I asked Aiya, “Bored?”
She grinned sheepishly, “I’d expected more bang.”
I nodded, “You can’t see magic, only the results. Except, on a ward the results are invisible.”
She said a little sarcastically, “Figured that out.”
I supposed I deserved that, might as well have told her the sky was blue.
I concentrated and tried to build an illusion. It was much simpler than the candle flame I’d tried and failed at, just single points of light of three different colors. Green for water, blue for air, and red for fire. The elemental magic weren’t exactly those colors, but they were reminiscent of those colors. Then I swirled it in front of us, making it weave together and build just like the spell did.
“This is what I saw, mostly.”
Aiya looked a little awed, so did everyone else actually. It was then that it occurred to me that witches couldn’t really see the magic either. They could feel it as they cast their spell, through the spell, but not see it, or connect to it directly.
She said softly, a little breathless, “I forgive you for stating the obvious. How are you doing that.”
“Fire sorcerer, it’s just light.”
I let it drop, sometimes I forgot with my friends that I wasn’t supposed to be advertising my powers or how they worked. Sorcerers were closed mouthed for the most part. But then, most of them didn’t have close friends, allies, and family. I wasn’t exactly a typical sorcerer anyway, so why bother trying to be like them in that way?
It was about that time when hell broke loose and time seemed to slow at the same time, and I sighted another elemental besides Aitheria for the first time in my life...
It hadn’t made an effort to look human in any way, just an amorphous blob of air that was there and not there at the same time. I could tell it was a he, and I knew for certain, though I couldn’t say how, that it wasn’t the elemental I’d spied in my vision a couple of days ago. It was regarding me intently but seemed unsure. No doubt it was looking for my elemental core to verify I was the enemy they searched for, but I had my shields up as was my habit.
Then the air stirred violently around Aitheria and exploded outward in a shield so complex I could barely make out that complexity, much less understand what it was designed to do, and that was just in our dimension, I had the feeling it was present in more than one. I felt it expand in my two-hundred-foot radius, and then it just kept going. I’d always known Aitheria was stronger than I was, and very powerful, but until now I’d really had no idea.
The other elemental reached for access to air in his radius, and managed to wrest some control from me.
“Be right back, if I fight here I’d destroy Tara’s store.”
And then Aitheria, the other elemental, and at least ten others that I’d been unaware of until that second were shifted into another dimension by Aitheria’s complex shield. I couldn’t even think of a time when Aitheria was not next to me, and she was gone. It was very frustrating, I’d no way of helping that I knew of, I didn’t even understand other dimensions in any meaningful way, I was just aware of their existence.
I took a deep breath, trying to control my racing heart, when I realized I might not be able to see Aitheria, but I still felt her presence. Somehow, we were still connected. I wrapped myself in fire and air, turned myself invisible, and had the power take me up two hundred feet, and hold me there. At that height I was as powerful as I could possibly be, and I drew elemental power from a full sphere with a radius of a two hundred feet.
There was no way I could go where Aitheria went and help her fight, I was mortal, I couldn’t leave this plane, at least, not with my body. But I felt that tenuous connection between us, and I tried to feed all that power that I was pulling to her through that connection.
I succeeded.
It rushed from me in a great torrent and I could feel her swell, like a sponge soaking water. I knew she’d told me she wouldn’t have a problem, but I was still worried about eleven on one odds. If this was the only way I could help, I’d do it.
I could feel the connection between us, no longer tenuous, but a strong rope glowing with power. Connecting her to me, and me to her. It was then that I finally understood something, a simple truth. It wasn’t our bodies or physical minds that were connected, she didn’t even have one, it was our souls. Understanding rushed into me, and I felt like a fool.
No, I still had no idea what the significance of Aitheria letting me gaze upon her soul was.
But one of the underlying truths that I’ve believed the last ten months, was completely and totally wrong. It wasn’t my mind that connected to my power, that reached out and invited it to connect to me, it was my soul. A sorcerer wasn’t just a being with a few different DNA markers, it was also my soul that made me what I was.
Sure, it started with the mind and my will, but it was that which directed my soul, there had been a missing step in my understanding on how it all worked. If that wasn’t enough, that wasn’t all that I hadn’t understood.
Even more, I’d always thought the power of air, the elemental power, was in the air all around me. It wasn’t, and I blushed at the very idea I’d believed what was so obviously false. I had assumed it from the first time I was able to consciously connect to air, and then never questioned that initial childlike understanding again.
The truth was, the air around me was merely the gateway through which my soul reached the elemental plane of air and pulled from there. The same for fire, I reached through heat sources, a gateway, or door, that my soul could reach through to pull power from the elemental plane of fire.
It was so blindingly obvious, now that I could feel Aitheria’s and my connection, and the power pulsing between the two of us across several dimensions. A feeling that shouldn’t be familiar, but was intimately familiar, it was the same way I felt when I drew my power. I truly still didn’t understand dimensions and all the interactions, but I was finally clear on where I got my power from, and it was my soul that had the ability to shape it.
