by J. E. Swift
“No. I’m fairly certain that the Councilmen told him to do this to give you and me an opportunity to get to know each other.”
“It sounds like something my father would do. If you would like, I can make sure you are able to speak to him. It sounds like you were quite close.”
“We were. I mean, we are.” She did not feel comfortable discussing the actual nature of their relationship. “Thank you for the offer. I feel like I will not be able to commit fully to this change until I can make sure that Garrett is okay. I think…”
“It’s the reason you have been so hesitant to get to know me the past few days.”
“Yes.”
Declan placed a hand on top of hers. “It’s okay. I could tell that something was holding you back. I am hoping today helped bring us a little closer. The mentor/student relationship is so important and I don’t want you resenting me for replacing Garrett.”
She squeezed his hand. “I do feel better about all of this.”
“Good. Are you ready for dinner?”
“Honestly?” She threw the last breadcrumb into the pond. “I’m starving.”
****
Declan and Caitlyn entered into the charming New England town in fairly quick time, traffic being light exiting the city. They drove into one of the more historic parts of the village, and it did not surprise her when Declan pulled up into a cobblestone driveway to a blue colonial house that belonged to another time. The wildflower gardens out front grew lush, and were well maintained and cared for. The house looked like it fit Declan.
“Welcome to the home where I grew up.”
She stepped out of the car, inspecting the home more closely. “This is so nice. You must have loved growing up here.”
“I couldn’t have asked for a better childhood.” Declan walked up to the door, rapping on it quickly when a man in his early fifties with balding red hair answered the door.
“Declan!” The man embraced him tightly.
“Michael!” He stated fondly. “How are you? My father told me that you weren’t going to be able to make it tonight.”
Michael smiled at Caitlyn briefly before turning his attention back to Declan. “We completed the project just under the deadline. Talk about cutting it close.”
“I’m thrilled you completed the program. I know Trust Corporation was putting a lot of pressure on your group. Michael, may I introduce you to my student, Caitlyn Young.”
Michael shook her hand. “Caitlyn, it is an absolute pleasure meeting you. Let me assure you, you cannot be in better hands than you are with Declan.”
Caitlyn noticed that Declan blushed at the comment. “Nice to meet you as well, Michael.”
Another figure popped out from behind him. It was a person she recognized but was not expecting to see today. “Caleb! What are you doing here?”
The hacker gave her a quick hug. “Hey, Caitlyn! Told you I would see you soon. I see you met my dad.”
She could see the resemblance between the two of them. “Do you live here?”
Caleb laughed. “I practically did as a child. My dad and mom live down the road.” His next question was directed at her only. “How are you holding up with the change?”
“Better than I expected. I do miss Garrett at the same time though. I’ve not seen him since the Council made the change.”
“Don’t worry. Isla and I have been hanging out with him since I found out. He is taking it hard, but I think he does understand that it is for the best even if he may not admit it to himself. He really cares for you.”
She blushed slightly. “And I him.”
“So he told me. I hope you don’t mind that I know.”
“I didn’t think it was going to stay a secret for long anyways. I know that Declan suspects something, and if he ever asks, I’ll be upfront with him. It’s not something I’m hiding and there is no reason to keep it quiet especially since Garrett is no longer my mentor.”
“True. For what it is worth, I think the two of you are really good together.”
“Thanks.”
Declan’s voice then roused her from the private conversation she was holding with Caleb. “Would you like a tour of the home?”
She gave one last glance at Caleb. “I would love that.”
Declan first showed her the first floor. As expected, it was old, but it was well lived in and comfortable. He brought her room by room fairly quickly, until he stopped in what appeared to be a more formal living room. He stood in front of an oil painting. The painting showed a man whom she recognized as his father, a pretty brunette woman in her late twenties, and then a boy, who could be no older than eight. She recognized from the eyes that it was Declan.
“Is this a family portrait?”
