City of Steam (Blackburn Chronicles)

by Dominic K Alexander

  17.

  Devin took the rest of the day to rest and Mac read through a book about a ruthless gunslinger named Vaughn and how he gave up the life of murder to raise his beloved daughter. It was relaxing to sit back and read a book while not worrying about who was about to take a shot at her or try to cut her open for some sadistic experiment.

  The next morning Devin filled Mac up on food again since she would need as much energy as possible to make the most of her day. After eating and cleaning up they left the safe area around Devin's home and moved to a small field not far. Devin wanted to make sure they were close enough to the house where they could get back to the safe zone in case of assassins. He also made sure they were far enough away in case Mac accidentally overexerted herself, she would not take down his house. Plus, Devin wandered around the outskirts of the field and told Mac there would be warning if someone came too close. Mac didn't know what that meant, but she trusted him.

  Devin set up several objects around Mac. There was a pile of rocks, a stack of sticks, and a bucket of water. He stood next to her and pulled a candle from his pocket, touched the wick, and it ignited.

  "First, we will be working on your skills with the wind." He said. "All you need to do is put out the flame." Mac looked at him with a confused expression. She took several deep breaths then looked at the candle concentrating. She relaxed her body and stepped back into her best yoga warrior pose and concentrated even more. Then she leaned forward and exhaled hard extinguishing the candle. A smile stretched across her lips.

  "That's not exactly what I had in mind." Devin said straight faced. He reignited the candle without even lifting his finger this time. He just looked at it. Even though Mac had seen him do it several times now, it was still as amazing to her as it had been the first time he did it. It was like the magic tricks her father used to show her. Then it dawned on her that they weren't tricks at all, but they were actual magic. She paid closer attention.

  "There are five elements that are surrounding you and within you right now. As a reader of all sorts of books, I am pretty sure you know what they all are." He looked at her saying nothing more.

  Mac looked around her before answering, but she had read enough fiction to know what he was referring to. "You're talking about earth, air, fire, water, and I recall you also saying spirit, but I am unsure about what that one is."

  Devin thought for a minute before continuing. "Humans are like conduits for energy. We breathe the air and are full of water. The earth is taken in through food and fire is controlled through friction. Those concepts are basic and easy to understand, but spirit energy is something we don't completely understand. We know everything has a life force, and if you take that away it dies. We refer to it as spirit energy. We are not sure why it is there, or where it comes from, but it is in everything which is why we talk about five types instead of just saying we pull energy. Each type is different from our own. We pull that energy from the objects around us which is why if we pull too much energy that object dies."

  "Can't we just spread out where we are taking from so we take less from more of the things around us?" Mac asked. Devin cocked his head to the side like a confused dog before continuing.

  "I suppose it would be possible if someone were powerful enough, the problem is we can only reach out so far when trying to use magic. Plus, it doesn't matter because most magic users are unable to kill around them without killing themselves first. Magic users are essentially weak. This isn't like a story in a book where people can just swipe their hand through the air and kill a thousand men. It takes a lot of energy to lift stones and build homes which is why we do everything in groups. We share the workload which allows us to do what you just said and spread the load out as to not kill everything around us. This is also how Crystal Well was built so quickly. The people helped each other by building a few homes then housing as many as they could before doing the same the next day. This was done over and over until a city was born. One group would spend time building while another would clean and cook while saving their energy. Then they would switch it up. In no time the city was as big as Steam City."

  "So, can't I just take the spirit energy from someone and kill them?" Mac asked.

  "It isn't that simple. Spirit energy is the most powerful form of energy there is and most people can't freely take it. I say most because leeches had found a way, but as far as I know, whatever they knew died with them. To obtain spirit energy, it must be given."

  "You're telling me, if this blade of grass doesn't want me to be able to use its energy, it can just say no and there is nothing I can do about it. There are no other ways to take the energy from an object or person?"

  "You could, but you would need to break that person to do it. The act would need to be an especially cruel one. Think of love. If someone is in love and then they suddenly have their heart broken from their lover dying or cheating on them then they open a void in the heart. There is an emptiness that leaves us vulnerable to attack. In these cases, a magic user can easily come in and take the spirit energy."

  "There is a worse way to obtain someone’s spirit energy. It is through pain and despair. A magic user can inflict so much pain onto someone that their body becomes too weak to protect itself any longer. Then the magic user simply comes in and takes the spirit energy. Though this does not always work since some people are a great deal more defiant than others when they are losing a fight."

  "I'm confused again. If you can't take someone’s spirit energy, then how could my grandfather have killed his best friend and all of the soldiers" Mac had the look of hope in her eyes.

  "This is another of the mysteries of that night. It is the reason some people supported him, but there are many things that he could have done that would kill those people. He could have taken the energy from the air and they would have suffocated, or the dried up the water in their bodies, or taken the heat making them freeze to death. Sometimes it is dangerous playing with magic and any one of those things would have killed every one of those people." Mac slumped in defeat.

