by Jess Bowen
Cassius nodded and then motioned for her to sit down upon the dais in the middle of the room. She took a seat among the many pillows. Cassius got up and began to walk toward her as he tugged at his long hair thoughtfully.
“For our first lessons, you will find it easiest to use your talent when you are calm and relaxed.”
“Will you teach me how to control it better? It does drive me mad a lot of the time,” she said, thinking of Kali.
“I can imagine,” he replied, now circling around the dais. “As you become better at using your talent, you will also become better at controlling it. Now, I want you to close your eyes and clear your mind. I must warn you, though, until you are used to using it, this is going to severely drain your energy.”
Phoebe nodded and did as she was told. It couldn’t be any worse than combat training. She felt a mix of emotions flowing through her, none strong enough to single out, but it seemed as if every emotion possible was present. She shoved all of the emotions out. It was very difficult, and it took a while, but she finally managed it. It was nice to feel only her own feelings. From far away, she heard a voice.
“Now, I want you to reach out with your mind to mine.”
Phoebe searched the walls of her mind, looking for a pathway that would lead to Cassius’s mind. She found it and continued down it toward her destination. It was an odd sensation, almost as if she was watching herself run down a hallway toward a door at the end. Opening the door, a voice sounded as clearly as if Cassius had been speaking right beside her ear.
Food, go figure. What else do men think about? Phoebe laughed to herself.
“You had roast beef for dinner,” she said, and her voice sounded far away, as if her mouth and her mind were parts of two separate beings. She retreated back into her own mind to find it peaceful and quiet.
“Very good. Now I want you to go to Dorian’s mind—he is outside the door—and tell me what he’s thinking. Don’t worry; he knows that you will be going into his mind.”
She once again searched her own mind for a way out. When she found it, she hurried through a long tunnel. She felt herself pass through the physical barriers of the room and into Dorian’s mind. She could feel her cheeks flush, even though her mind was far from her body at the moment. Dorian was thinking about her crying from a little while ago. He was in pain because she was in pain. Surely Cassius didn’t need to know that, so she edited.
“He’s watching the children play outside. He seems sad.”
Phoebe left Dorian’s mind, not wanting to linger too long. She had promised him she wouldn’t read his mind if she could help it. Once again she found the way back to the peace and quiet of her own mind. She felt very weak, though, and suddenly exhausted. Cassius wasn’t kidding when he said it would drain her.
“Good. Not only did you hear his thoughts but also his emotions at the same time. Now, one more time. I want you to try to reach one of your friends in their rooms and single out just one of them.”
Phoebe’s mind slowly found its way back into the hallway. She brushed by Dorian’s mind as she headed down the hallway before realizing she didn’t know the way back to the room. She felt extremely tired, as if she had been awake for days.
“I don’t know the way to the room.”
“Your mind is not solid matter; it can move through walls and doors. As long as you focus on who you want to find, you should be able to arrive there.”
She went further down the hallway as she passed through a wall, searching out her friends. She passed through several rooms and hallways, passing by several other minds until she finally recognized her own room and her friends sitting around the fireplace. Evan was closest.
“Evan is thinking about combat training tomorrow.”
Phoebe pulled herself back and opened her eyes. She was so tired; she could barely get her eyes halfway open. Cassius peered at her through his unblinking eyes once again. His shape was fuzzy and unfocused. His expression told her, though, that he knew she was too tired to continue using her talent tonight. He handed her a cup of tea, which she took gratefully and drank slowly. The cup felt like it weighed twenty pounds.
“That was very good. You will find after a while that it won’t drain your energy quite as much, and you’ll be able to reach further for longer periods of time. Also, this talent can be particularly useful in combat,” Cassius said.
“How is that?” she asked sleepily.
“You will be able to anticipate your opponent’s next move throughout a battle, which gives you quite an advantage.”
Phoebe nodded as she drained the last of the tea from the cup. She felt dizzy. Cassius swept back over to her and took the cup, then helped her to the door. He must have been incredibly strong because her legs felt like lead, and she was sure he was doing most of the work. She probably looked like a big rag doll, unable to support any part of her body. She heard the door open.
“Dorian?” Cassius said.
Dorian rushed over. He was unfocused in Phoebe’s eyesight. That was too bad; she wanted to see his eyes swirling silver.
“What’s wrong with her? I didn’t think she would be this out of it!” Dorian said, sliding his arm around Phoebe’s waist.
“Ah, well, her talent is stronger than I thought. I may have asked her to travel too far with her mind for the first time,” Cassius said, sounding concerned and chagrined.
“I’m fine, just tired,” she murmured.
“Did she say something?” Dorian asked, and Phoebe wondered when it had gotten so dark.
“I don’t know. It didn’t sound coherent,” Cassius responded.
Phoebe didn’t know what they were talking about; she was speaking just fine.
“Should I take her to the infirmary?” Dorian was very worried now.
“I think she’ll be all right. She just needs some rest. I think she might be sleeping already; her eyes are closed.”
That’s why it’s so dark, Phoebe thought.
“I would feel better if someone was watching her,” Dorian told Cassius.