“Yes. We had this done when I was seven. My mother was twenty-nine years old in this picture.”
“She was beautiful.”
Declan nodded. “And kind. She was one of the most generous people you would have ever known.”
“You must miss her a lot.”
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her.”
He took one last look at the portrait, and then led her to the stairwell. When Declan had finished giving Caitlyn the full tour of the upstairs of the house, Michael appeared again, this time to advise that Declan’s father had returned home and that dinner was ready and would be outside in the back garden.
Declan directed Caitlyn down the staircase to the garden. Caitlyn did not know why, but she had butterflies in her stomach. She was going to meet his father in an informal setting. Even though his father was the orchestrator of the change in mentors because he believes her to have so much potential, she wanted Declan’s father to approve of her. After all, the Council and Tribunal would help influence where she could potentially end up.
Her mentor held the door open for her as they strolled into backyard. The wooden long table with benches placed in the center of the circular English garden looked like something out of a countryside magazine. The table was rustic, with place settings that matched the current early autumn flowers in bloom perfectly. The candles that acted as the centerpiece of it all, were lit, and added a soft glow to the twilight that was beginning to surround them. As perfect as it was, the atmosphere was still very inviting and encouraged relaxation.
“This is unbelievable. You grew up here?” Caitlyn was sure that she had uttered that phrase more than once that day.
“Pretty sure.” His eyes danced with merriment before shifting to the door where several figures appeared.
The man that led the group was tan and must have been at least six-three. He wore a confidence about him and his clothes, one who was not even interested in fashion could tell that they were tailored to him. He wore a large smile that bore the same resemblance as Declan’s, reaching even the man’s obviously tired eyes. She recognized him as Councilman McPherson, but his appearance seemed less intimidating now, more welcoming and inviting in a different environment.
“Hello, Caitlyn.” The man stated warmly. His voice was smooth and immediately put her at ease. “I am glad that we get to meet again under happier circumstances. I must say that it is a delight to see you.” He extended his hand.
“It is so nice to see you as well outside the atmosphere of the Council. Declan talks very highly of you.” She replied taking his hand and shaking it firmly. “You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you and I mean it when I say that I hope you always feel comfortable here. Caitlyn, the man next to me is a good friend of the family and Declan’s mentor, Lionel.”
The man Jonathan McPherson pointed to was shorter than Declan and his father, but something about the way he carried himself made Caitlyn know that this was not a man to be taken lightly. He was well built, with a smile that came easily to his lips. Lionel took Caitlyn’s hand, raising it to his lips and planting a small kiss on it. “Enchanted. We never get to meet Declan’s lady friends.”
Declan rolled his eyes but couldn’t help but chuck
le. “Caitlyn please ignore the old man. He is getting senile in his old age. Lionel, this is not a lady friend, just my new student and hopefully friend as you well know.”
Lionel stepped up to Declan. “Old man, eh? Last time I checked, I could still beat you in a duel.”
“Not by much.” With that, Declan gave the man a bear hug.
The lone woman that had entered in with the group, coughed deliberately. She looked at Declan’s father pointedly.
The Councilman had enough sense to rectify his error. “I’m sorry; this woman is Michael’s wife and Caleb’s mother, Andrea.”
Andrea handed her son the bowl of pasta she was holding and shook her hand. “It’s wonderful to meet you. Any friend of Declan’s is a friend of ours.”
“Thank you all for your warm greeting.” She inhaled deeply. “That smells wonderful.”
Caitlyn saw Andrea beam with just the tiniest bit of pride. “Thanks. I hope you like fettuccine.”
Declan’s eyes widened in delight. It took everything to have Caitlyn not laugh out loud. “Andrea, did you make your fettuccine alfredo?”
“If I recall, it was your favorite as a kid.” She reached up and ruffled his hair lovingly.
He ducked away from her, grinning. “You know it was.” He turned to Caitlyn. “Andrea is the most amazing cook. I need to remember to come and visit more often if you are going to keep cooking for me.”