  "Now that you know the basics maybe you will be able to do some magic. We will start with air because it is the easiest to master. The more a magic user is immersed in one of the elements, the easier it is for them to use. You would think water would be the easiest since more than half the human body is water, but that is incorrect because air is all around us plus we breathe it and therefore it is in us as well. Since we are so saturated it becomes much easier to work with."

  "Though air is the easiest to use, there are many problems with it. First, if you are dueling with someone and you both use air, unless you overpower that person the fight will last until both parties die from exhaustion. Second, air uses tremendous amounts of energy to control. Trying to make a tornado big enough to destroy a home would be impossible, but to blow out a candle; easy."

  Mac stood staring at the candle again. She raised her hand and wiggled her fingers at it. Nothing happened.

  "Mac, stop. You look like a child about to perform a magic trick. If you say abracadabra I am going to leave you here all by yourself."

  "Are you completely sure that wouldn't work?" Mac replied with a smile. Devin let out a great sigh.

  "Mac, close your eyes." She did. "It is your emotions that help you connect with the energy. As I can read thoughts when people are emotional; you can use magic when you are emotional. Start with pain and anger or loss. These emotions are the ones that you seem to be closest to. They are the ones you are keeping with you, and they will be the ones that allow you to get the greatest amount of energy from your surroundings. Open yourself to everything around you and allow it to see who you are."

  Mac couldn't help but think of the forest she ran through as a child. She thought about the terror of someone chasing her and wishing her father was there to rescue her. She thought about how losing him was all her fault. If she had not been there, if she had not called to him, if she had just let that monster kill her, he would still be al
ive. Her insides ached from the memory.

  "Open your eyes."

  Mac slowly opened her eyes and saw a small tornado bouncing around the palm of her hand like a happy child.

  "Now I want you to ask it to extinguish the candle. Don't tell it to, but ask it to." Devin had a small smile as he talked to her.

  Please put out the candle. Mac thought, and the tornado listened. It leapt at the candle spraying hot wax and throwing the candle from Devin's hand, but it had done what Mac had asked and extinguished the candle. Mac felt slightly woozy, but it vanished as quickly as it had come. She jumped up and down like a little kid having just gotten a new cool toy.

  "You should eat this." Devin held out a hunk of bread then poured some honey tea. "These lessons will take a toll on your body, but with time you will feel nothing when using magic. When you do feel it, you need to take a break."

  "I was dizzy for a second, but it went away." Mac gnawed on the bread. "That wasn't bad for my first time, was it?"

  "No, that wasn't bad, but I'm sorry to tell you that you are broken." He fidgeted with the rim of his cup. "Most people do not need emotion to use magic. They simply ask the energy to do what they want it to do and the energy either responds, or it doesn't. I have seen a few people need emotion, but it wears on the body and the person becomes sick in the head. They..." He cut off from what he was about to say.

  "They go crazy." Mac responded quietly. "That's what you were going to say, isn't it?" Devin shook his head and still wouldn't respond. Then he took a drink and looked at her. After a moment, he shook his head and tossed the candle to the side.

  "No!” He said. "I won't accept it. I won't accept the fact that you will lose yourself to this power. People that use emotion for magic are weak. They feed off a fear that is on the surface. They can easily pull energy, but it is simple and worthless. If you thought about pain every time you used magic, it would make sense you would go crazy. I am not going to let that happen. I can't let that happen. From now on you are not allowed to think of your father. You are not allowed to think of his death, and you are not allowed to blame yourself for it. As a matter of fact, you are no longer to think negative thoughts at all. From now on, you use happy thoughts or leave. Those are the conditions if you want my help. I will not be responsible for your insanity...well, more than you already are." Mac stared at him.

  "I want you to stop reading my thoughts." She turned and started to walk away. A gust of wind lifted her from the ground and spun her around then set her down looking back at him.

  "If you want me out of your head, then you need to control your emotions. If you have control of your emotions, then I won't be able to read your thoughts." He looked at Mac with a small smile. "These emotions you feel are going to hold you back from succeeding. There must be something you can grasp on to that isn't misery. If you want to save yourself and the ones to love, you can. It's as simple as taking a deep breath and thinking of something that makes you happy. If you can't do that then you're as good as dead." Mac looked away.

  She stood in front of him, tears running down her cheeks. It wasn't as if she didn't want to be happy and think happy thoughts, but that she had not been happy in a long time. She hadn't been at peace since her father had been alive. After he was gone she did nothing but blame herself and survive. She ran the shop and slept. That was her life. What could she possibly hold onto that was happy? Nothing. Devin let out a snort. He grabbed ahold of Mac and looked her in the eyes. He then snapped his fingers in front of her face. She flinched backing away.