“Dorian, I think she will—”
“Cassius, I am not taking chances. You know how I feel about that.” Dorian’s voice was hard again; Phoebe didn’t like that.
Cassius sighed. “Then watch over her if you must, but the witches have enough to do right now with Sebastian.”
“Thank you.” Dorian was relieved.
“Send a gnome to let her friends know she’s all right. They will worry about her.” Cassius conceded defeat and closed his office door.
Phoebe felt strangely disoriented. How was she walking when she was lying down? She squinted open her eyes and looked up at Dorian. How strange. Then she felt an arm across her back and another under her knees. He was carrying her.
“I can walk.” Her words had come out slurred.
He looked down. “No you can’t.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I must be heavy.”
He laughed. “No heavier than a feather.”
“You’re being a little neurotic.”
“I’m allowed. Now rest.”
She laid her head against his chest. His breathing was slow and even; he didn’t seem to be exerting any effort. She closed her eyes again. “Where are we going?”
“Where I can watch you to make sure you didn’t overdo it back there.”
“Okay.”
“How do you feel? Lightheaded? Sick? Tired?”
“Just tired.”
“Are you sure that’s all?”
“Dorian.”
“Phoebe.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re fine when I say you are.”
“Being ridiculous.” She was too tired to argue any more.
The steady pace of his walking and heartbeat were putting her to sleep. She wasn’t sure how much later it was when she felt him laying her down. It was soft and warm there, so she didn’t object. It smelled distinctly familiar yet not at the same time. She buried her head into the smell. A
pillow. Phoebe felt his arm leave her back, and she reached out for it, panicked by his sudden absence. She searched the air until a cool hand connected with hers, and she relaxed. He was still here. She heard him talking to someone, and then she fell asleep.
The next thing Phoebe knew the sun was in her eyes, blinding her. She tried lifting her hand to block the rays before realizing something was pinning it to the bed. That something moved. As Dorian shifted, her arm broke free of his side.
“How do you feel?” Dorian began looking her over the second she woke up.
“I’m fine. What are you doing here? Or what am I doing here?” This was most certainly not her room.
There was a rather large bed, a small fireplace with a few chairs, and two doors, one to a washroom and one to the hallway.
“I brought you here so I could watch you. I was going to sit over there, but you objected whenever I tried to move away, so I stayed here.”
“I objected?”
“Vehemently.” He sounded amused.
Phoebe’s cheeks flushed. She didn’t even want to know what she had said. “Oh, sorry.”
Slowly she remembered why he had needed to watch her in the first place. She had barely been conscious after her lesson with Cassius. That lesson had been more draining than a week of combat training.
“I didn’t mind. Are you feeling better though? Do you think you need more sleep?”
“I don’t really feel that tired. What time is it?”
“Eight. Training starts in an hour,” he replied.
Training, ugh. Phoebe felt really comfortable, and going to training was not an appealing thought at the moment. She sighed. “I’m fine. I should go back to my room to get ready.”
“I had your things brought up.”
“Oh.”
There was a bowl of glume on the table by the fireplace and a set of clothes sitting beside it. Dorian got up and brought the bowl over to her as she sat up. Then he settled back down on the bed as Phoebe ate. He watched her closely, obviously watching for some sign that she needed more rest. She actually felt better rested today than she had any morning since she woke up in her bed back home almost a week ago.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “You should have just ignored me last night if you didn’t want to be there.” She still wasn’t sure if he really was okay with her vehemently refusing to let him leave her side, and felt embarrassed about it, even though she didn’t remember it.
“Nothing to apologize for. I was only worried about you.”
“Still…”
He put his finger to her lips to silence her. “I really didn’t mind. Please don’t feel embarrassed or as though I was put out.”
Phoebe couldn’t argue with emotion. He felt no regret or irritation at her actions. One day, if she was brave enough, she would search his memory for what she had said.
He brushed her hair back and took the empty bowl from her hands. “I have a few things to do, so I’m going to step out while you clean up. I’ll be back in twenty minutes to take you down to training.”
Phoebe nodded. He brushed her cheek before getting up and disappearing behind the door to the hallway. This was getting very confusing for Phoebe.
19. Pushed
Time passed quickly, as it sometimes has a tendency to do. Six weeks flew by, and it was now midway through August and the Earth Season. The intense training schedule left little time and energy to think about or do anything else. When Phoebe and the others weren’t spending endless hours in the training arena, they often went right to their rooms to rest. Phoebe lived for Tuesdays. Tuesdays were the one day she had only half a day of training.
Her weekends had been filled with extra training. Dorian dragged her and Ethan to the arena to continue even on their days off, which meant all six of them ended up going—mention extra training and Jared, Evan, Cynthia, and Lucy were in for it. Much to Phoebe’s surprise, they weren’t the only ones there on Saturday and Sunday. Just about everyone else spent their free time doing extra training as well. She was mystified by this until one day when Dorian gave them a rare break and she realized that there wasn’t much else to do.