His father, gesturing his arm for everyone to sit down to the table, heartily agreed. “Yes, you do. I know we are both very busy men now, but I think we should make more time just to relax. Everything is business lately. You can bring Caitlyn too if you would like.” He winked at Declan.
“Dad, please don’t embarrass poor Caitlyn.”
Caitlyn could not help but snicker. For as confident and self-assured as Declan was, it was quite apparent from this exchange that Declan never brought home women to meet his father.
As they sat down to the table to eat, Caitlyn was regaled with tales of Declan and Caleb’s past. As she suspected, the two of them caused quite a bit of trouble around the home. Looking around at the table, she could not help notice how normal all of them seemed. They all seemed happy, engaging in various conversations.
She wanted to ask questions, find out more about who they were exactly. But she kept her mouth mostly shut, enjoying the conversation flowing all around her, interjecting here and there with a laugh or a comment. Finally, when dessert was served, Declan’s father turned to Caitlyn.
“So… I am sure that you have a lot of things that you want to ask us, Caitlyn. And here we are, boring you with all these old family stories.”
“I wasn’t bored!” She stated sincerely. The stories had been hilarious and very insightful and she had not felt like part of a family in so long that she did not want the evening to end. “But I must admit, I have a lot of questions I want to ask.”
His father waved his hand encouragingly. “Go on then. Feel free to ask us anything. There are no secrets at this table.”
She suspected that it wasn’t quite a true statement, but she looked around at all of them. She was not quite sure where to start. She started off slowly. “So all of you are Actuals?”
Michael answered. “All of us at this table.”
“Declan stated that his family heritage with the Trust traced back to the original Actuals in Ireland. What about your family? Are you Descendants as well?” She had directed the question at Michael, but Andrea answered instead.
“My direct linage has been in the Trust for over six hundred years, so we are old and respected within the Trust, but we are not part of the Descendants. Michael is actually first generation Actual.” She gazed at her husband lovingly. “I met him when he was twenty-two. He did not know anything about the Trust until he proposed to me. It was quite the shock to Michael. Just like most Potentials, he truly thought that I was mad. It was not until I had showed him what I could do that he believed me.”
“It was the same with me.” Caitlyn admitted. “I thought Garrett had gone crazy. I was ready to call a mental institution and get him committed to a rubber room!”
They laughed. “It’s happened before to some of our kind.”
“I don’t know if this is a personal question or not, but what are your capabilities?”
Caleb was the first to answer. “Not personal at all. Most of us love to brag.”
It was not lost on Caitlyn when Michael stated quietly to the laughter of the group in front of him. “Some more than others, Caleb.”
Caleb just shrugged. “So what? I brag. Well, I am sure as you have been told, most of us have the same capabilities with just a variance in how strong we are. I can levitate and manipulate matter. Dad is the same.”
Andrea then answered. “I can do both of those as well, however, I am not as strong as they are. My specialty is healing.”
Caitlyn’s eyes opened wider. “You can heal?” She had been interested in healers since Garrett had first told of them to her, but she was the first official healer she had met. “How does it work?”
Andrea took a sip of her wine. “It’s not what you think. I am not a miracle worker. For example, when someone gets cut, or hurt, I can put my hands on them and they heal at a faster rate. I can slow down a disease, but cannot prevent or cure it entirely. So of course, I chose to be a nurse. It allows me access to those that are injured, but does not put me in the spotlight in case someone begins to wonder why these patients are just healing a little faster or living just a little longer than they should.”
Caitlyn was in shock as Garrett had not been able to teach her barely anything. “That is amazing. How many of you can do that?”
Michael was the one to reply. “Not enough. There are only five hundred that are in the Trust, and most have decided to take the career path that Andrea has. I wish we all had the capability. It would make this a better world.”
Caitlyn turned her attention to Declan’s father. “And what is it that you can do, Councilman McPherson?”