  "Well, that's a relief." He said. "I was beginning to think that you were blind. You walk around thinking of everything you don't have and ignore everything right in front of you. You remember losing your father, but pay no attention to the times you were with him. You forget about the patrons that come into your shop and carry on great conversations and tap into your love of books. You ignore the people who try to be friends with you. And what about the times you spent with Simon watching movies and laughing. I realize he isn't alive, but he brings you happiness. What about the moment you found out you had a sister and the realization that she loves you? If you can't see these things, then there is no point in going any further. You may as well just go back to the duke and let him kill you because you truly have nothing to live for." He shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "You make the choice because I can't make it for you."

  Mac stared at him her thoughts racing, then she let out a snort and laugh before buckets of tears escaped her eyes. The tears fell in waves stopping midair and beginning to form into the shape of her stuffed zombie doll, Simon. He was a gift from her father and she had kept him close since she was young. The tear made doll just stared at her in the same fashion Simon had always done.

  "Are you doing this?" Mac asked still staring at the doll.

  "This is all you, Mac. It would seem you do have something, or someone to hold onto, but I must ask. Of all the things in your life, why this doll."

  "He has always been there. He was given to me by my father before he died and has watched over me ever since. He was there when my uncle came to take me home, and again when I took over the shop. He was there watching over me when I was happy and when I was sad. He has kept me going through thick and thin. Until I came to this place, he was always there. Until now, I never realized what the connection was. He was a gift from my father, and it was as if my father has always been watching over me."

  Mac started to ask the tear made doll to dance and without hesitation it started break dancing in front of them. Devin couldn't help but laugh at the sight. As she looked at Devin, Mac finally felt relaxed and comfortable with him. She couldn't help but think maybe not all the people in this world were out to get her. Maybe someone was here to help, and just maybe she could find happiness here also.

  After playing around with the water magic for a little while, Mac was exhausted and asked to return to the house which Devin was happy to oblige. She could see his nervousness being outside in the open where they could be discovered. The moment they crossed back through his wall of trees, his shoulders relaxed and he seemed to breathe easier.

  Mac sat by the water reflecting on her life while Devin made sandwiches for them. She found it amusing to flick her finger away from the water and watch it ripple in the pond. Devin told her she needed to ask permission to use the energy, but by the time the lesson was over she felt like she was connected to the waters energy and it was connected to her. It felt as though they moved as one. If she wanted to create a whirlpool she didn't need to ask, but simply needed to spin her finger and the water trusted her enough to do what she wanted. For the first time, she felt alive and happy.

  The idea that she may be able to have a family sent butterflies into her stomach. If her sister would be able to accept her for who she was and Ed already liked her, maybe she wouldn't mind staying here at all. Then there was Devin. She looked back and saw him shirtless through the window obviously changing from the mornings magical workout. The thought of him made her hair stand on end. She looked back at the pond and just smiled for the first time in a very long time.

  18.

  Over the next few days Devin showed Mac more and more ways to use her new-found powers. Devin continued to be uneasy away from his home and at one point they stumbled across foot prints not far from where they were training. After that, he felt it would be safer for them to practice in the confines of his home. In the evenings Mac enjoyed picking up a new book and read. She also watched Devin work around the house. As much as she wanted to trust him, there was something that kept her at a distance. It was almost as if she saw him through beer goggles. Everything about him to her was perfect. Even when he would go on rants about not liking this or that, he was cute about it. There was being an amazing person, and there was being overly perfect.

  The days were passing quickly. It had been more than two weeks since Devin had brought her here and the number of people still searching for her had not yet lessened. Even wit
hin the confines of the sanctuary, Devin had Mac wearing her assassins armor just in case something went wrong. Though Mac liked the armor, it was a bit bulkier than she preferred which made it hard for her to properly use her magic, so they tore it apart and made something more fitting for a magic user.

  The wrist still held her trusty grappling hook, and the other held small canisters which they did not know what they did, but figured they were some kind of weapon and kept them. Some of the armored plates were removed to keep the weight down, and they cut slits in several areas for added mobility. Finally, any of the loose straps or pockets were attached to the suit so it was quicker to put on and could be done by one person. They even attached a small hook to clip the mask to when not in use. They discovered all sorts of gadgets and survival items hidden all over the suit. Mac couldn't help but think of how expensive it must have been for Walter to purchase.

  After a particularly grueling day, Mac wanted nothing more than to just relax. As Devin started dinner, Mac stripped out of her gear and lay in the pond in hopes the stresses would wash away. Time was taking a toll on her and there was still no word from Kris telling them everyone was all right. She just lay there letting the water relax her tense body.

  "What do you think you're doing?" Devin said. She turned to see his darkened face staring down on her. "Do you realize how dangerous things are right now? Someone could come in here and take you. Doesn't that concern you?" Mac watched him yelling, but it didn't bother her. She simply stepped out of the water and watched as his eyes examined her nudeness and words began to fail coming out in a spout of gibberish. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips hard against his. Everything around her vanished and only Devin mattered. The last time she kissed someone, they were hospitalized. As Mac and Devin embraced each other through the night, their energy intermingled and she felt more alive than any time in her life. The connection was something greater than any other she had known. They made love under the moon lit sky and for once didn't have a care in the world.