by Candace Sams
He led Jean out of the circle, and followed Merlin down a path on the other side of the stone megaliths.
Eventually, Merlin stopped in a small clearing no bigger than about fifty feet across. The older man turned and faced them.
Gart took time to look the fellow over again. He also gripped his weapon with more intensity.
Though darkness encroached, there was still enough ambient light to see quite well. He sized up his adversary.
Merlin was older, but that meant nothing in the world of immortals. In fact, the older immortals were, the more tricks they had at their disposal.
He and the other man were similarly dressed in hiking boots, jeans, jackets and shirts. That told him the other guy had meant to be on the hills, wandering about his property after the man had been told not to.
As Merlin took his turn looking them over, Jean firmly grabbed his free hand in both of hers. He felt her anxiety, like a cold wave. She didn’t want a fight. She knew how tightly he held onto his sword.
“It’s all right,” he whispered. “No one will hurt you. Not while I’m here.”
“She needs no such warning since it’s highly likely she’s been gifted with more power than you and I combined,” Merlin softly chastised. Then he held out his hand. “Jean…come to me, girl. Don’t be afraid. I knew your great grandfather, too. Though I don’t owe him my life as Bloodnight does, I owe him allegiance as a good and fine man. There has always been dire need for more people like him.”
Gart refused to let go of her hand. “What do you want with her?”
“To show you the truth. We’ve much to discuss. If you’re worried about your employees, I’m quite sure your claviger won’t miss you, Bloodnight.”
“What about yours?”
“I…wasn’t completely honest with you in that respect. An Ethereal has never been required to have a claviger. Neither will Jean, once she has been sufficiently trained.”
Gart grimaced. “So, my thoughts on the matter are correct. The rules don’t apply to you.”
“We are not the same, sir. I will say it again. Jean and I are Ethereals. We are immortals blessed with magical abilities. To that end, Jean’s files have not been made public nor shall they ever be. David Harrington was told what he needed to hear. If he asks questions about the change in protocol where Jean is concerned, he’ll be sufficiently shushed. He’ll be told to move on with business. As a good warden of the law, he will do so and without informing you. If you call him to ask about me again, he’ll tell you that the highest sources have basically slammed a lid on Jean’s files. She’ll be my responsibility.”
Jean’s body visibly stiffened.
Gart felt her fear like an electrical charge. Before he could speak, however, Merlin-Jon Merdwyn reacted to what he, too, must have sensed.
“My dear girl, don’t be frightened. I’m convinced there’s room for compromise. It’s been a very, very long time since another Ethereal has emerged on the world scene. Between that last emergence and now, times have changed. We will succeed in our endeavors because we change with them. I will repeat a summation of my history and yours. No one knows why Ethereals are here. We simply are. I will also reiterate with great pride…not one among us has ever become a rogue. I think we are made of more honorable stuff.”
“If you can live forever and can wield magic as well, then you’ve no need to fear anyone. You are beholden to no one and no agency,” Gart remarked as he slightly raised the tip of his sword. “That makes you dangerous!”
Merlin shook his head in denial. “We protect the good and innocent in this world. To do otherwise is not in any Ethereal’s soul. However, some humans are not so righteous.”
Gart tilted his head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m speaking of a few scientists,” Merlin answered. “To fulfill demands from certain wealthy sources, they are already attempting to create an artificial form of immortality. They will trademark and try to own it. They will make it legally theirs. Even with rogues, such choices should be made by nature, not by white coats in some laboratory.”
“I don’t under—”
“Think Bloodnight! If immortality becomes accessible to anyone who can pay for it, you will see some very dangerous and powerful characters emerge on the world scene. Only Ethereals…using their combination of immortality and magic…can stand between that science and the rest of the world. Hence, we are left off the public radar. We will never be registered or classified. We will never be followed by clavigers. We must remain anonymous.”
“Who says any of this science is happening?” Gart angrily queried. “You’re talking about DNA research.”
“I am privy to information you cannot fathom,” Merlin countered.
“Are there other magical beings in existence that I don’t know about?” Gart angrily demanded.
Merlin lifted his chin but said nothing. His silence, whether he meant it to be or not, was an affirmative answer.
Gart let out a long breath and shook his head. He loosened his grip on his sword. “So, no one in the agency ever questions your coming or going because authorities are either bewitched, or are afraid of getting into trouble by asking too many questions. You’re suggesting that, through the use of magic, you can hide your very existence.”
“Let us say that there are a great many ways of maintaining anonymity. Before this discussion deepens, however, I must convince you that you’re not being bamboozled.” Merlin moved closer. “Bloodnight, you are among the most powerful of all immortals. You know how to keep secrets. That trait will open certain doors to you now; doors nonexistent to other immortals.”
“Jean’s presence in my life is why you’re saying that,” Gart asserted.
Merlin simply lifted one brow. Then, he slowly turned toward the woods. He lifted his left hand and a small, green orb appeared in his palm. It floated up, traveled a few yards away, and grew until it was the dimension of a soccer ball.
From there, the orb glided forward and landed in a small, rock-enclosed circle on the ground. The green ball then turned orange and a warm fire appeared.