This new insight might have only been general knowledge that related to all four spheres of elemental magic, but with that understanding the reach of my power expanded explosively in both fire and air. I gasped at the increase in power as they both grew out another fifty feet. Two hundred fifty for air, and one hundred for fire.
Because of the math involved with the volume of a sphere, going from two hundred to two fifty more than doubled the power I had available, and save the power to keep me aloft which was negligible, I fed it all to Aitheria. As for fire, although much less powerful than my air, the fire jump in power was over eight times stronger. I knew I’d have to keep practicing to grow more, but apparently knowledge and true understanding could still make much more of a difference than I’d thought.
Aitheria popped out in front of me, and I just knew the fight was over so I backed off on sending her power.
“I didn’t need the help, but I thank you anyway.”
I smiled, “How did it go.”
She looked frustrated, “I got all eleven of them that were close. But I’m afraid it won’t matter. I sensed two leave from several miles away. I believe they were observing the battle, and our connection.”
I digested that for a moment.
“What should we expect?”
She sighed, “I can’t answer that. But it isn’t hard to figure out.”
“War,” I said softly.
They would be coming for me. I didn’t think the elementals could attack me directly, but I wasn’t really sure. They weren’t supposed to interfere with mortals, but then I had an elemental soul in the center of my body. Regardless, I was sure mortal agents would be sent now as well, since they had our location.
She smiled grimly, “We could leave, hide until your power grows stronger. Though you’re definitely growing up.”
I shook my head, “Too many here know me, are connected to me. They would trace me easily if they have the resources I belie
ve they do. Even shielded a fire sorcerer could easily track me, and I’m not even sure what a water or earth sorcerer is capable of outside of the obvious.”
She nodded, a conflicted look on her face, “You’re still young, powerful, but not even close to what you’ll be in fifty years.”
I translated that to my chances being slim in fifty years, and a total pipe dream right now.
I shrugged, “You’ll help with the elementals,” I looked down at the store, “My allies will help with the mortals.”
If it wasn’t enough, well, I’d die I supposed. At least Mark and Tim would be happy, assuming they could escape the coven.
I used my power to reach out for the usual blocked information. Aitheria, elemental courts, my enemies, new knowledge of how to apply my element. To my genuine shock, only the latter two were blocked from me. Knowledge flooded my mind…
Chapter 18
Saturday, June 11th, 2016, 1:07 PM
The elemental courts were structured much like an aristocracy, except they didn’t really have titles outside of lord. Position was purely a function of power, which was a function of age, and potential. Potential was determined by parentage. The child elemental couldn’t grow to be more powerful than the most powerful member of the pair that spawned it.
The elemental lord for the court I spied on had about the same authority a baron would in a human kingdom, of course that could change if he grows more powerful, and it isn’t up to some monarch to decide or grant titles. As for who Liantherius was, he would be king if such a thing existed. He was the strongest air elemental, and had the largest court, but was still merely called a lord by his followers.
I didn’t know anything else about Liantherius though, just his position. Not why he had an interest in me, or anything else. I also learned that Aitheria was very high in the court. Not quite on the level with the baron, but she wouldn’t have been dismissed and kicked out nearly as easily as Zale was.
The courts were fractious, and elementals could change sides on a whim, and often did so. The exception to that were those that swore fealty, which was a bond that couldn’t be broken until the one they had sworn to released them.
There was only one other loyalty that was as sure, and could even trump a bond of sworn fealty. When two elementals were compatible, they could become something like soul mates. But obviously not exactly the same as the human concept, they didn’t have physical love with bodies, but were dedicated to each other.
The other reason soul mates made sense, was because of the soul bond that connected them that enabled them to share power.
I stared at Aitheria with disbelief as my mind stuttered to a stop… as I finally understood what it meant when she’d shown me the core of her being, and the connection we’d shared since. How could that even happen, without my understanding or consent? Obviously that hadn’t been necessary, just my love and devotion for the being I’d shared my whole life with had been enough.
A being with more power than I can probably imagine, that used to play peekaboo with a small baby me, years ago.
Then absurdly, I wondered if I was cheating on Sierra. Not literally, or physically, but in my heart. Because apparently, I had more than one mate.
Aitheria smiled sadly, obviously reading my thoughts, “It’s complicated, and you’re only halfway there, you don’t fully understand yet. But I do love you, and you are mine… but not this physical body. It will become clearer in time.”
“What about Sierra?”
Aitheria shook her head, “Anything you might tell her now will be not quite right. I’d advise you to keep it to yourself until you understand. I know you love me, we wouldn’t have connected if you hadn’t, no matter what I did. That said, you belong to her in mortal life, and you didn’t betray her.”
