Will nodded.
“What was different about that night? What kept you from your normal routine?”
Will frowned, thinking over that evening. “I had just finished shopping for the evening. I’m always hungry on full moon nights. Takes a lot of energy to resist the moon’s call. I had driven home and was about to enter my apartment building when...” His frown deepened as he struggled to recall what had happened.
Lirim allowed him to think in silence, not wanting to prompt him into ‘remembering’ something that hadn’t happened.
Finally, Will straightened, his expression clearing. “I was about to enter my apartment building when someone called my name. A man I didn’t know came jogging up, an elf of some sort. Said that he had heard that my family were seers and was asking me a lot of questions about it. Wanted to know if I could locate specific items or if it was a less malleable gift.”
Aletta interrupted, her interest clearly piqued, “Your family are seers?”
He nodded, “Gift runs thick in me mum’s family, although that’s not something that’s common knowledge. Wonder how he knew about that?”
Lirim made a mental note to investigate how well-known it was that Will came from a family of seers.
“So if you were talking to this man about your gift, why did you go after Aletta? As far as she can remember, she did nothing to provoke you.” He looked at Aletta for confirmation and she nodded.
The flush that had faded from Will’s face returned full force. “Well... that is... you see...”
Lirim just looked at him, keeping his face impassive.
Will sighed. “In my family, the sight works differently for everyone. No two family members see things the same way. Me? I see light. Different colors for the different gifts and of varying brightness depending on the strength of the gift. I was talking with the elf, already half out of it when Aletta walked by. She was all golden and bright, like a warm beacon in the night. She was such a contrast to the silvery moonlight that it drew me. I took off after her and scared her half to death.”
He turned and grinned at Aletta, “You sure can run, lass. Managed to lead me a merry chase and stay ahead until your furry friends managed to slow me down.”
It was Aletta’s turn to blush and she chuckled ruefully. “It’s amazing what adrenaline can do. I don’t think my feet even touched the ground and still, you gained on me. I still don’t know how far we ran.”
This Lirim actually knew. “Cyrus told me that he went back and measured later out of curiosity. Said you ran four and a bit miles before the pack was able to intercede.”
Aletta and Will gaped at him, and he smirked. “What? I was curious. Besides, I’m pretty sure that you broke some Olympic records there.”
Aletta just shook her head and sighed. Right then, they heard the chime of the clock tower. Will climbed to his feet. “I’m sorry, my lunch time is over. But I’m also truly sorry about chasing you, lass. I’ll be extra careful in the future so it never happens again.”
Aletta smiled at Will, and Lirim was relieved to see that some of her spirit had returned. “Stuff happens, don’t worry about it. Maybe I’ll even come over and hang out with you on the next full moon. That way you don’t have to chase me down.” She winked at him, and Will chuckled. He nodded to both of them and took off at a brisk walk. He stopped at the edge of the park and gave a brief parting wave, then disappeared from sight.
Lirim sat back on the bench. They both sat quietly, mulling over what had just happened. Suddenly Aletta burst out laughing, startling him. He looked at her quizzically and she managed to force out, “He chased me… because I was… glowy. I can… never… let my brothers… find out. I’ll…” She laughed even harder, tears forming at the corner of her eyes. “I’ll… never… live… it… down… Ah, it hurts… it hurts… can’t breathe.” Hugging her sides, she struggled to rein in her laughter and draw a deep breath. After a few minutes, her laughter had finally died out, only an occasional giggle betraying her continued mirth.
He was about to question her about her memories of the event when she hopped to her feet and motioned for him to rise. He did as she asked, frowning at her sudden energy. “Come on, your aunt is not going to be happy if we dawdle much longer. She said that today we’re going to move into a new stage in my training.”
Swallowing his protest at this reminder, Lirim led the way back to the car. Although he hadn’t gotten her to open up about what was bothering her, the time in the park seemed to be good for her. He could always find out what the problem was later.
Five
Aletta sat quietly in the passenger seat, fighting the occasional giggle. She still wasn’t sure how she was going to deal with everything that was going on, but she had needed that time in the park. It had soothed a jagged part of her psyche that she hadn’t even realized was hurting. She knew that Lirim was worried about her, but she just wasn’t ready to confide in him yet, still unable to find the words to explain everything that she was feeling. But after her crying jag last night and the park today, she was feeling more centered, calmer.