Merlin then lifted both hands to the sky. Rain began, but it only fell on the forest and landscape directly outside the small clearing. He then turned his head to the north, and thunder sounded.
The breeze picked up.
When Merlin lowered his hands again, the rain stopped as did the sound of any storm in the distance. The little fire burned throughout the display, but then slowly disappeared as the wizard pressed his outstretch palm toward the ground.
“Y-You can control the elements?” Jean asked.
“It’s best to leave such power alone unless one is very experienced. To produce rain in a dessert could cause flooding. The ground in such areas is very hard, and cannot accept water easily. In other places, where water is prevalent, too much of it can cause crops to rot. Fire is obviously dangerous in any environment. You see, there is a balance in nature that even we cannot sway. We must be careful how we use our powers and when,” Merlin softly advised. “We do not rule nature. It only allows us to borrow powers.”
Jean simply nodded.
“And you, Garrett Bloodnight…you’ve suddenly grown silent. What have you to say now?” Merlin asked with his brows arrogantly arched.
Gart sat on a nearby stone. “What else can you do? What kind of powers are we talking about?” He heard awe in his own voice and was incapable of producing any tone bearing swagger. No one could rig the kind of display he’d just witnessed. No apparatus could cause rain to fall on a clear, moonlit night. Not while leaving the clearing in which they stood completely dry. Fire had appeared from some magical orb at Merlin’s command. The older man had easily sent that fire away.
Merlin smiled. “It is not just me. The world of Ethereals now includes Jean Long. The creatures of nature respond to us.” He looked at Jean. “My girl, you will likely have seen animals come to you whilst traipsing around the property. You’d have been unaware of
how they sense your kinship with them.”
The older man knelt, then seemed to concentrate on the forest in front of him. Within a few seconds, rabbits and other creatures appeared, including deer. A few owls and even bats flew overhead.
When Merlin motioned them away with a nod of his head and stood once more, they scampered off without appearing to have been unduly alarmed or even concerned.
Gart watched in absolute wonder. Merlin faced him squarely.
“Take care with the creatures you’ve gathered on your property, Bloodnight. They trust you because you’ve shown great kindness. Their presence in your life is a gift. Honor their faith.”
“Noted!” Gart asserted.
Incredulity slowly dissolved Gart’s anger over Jean’s safety. Now, a sense of respect replaced concern. He had no weapon that could combat a creature known as an Ethereal. Merlin could have probably removed his sword from his hand, or might have pulled any number of other stunts so he’d be forced to let it go. Yet, the older man had shown no aggressive behavior. The circle had, but not the man himself.
Merlin turned his attention to Jean. “Come here, my girl.”
Jean let go of Gart’s hand and walked to the wizard without question. This time, Gart didn’t try to stop her.
Merlin smiled at her. “Hold out your hand, dear.”
“Which one?” she asked.
“Either. Which one seems the stronger or more prevalent?”
She shrugged. “The left?”
“Raise your left hand, with your palm facing up.”
She did as Merlin requested.
“Close your eyes and think of the moon. Think of its light shimmering in your hand.”
She complied.
Gart stood there feeling somewhat superfluous. He had nothing to add to this situation. No one at the agency had trusted him with this information. No one had ever said a thing. Only Merlin could have given permission for him to have access to this knowledge now. After all he’d done to secure the safety of the realm, only Jean’s appearance in his life prompted this sharing of knowledge. He didn’t know whether to be angry, sad or insulted.
The interaction now was between Merlin and Jean. He waited in silence.
As Jean followed Merlin’s instructions, eventually, the tiniest green orb formed in her palm. She opened her eyes, as if she knew it was present. Instead of seeing her blue gaze in that orb’s light, Jean’s eyes now glowed green. From within. As if they were backlit. As shocked as he was, Gart had learned enough from his immortal life to show no fear lest he telegraph that same distress to any other immortal nearby. Specifically, rogues. Now he withheld emotion as best as he could for Jean’s sake. She needed to concentrate. He must will himself to remain calm so that she could.
Merlin began to explain this new magic. “The orb is green because…”
“That’s the color of nature,” Jean automatically finished as the orb faded away.
“You see!” Merlin declared without even glancing at Gart, “she knows. She has an innate gift. She is Ethereal. I nor anyone else can bestow that kind of power. I cannot perform magic for her. I can only show her how to use her own gifts. She must learn to use them wisely so that she does not unbalance nature.”
Jean suddenly stepped backward, away from the men. She turned to the woods, and held up her right arm with the forearm parallel to the ground. Silently, a form flew forward. A lovely barn owl landed on her outstretch limb.
“Isn’t it beautiful! Look!” Jean quietly murmured as she admired the bird.
The owl’s talons could tear flesh, but they were now spread wide. The great bird acted as if it wouldn’t harm her.
For a moment, Jean’s attention was captured by the beauty of the owl. She admired and cooed over the lovely creature so serenely perched on her forearm. Then, she gently nudged it into flight by lifting her shoulder and entire arm simultaneously. The creature silently flew off, into the night. The glow that had appeared in her eyes slowly faded.
