'

  To save Paul from further attention for his plight, I thought the three of us had to talk about that in private, I asked Lukas: 'And since we're talking about age, Lukas, did I hear your father mention you were fifty years old? You seem my age, both in appearance and in character.'

  By now we had reached the manor house and as we left the carriage Lukas answered cheerily: 'You heard right, I didn't tell you because I felt kind of ashamed, both of you so driven and I still as flighty as when I really was twenty.

  Had you asked me directly, I would have told you of course, for I am indeed fifty years old already. I guess my heritage makes me long-lived and gives me a youthful appearance. For my childish behaviour I have no excuse, it's the way I have been for many, many years. Sometimes I feel like I'm finally starting to grow up a little, thanks to you two.'

  Saying this, he looked at us with a mixture of apology and impudence which was so totally the Lukas I had loved instantly, I melted on the spot. He was so sweet, even without excuse for being like that I just had to love him for it.

  I reached out for him, only to find my gesture mirrored in Paul, and with a cry of feeling Lukas literally threw himself in our arms.

  We held him together, and kissed him, and I smelled his musky scent with more than a little longing for his touch on my body. I was still very much in love with him, and knowing his real age didn't matter one bit.

  He'd probably outlive us, still looking exactly like that, and behaving exactly like that. It didn't matter to me, I thought he was perfect as he was, and I wanted to make love to him many, many times more.

  Now he looked at me as if he had shared tha
t incredible feeling of love from me, which of course was probably true, and for one moment, the look in his eye took my breath away as Paul's was wont to do, and he touched my face, not as the young man I knew and loved, but as a man with a life filled with experience already behind him.

  I felt an incredible love from him as well, much deeper than I'd expected, and then he was back to the familiar Lukas, the charming, cheerful young man.

  I knew Paul had seen the older Lukas as well, and he also seemed deeply touched, but nonetheless a little relieved to have the innocent boy back. We hugged some more, and I tried to switch off the lust stealing over me, and managed partly. I felt embarrassed to ask for sex when in company, actually, I had never had to ask for sex yet, I got plenty offered to me, so I repressed the feeling, and never once remembered I was going to see Hermes next.

  A big blunder, going in his presence with barely controlled heat, and a blunder which I would pay for with many sleepless nights to come.

  Chapter 55

  After getting such a profound insight in Paul's character, I was glad to have a few minutes to contemplate what I had heard, sitting quietly whilst Frances had the coffee served, as always with a tempting treat served alongside it.

  Could it really be true, that Paul was oppressed by his responsibility all the time? He didn't seem to be really busy with his guardianship, there was no daily administration attached for instance, and since the matter of the faeries had been resolved to the point where Frances and George had taken over, I hadn't heard or seen him involved in any magic besides my daily lessons and Jonathan's. Since Lukas' near-accident during the healing of Lucy, he had acted as anchor and power plant, something I had commented on before, somehow I had already noticed he didn't seem to get a lot of satisfaction from performing magic.

  Did Lukas feel Paul should exercise his magic more often? Knowing now that Lukas was more than twice our age, I couldn't help remembering some of his remarks as containing a lot more common sense than I'd given them credit for at that time, so I guessed his age did matter after all.

  But though I was still planning not to let it affect the way I looked at him, if it made me take him more seriously that was only a bonus, wasn't it?

  Since it was a lovely day, I was not surprised to see George and Hermes join us in the garden after some time, George preparing the long chair with utmost care and carrying Hermes without a lot of strain, the fallen god being not that much larger or heavier than Lukas.

  I found myself watching him, trying to discern his condition today, he seemed a lot better, with more colour, and apparently in a lot less pain.

  He was as sleek and as beautiful as ever, and his attachment to George seemed unabated, even though they had clearly indulged in it tonight.

  I remembered how quickly Lukas had improved in health after making love, though I couldn't imagine the person we had left in the guest-room last night being able to have active sex.

  That was a mistake, for thinking of the act of making love brought my own

  heat to the forefront of my mind again, and now I was looking for more than just signs of health in Hermes.

  I wondered how it would feel to touch straight short hair instead of longish curls, and if his chiselled chest would feel the same as muscle hardened by forging and hammering.

  But there were ways of ruling my body, and I employed distraction first, asking Frances how Jonathan had taken leave this morning: 'Was he in good spirits, looking forward to seeing his parents again?'

  Nodding, Frances answered: 'Yes, he was very happy to go home for some time, show his parents he was all right after all the rumours that were going around about what had happened in the factory. I do think we will see him back here soon, though, he really loved being with the three of you.'

  I was happy to hear that, for I liked him a lot and wanted to stay in touch with him for his personality, but I also still thought he needed guidance on the subject of magic, and a higher purpose in life.

  With what he had been through, and what he had accomplished, a quiet life would bore him sooner rather than later, and he had such resourcefulness and such charisma he was in real danger of starting on the wrong path in life, just out of curiosity.

  Better he dance his way to a thrill going to a rave with Lukas, than try out exciting bits of magic from forbidden books.