Caitlyn thought she saw him redden. “I am just a telepath.”
Declan interjected with pride. “Just a telepath? Father is the strongest telepath I’ve ever seen. He is extremely too modest. My dad can talk to multiple people with his mind at the same time. It’s as if he can compartmentalize his brain into different sections and have all these various conversations. It is truly amazing and a tremendous asset. We believe him to be unique. The Cine Tofa would love to get their hands on him.”
Caitlyn couldn’t believe that. She was still trying to get a grasp on her own telepathy and was having difficulty just talking to one person, never mind several at once. “So you can talk to me while talking to others.”
“Yes.”
“Wow.” She replied softly. The table laughed gently.
Mr. McPherson pointed at his son. “And then there is Declan.”
Caitlyn’s attention turned to her new mentor. “Yes, I think he is quite amazing.” She became flushed once she realized how that comment came out. She meant it to be a compliment only, but once it was stated out loud, it sounded quite different.
Caleb took mercy on her and did not make the obvious joke. “Has he told you everything he can do?”
Declan shook his head. “Come on now.”
Mr. McPherson laughed further. “Declan, now you are really the modest one. Caitlyn, what has he told you?”
Caitlyn blushed under everyone’s stares. “Well…” she stated looking Declan in his eyes briefly. “He has told me that he can levitate and manipulate matter rather well, although I haven’t seen it myself yet. I also know that he uses telepathy but that is about it. I’ve actually never seen him in action, although the way people talk about him…”
Caleb’s jaw was wide open. “That’s all he told you? Rather well? Seriously? Declan, that is all you have told her? I mean, I know that you are still getting to know your new mentor and all, but Caitlyn, Declan has more control over his capabilities than I’ve eve
r seen of any Actual. He is extremely strong, which is why they wanted you to switch mentors. Levitate a rock? If Declan concentrated hard enough, he could levitate Alcatraz I bet. Now that is a rock. Manipulating matter? Declan can manage matter very intricately. It’s insane. And he would rather pretend that he cannot do it. I would kill to have an ounce of the control he has.”
“Caleb.” Declan responded with a warning tone, obviously embarrassed.
This time, Andrea joined in. “Declan is what you call a prodigy, just like you are. There are only a handful of people that could teach him what he can do. The person next to you is one of them.” Caitlyn looked over at Lionel. He obviously must have the power and strength that Declan had, or close to it. He stayed quiet, his mirth gone from his eyes, studying Declan. She guessed that was the teacher in him, always evaluating. Andrea continued. “Declan, show her how you can manipulate the elements.”
Declan did not move, instead opting to glare at her.
Andrea nudged him. “Go on!”
Sighing, Declan stated to Caitlyn. “I normally don’t show off. Forgive me if this seems like showboating.” She thought she saw the gleam in his eye return though.
“I won’t. I want to see.”
Declan stared at the table in front of him. He lifted up his left hand casually towards a burning candle on the table. Caitlyn was amazed as she saw Declan pull a string of fire from the flame only coming to rest in a ball about a half inch above his hand. The ball of fire, jumped and glowed, but stayed in a perfect sphere.
Declan then raised his right hand, where a pitcher of water stood. Again, the water flowed easily out of the pitcher in a ball of equal size on floating above his other hand.
Caleb grinned. “Now here comes the impressive part.”
Caitlyn thought back. “The impressive part? What else is he going to do?” Garrett had never even hinted at the idea of manipulating the elements in his training. Caitlyn had always wondered if it was a possibility and now she knew it was. It made sense.
Declan then melded the two elements, weaving them together slowly to form one ball. One could not tell where the fire ended and the water began they were wound so tightly together. But it was apparent that neither element touched the other. Her new mentor revolved the sphere, turning it three hundred and sixty degrees before he expanded the sphere outwards, doubling the size of the sphere. Caitlyn was ready to clap in delight as he quickly shrunk the ball to a quarter of the size it was.