“She comes by this naturally. All she needed was to be shown,” Merlin murmured.
Gart now believed in it all.
Moreover, he knew Jean would have to leave. She’d have to go where she could be trained. His immortal brand of tutoring wasn’t suitable for such a monumental task. He stood, swallowed hard and faced the wizard squarely. He opened his mouth, but Merlin held up his hand to silence him.
“Cast off suspicions, Bloodnight. I sense your feelings. I told you there is room for change.”
“What change?”
“Jean should be trained so that she need not use her powers unless absolutely required. If she’s not careful, she might expose herself and the world to the existence of Ethereals. Only on the rarest occasions will she use the magic at her disposal. She will still need to be trained to know when that magic is needed and how to summon it.”
Gart shook his head. “I can’t help her do that.”
“You can help her in other ways.” Merlin lifted one hand in supplication. “We live in a world of instant communication, Bloodnight. You are fully aware of that fact. As I’ve told you both, Jean’s immortality will not be reported to that world as would normally be the case. The law exists so that humans are not afraid of the so-called deathless gods and goddesses moving among them. Immortals report our presence as a way of mollifying fear of our powers. It can be also said that this procedure is a curse. You know what I’m speaking of.”
Gart sighed heavily before adding his opinion. “I’ve heard that some powerful criminal groups go after immortals’ clavigers, their families, friends and loved ones. That’s the price we pay for attempting to live with humans while trying to prove we won’t turn ourselves into everlasting tyrants.”
“Ethereals are on no public list for that same reason. Our powers are even greater than any immortal’s. We don’t just live forever, we can control elements of nature. We can cast spells and perform magic. Can you imagine what might happen were that power to fall into the wrong hands? Can you imagine what would happen if some Ethereal had friends, or even human family still living, and those lives could be threatened by criminals? Any Ethereal under such circumstances might be compelled to aid in terrible corruption. All to save those he or she loved.”
“If someone I cared about was threatened, I do anything to get them to safety,” he said as he gazed longingly at Jean.
“Her Majesty…as well as other very carefully chosen powers in this world… have agreed to keep Ethereals’ existence secret, Bloodnight. We protect the immortals who are obeying the law and who do not abuse their powers. Someday, we’ll be secretly called on to stop science from artificially creating more immortals. This is a moral obligation.”
Jean chimed in. “Whoever knows about us must agree as well, Gart, or this is one secret that could never have been kept. We must stay off any radar.”
Again, Gart stared at Jean. She was changing, emotionally, before his eyes. Having been shown what she was, she was quick to understand the consequences of humanity’s abuses. He spoke carefully. “I don’t understand how…what I mean is…how can I help you now, Jean?”
Jean approached him and put one hand on his chest. “I think Merlin means to let me stay with you. If I train as an immortal, I can respond as one. Even if someone happens to see me, photograph me, and put my image all over some social site, no one will know who I really am, or what I can really do. They may even peg me as a human claviger.”
Gart suddenly felt better about the situation. He almost smiled, but Jean seemed intent on making sure he understood.
“Gart, assume I’m seen by paparazzi while I’m on some mission. Society can rant about me, they can make up any story they please. Don’t you see? I can go anywhere, do anything. I can use a disguise; the way immortals on missions sometimes do. Internet gossip might attribute my presence to any one of thousands of immortals that they have heard of, mistaking me for someone else. They’ll haggle over it, and argue about my identity just as they sometime
s do now when an immortal is sited somewhere. But they still won’t know I’m an Ethereal. You’re known. Many immortals are. You’ve been reported all over the landscape. You can no longer even leave your home without having groupies follow you. Where you are concerned, even a disguise won’t fool a lot of people. You’ve even said as much. But none of that applies to me. Not if I was never reported as an immortal to begin with. I am nonexistent to the world. Out here, in the middle of nowhere, I could be anyone you hired to do any job around your home. Nobody would know for sure. If I’m careful, no one will ever know. Your servants seem singularly good at keeping secrets. They’ve said nothing about me so far.”
“They won’t. I hired them for their loyal qualities. But your friends know about you, Jean. Remember what you said about their behavior after you healed?”
“By now, government agents have told them to keep their mouths shut and, given the way they treated me, I’ve no doubt that they will. They don’t want some dangerous, head-hunting rogue showing up at their doors, asking about a once-mortal friend of theirs. They aren’t stupid. Besides, there still won’t be any record of me. I’ll bet the agency will see to it, even if they have to report that my head was taken by some criminal.”
Merlin moved forward and put his hand on Gart’s shoulder. “She’s right. In the event other immortals sense her near, she can pretend to be a rogue. Better still, when she’s much better trained, she can even use magic to befuddle memory of any encounter. One day, she’ll be able to mask her powers from anyone.”
“Good God! That can be done? I only suggested it as a matter of clarification…but it really can be done?” Gart asked as he dragged one hand through his hair.
“Bloodnight, I strongly reiterate…very few immortals know what you’ve been told. Fewer humans know. Those that do understand the need for secrecy. They understand that they must never abuse this trust. You are considered reliable beyond reckoning, or you would not have been told, I can assure you. You simply didn’t need to have this knowledge until now.”