Then why did it feel like I did betray her? Oh right, because I was soul mates with another woman, elemental or not. I didn’t even know where to start to make sense of that. Maybe it would make sense once I learned the complete truth. That said, I was going to have to tell Sierra something, otherwise it would eat at me, fully understood or not, having two mates was supposed to be a bad thing, not a good thing.
Right?
I sighed, “We should get back down, they’re probably worried, not to mention ready for Caroline’s spell.”
I ordered the air to take us back to the ritual room in the back of the shop…
When we got back, they all demanded to know what the heck was going on, either by words, or glares. They also weren’t happy I took off without a word to anyone where I was going.
Leaving off all the knowledge I gained about how elemental magic truly functions, and the rest of it. I explained that there were spies I had to drive off, and that I had family enemies that seemed to have found me, and the probability that they’d be coming in force soon. I also told them I didn’t know why I was targeted.
There actually wasn’t much outside that I could tell the whole group, since Sierra was the only one who knew about Aitheria, I was really vague about how, and even who, drove off the spies. My conversation with Sierra tonight would be very different.
Of course, since the cat was out of the bag so to speak in regard to the enemy knowing where I was, I wondered what dangers there would be in revealing Aitheria now, but decided that doing so without asking first would be foolish. Just because I couldn’t see the danger in it didn’t mean that none existed.
Still, it made me feel a little guilty, when they all said they would stand by their promise of being allies. They deserved to know the full truth. A young air sorcerer, a pack of werewolves, and one lone witch, against who knows how many old and powerful beings? It seemed insane, but I wouldn’t run, and when they came we’d stand together.
I knew we’d come together in the days ahead and make plans, but for right now I’d get Caroline’s earrings done, and get the jewelry delivered to my friends and family. What else could I do?
Epilogue
Saturday, June 11th, 2016, 9:57 PM
Sierra didn’t seem mad at all, after I’d gone through the whole explanation. It was almost scary how calm she was about it. She was snuggled up to me under the covers, and there was no sign that she was going away, or kicking me out, anytime soon.
Sierra frowned, “Stop stressing it. I trust Aitheria to look out for you, if she says you don’t understand yet, and that we can’t judge, it’s stupid to worry over. Besides, you did nothing wrong, it was that hussy that bared her soul to you, not the other way around. Plus, all I really want is this body, she can have your soul if she wants it.”
I was sure she was teasing me there at the end. Almost positive. I think.
There was no doubt that she had faith in me, and that she believed we’d survive what was coming. I wish I was that sure, but I didn’t believe it was hopeless either.
I’d managed to get all the jewelry where it belonged, and I believed it would make a difference in the days ahead. The only real question was how long it would take for the enemy to prepare and come for me. Days, weeks, months? Hopefully not the former, and probably not the latter, but I could hope couldn’t I?
My mind wouldn’t stop though, as I considered all I could lose. Much more than just my life. And suddenly, I was being kissed, softly and passionately. What followed then made me entirely lose my focus, which was just what I needed…
Afterword:
I hope you enjoyed this story, if you did please leave a review. Reviews are the lifeblood of independent authors, and I would appreciate greatly any constructive feedback or opinions.
The next book in the Power of Air series, Sorcerer: Elemental, will be the final book of the series.
I am not finished with the world however and have an independent series Spirit Sorceress coming out.
About the Author: If you have any comments or suggestions you can send me an email at [email protected] If you like my work, or even if you don’t, please consider leaving a review of this book. I can also be f
ound at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7456808.D_L_Harrison
Other books by D. L. Harrison:
http://www.amazon.com/author/dlharrison
Spirit Sorceress series is a new urban fantasy series. Miku is a spirit sorceress who spent the last one hundred years growing up and learning about her power in the forests near Seattle Washington. She’s about to make her debut in the big city, but not in a way she ever expected.
The first book is titled Spirit Sorceress:
Miku is a spirit sorceress who spent her unusually long childhood in the forest away from the city with her mother and father. After tragedy strikes, she finds herself alone and on her own. She knows that one day she’ll need to move to Seattle, and fully accept her birthright, and if necessary finish her training on her own.
But before she’s ready, and still in grieving, a rogue vampire and his band come along and change everything. She’ll need to learn her new place in the world, and find some allies quick if she’s to survive what comes next.
The Formerly Dark Mage, by D. L. Harrison – This stand-alone fantasy book follows the life of Silvia and takes place in a world unique and separate to our own.
Silvia is a dark mage. Unfortunately, she finds herself about to be sacrificed. Someone must have told her evil master about her plans to kill him and take over. After that, things just seem to go downhill. She has no choice but to escape the kingdom of Zual, something that to her knowledge has never been done before. She will need to deal with many issues she never had to face before.
Among those issues, the white mages, and her conscience.
Sorcerer: Betrayal: Power of Air (Book 4) Page 10