The Haven was a beautiful place for sure, but it lacked entertainment. Training and chores typically filled everyone’s days. Even going for a walk was less than satisfying, with their options being limited to the same places they’d already explored over and over; no one was allowed in the tunnel unless they were traveling from one safe place to another or going out to scout the surrounding area.
The Annexus was huge, offering several places to explore, but after six weeks, even that lost its excitement. After repeatedly walking the same hallways and seeing the same rooms and the same scene out every window, the place felt more like a prison. A beautiful prison, but a prison nonetheless.
Phoebe tried not to complain. After all, it wasn’t anyone’s fault that they were stuck here. It was just the way things were. Freedom and safety were not always easily meshed. Here they had safety, but no freedom. Outside this mountain, they had freedom, but no safety.
One day, if they succeeded in their mission, there would be a balance between the two, but for now things were the way they had to be. Phoebe really had no room to complain anyway. She had only been here for a little over six weeks. Everyone else had been living like this for nineteen years. Even though she dreaded every hour of training, she had to admit that it was better than unprofitable boredom.
The long hours of training also had other benefits. Phoebe was getting quite proficient at using her powers, as was everyone else. She could conjure up a raging storm within seconds. One day she had accidentally made it storm inside the training arena instead of outside, which had caused Jade to gnash her teeth furiously, but after the room and all its occupants had been dried, she grudgingly admitted that it was quite impressive.
Phoebe still couldn’t produce lightning; even so, she was due to move onto ice next. Evan was just as good as she was, although his storms lacked the intensity of hers because, unlike her, he didn’t have a trigger to give them the angry edge.
Kali had still not given up on Dorian. Ever since classes with Cassius, it had been getting more difficult for Phoebe to block thoughts, and Kali’s fantasies were difficult to avoid. Dorian tried his hardest to avoid Kali, but he was right—she was very insistent. Phoebe looked forward to the Earth Tournament, hoping she would be paired with Kali so she could finally let control of her anger go. But the Earth Tournament was still not for another five weeks, and she wasn’t sure her self-control could last that long.
She discovered there were tournaments once a season for each Order. It was basically an elimination tournament where students combined all they had learned into scrimmages against one another. Trophies were given to the person who made it all the way through. Phoebe could care less about a trophy; she just wanted to test her skills, preferably on Kali. She had given up on trying to like Cassius’s niece, or at least ignore her, because the girl made it impossible.
“What are you thinking about?” Evan asked, taking in Phoebe’s expression.
He could always tell when her thoughts turned sour. “Just thinking over the past few weeks of training,” she replied.
He nodded, not convinced but knowing that she wouldn’t go into more detail. She really was partly focused on the past few weeks of training, especially combat training. Ever since Phoebe had learned how her talent could give her a leg up in fighting, she had progressed quickly. She could meet just about anything that was thrown at her, because she could anticipate it before it came. The only time she was beaten was when Dorian or Breanne used their superior strength or a move she was unfamiliar with. Trainees weren’t allowed to spar with anyone besides those two instructors until the tournaments. Their partners were only for learning and mastering each pose and maneuver.
After six weeks of intense physical training, Phoebe’s muscles had hardened and were now showing their defining lines. However, she was still no match for Doria
n. He didn’t look as strong as he was, because his muscles were not huge and ostentatiously bulky. But he was as solid as a rock, and she was sure he could easily lift four or five people at once without even straining himself.
Phoebe could lift just a little over her own body weight, and she had only managed that a few days earlier. She wasn’t the only one who looked different; everyone in their group was looking more solid. Ethan, Evan, and Jared were showing the most changes out of their little group. Phoebe was sure they had each filled out at least two sizes. They were going to have the huge, bulky muscles by the time training was complete.
Cynthia was basically the same, toned and strong, but her figure remained streamlined. Lucy had lost none of her delicacy. She still looked as breakable as ever, but after watching her spar, Phoebe knew she was far from it. Lucy was also a fast runner; Evan and Jared were only able to keep up with her because they had much longer strides than she did. The rest of them fell behind after a minute or two of trying to keep up.
Cassius had recently encouraged everyone in the Haven to secure their belongings because Ethan was now able to shake the entire mountain. Lucy’s concentration was improving, and Jared’s talent was advancing; he no longer needed to touch someone to read them, although ten feet was his limit right now. Dorian had complimented Cynthia about how well she was doing with her Element one day, and Kali had imagined setting her head on fire.
Dorian barely said two words to Kali if he could help it, and apparently he had talked with Breanne, because she now handled anything Kali didn’t understand in combat training. Ever since Kali had realized that Dorian wasn’t going to help her anymore, her feigned ignorance had come to an abrupt halt.
Phoebe was able to reach farther with her Truth Seeking, and for longer periods of time, but it still drained every ounce of energy that she had. She was starting to explore memories, but that was tricky and cost her a good deal of energy as well. She now had to take a refreshing solution the morning after her lessons just to be able to make it through the day. When she was instructed to read Dorian’s thoughts, he had, in an attempt to make her want to bury her head in the sand no doubt, taken to thinking about how she acted after her lessons and how it came to be that he was always beside her when she woke up.