  I told Frances: 'I'm glad about that, and I hope he does return.'

  She said: 'He will. How did you fare with the corrupted node, did you manage to destroy it?'

  I replied: 'It was destroyed, but not by me. Tristan gave all of us, including Paul, a marked lesson in magic.

  After I had given up, Paul tried his best, and Tristan combined our methods with the tainted power and had the basalt reduced to black sand in half an hour. I was impressed.'

  'And so was I,' sounded Tristan's voice from behind me. Frances and I both looked at him, and he continued: 'Your logical minds handed me the solution on a silver platter, all I had left to do was speed up the processes you two had started.'

  Always the diplomat, our Tristan, and he wasn't done yet: 'Without your talent to see inside things and visualise them to others, destroying that stone would have been a lot harder, and less safe and accurate. The way the three of

  you operate in a group is amazing. You've been working magic for, half a year?'

  Frances replied for me: 'More like three months, I think.'

  'Then you are making incredible progress, I was still polishing wards three months into my apprenticeship. I like the way your mind works, Paul was right, you're still an engineer when you are using magic.

  I want the school to work outside traditions, offering the students a bit of every form of magic we have a potential teacher for, so they know what they are about. Then they can decide in which discipline they want to find an apprenticeship, but they'll have an idea of what the other traditions do, which will hopefully give mutual understanding and cooperation,' Tristan was warming up now to his pet-project.

  'I want to teach classes too, and I was hoping I might try them out on Lukas, you, Jonathan and even Paul. It would be such a great thing if he were to find some joy in practising magic, he is such a great teacher.'

  Paul was talking to George and Hermes, together with Lukas, and he now called my name. I excused myself to Tristan and Frances, and went to my beloved, sat on his lap and asked: 'You wanted to speak to me?'

  He looked at me fondly and embraced me, then said: 'Lukas wants to check on his father, and it seemed sensible to take you with him, you were there yesterday as well, so you can see the difference.'

  I said to Lukas: 'I'm ready when you are,' and sotto voce to Paul: 'Kick me if I start to swoon.' Paul laughed merrily, he didn't think I was serious I'm afraid, and promised me: 'I'll kick you, don't worry. Love you!'

  We gathered around the long chair, of course George was there, hovering over his charge, and Lukas was sitting on the chair with his father.

  He had let go of every semblance of distrust or distance towards his father, he was a concerned son at the bed of his suffering parent.

  As I approached the chair, Hermes reached out his arms to me, apparently he wanted me to hug him, and not seeing any way to get out of it, I kneeled beside the bed and let him embrace me.

  His smooth torso against mine, together with his enticing scent, stirred the heat already in me, and then he nuzzled my neck as well, as if to take in the feel and the scent of my skin.

  That was a weird way to greet one's daughter-in-law, and whilst one part of

  me was a bit put out by his familiarity, another part of me enjoyed it a lot.

  He also had the nerve to run his hands through my hair, giving me a distinct thrill, and to say in a melodious baritone voice: 'My dear Melissa, you have the most gorgeous hair I've ever seen, it looks just like molten copper.'

  It was just not fair! Paul should have kicked him, he was not playing by the rules, coming on to me like that.

  But I didn't swoon, an
d managed to keep my voice totally neutral as I said:

  'Thank you sir.' My body wanted to sit on him and ride whatever was hiding in his pants, but fortunately my mind was still stronger.

  Paul now sat down next to me, and touched my bare skin soothingly, which directed my body's attention towards him, where I preferred it, so I took the time to kiss him and smell his familiar and exciting scent as well.

  That helped, and now I was able to connect my mind to both Lukas and Paul, preparing to follow Lukas as he activated his talent and to feed him Paul's power.

  There was plenty of that left, despite his efforts to destroy the fake node.

  Even if the ley-line had not been drained, I wouldn't want Hermes to see me tap it, I didn't trust him one bit, yet, with his velvet voice...wait a minute, he had been speaking English again!

  Lukas had been at the point of touching his father, when he caught my observation, but he didn't seem to think much of it and soon afterwards he touched his father's chest and gave himself up to his talent.

  It was clear straight away that Hermes was a lot better, his nerves were still inflamed, but decidedly less so than yesterday.

  Lukas thought this was due to actual healing, but also to the total absence of the green power in his system. That stuff seemed to irritate the nerves a lot more than the red and the pink power. The pink power level in our patient was up a lot, proving to me that it was indeed generated by love. I wondered if I could look at Lukas' power-level by myself, it would be really interesting to see where his power came from.

  Hermes' power was gently diffusing from the pockets, I guessed hard at work to heal the nerves, and some was probably keeping up his youthful appearance, as well as powering the English language-spell.

  Amazing, he nearly died of reaction sickness yesterday, enduring agony from his overstrained nerves, and here his body was already using magic again as if it were coffee or bread. Being a god certainly had its advantages.

  Still, any serious storage or use of power would probably still be really painful and damaging, and I supposed Lukas would want to keep him away from the node for at least a few weeks yet.