In fact, she was almost ready to face the case head-on. She mentally sighed and pushed that thought aside. They were meeting with the Canticum Company tomorrow, and she would face it then. Until then, she was free to not think about anything that she didn’t want to deal with. Childish maybe, but she didn’t particularly care.
It only took a few minutes for them to reach Awena’s brownstone. Aletta climbed out of the car and reluctantly made her way up to the door. She murmured to Lirim, “How mad do you think she’ll be that we’re late?”
Lirim just grinned at her, “It’ll be fine. She’s not a monster.”
She muttered under her breath. “She’s just soft on you cause you’re her favorite nephew. She’s a tyrant.”
Right then, Awena opened the door and said dryly, “I heard that.” Aletta blushed and silently cursed supernatural hearing. “Come in. Out of curiosity, why are you late?”
They made their way to the sitting room. Lirim hugged Awena, lingering for a moment. He grinned at her and said, “Aletta’s singing master is as strict a teacher as you, dearest aunt. I needed a few minutes to clear my head before we came here and soaked up all of your wondrous teaching.”
She shook her head at his silliness but couldn’t hold back a reluctant smile. She shooed him away. “Go sit. I should be harder on you, but I’ve always had a soft spot for rogues. But you’d better straighten up. Your partner is going to need your full cooperation today.”
Aletta watched in amazement as he immediately sobered up at hearing this, a look of concentration replacing his former levity. It always surprised her how he could switch from lightheartedness to single-minded focus in the blink of an eye. She knew that he was completely loyal to those he cared about, and as his partner at HSI, she had somehow managed to fall into that category.
She thought back to her initial reaction to her partner being an overbearing, overprotective babysitter and was so glad that she had ended up with Lirim instead. She had been gifted with a partner that had her back no matter what.
Aletta turned her attention to Awena, wondering what the woman had in mind for today that would require Lirim’s assistance. She asked mildly, “So what’s on the schedule for training today?”
Awena turned to her, switching into teacher mode. “Tell me about Sheridans.”
Aletta took a deep breath, ordering her thoughts. “There are four types of Sheridans, also known as seekers. The first type of Sheridan is that of Obiecta, or a seeker of objects. Their skills can vary from the ability to find ancient artifacts to something as simple as finding lost keys. This is the most common type of Sheridan, accounting for about 45 percent of the overall Sheridan talent. Even though only a few Sheridans ever realize their true gift, the dozen or so with Sheridan potential in each generation have enough of this gift to find small trinkets and objects dear to them.”
“The second type of Sheridan is Populou
s, or a seeker of people. Again, this gift varies greatly. Sometimes it manifests as the ability to track criminals; other times it can help find missing people. Occasionally, it can even manifest as the ability to see people’s gifts and the strength of them. It is the second most common type of Sheridan, with roughly 35 percent of all Sheridans falling into this category.”
“The third type of Sheridan is Viam, or a finder of paths. It is said that they don’t seek paths, but that the paths find them. They tend to be wanderers, always exploring, looking for new things and discoveries. One of the more famous Sheridans, Max Woodall, was known for using his Viam abilities to rescue hostages by opening pathways into areas where they were being held. It is the second rarest Sheridan gift, with only about 18 percent of Sheridans being able to use this ability.”
“The fourth and final type of Sheridan is Omnes, or one who seeks all things. They have the ability to use all three types of the other Sheridan gifts, although their ability to use them depends on the Sheridan’s strength and natural abilities. Some have been documented with equal strength in all three, while others have strong talent in one area and minimal talent in the other two, although they are still strong enough to be registered as an Omnes. This is the rarest type of Sheridan, with only two percent falling into this category. In addition to having one of the four types of gifts, Sheridans also have a secondary gift. This secondary gift seems to be largely formed by the Sheridan’s personality, rather than any genetic or environmental factors.”
Awena nodded approvingly, pleased with her succinct explanation. “Very good, so you have been paying attention. Now, for the past few sessions, we’ve been meditating and working on controlling the use of your power. One of your problems is that you are too vague when you are searching, leading to an over-expenditure of your energy. This causes you to have headaches and exhaustion. In most, but not all cases, this can be offset by eating which gives your body the necessary energy to use.”
Aletta nodded, glad that her mysterious headaches had a reasonable explanation. It also explained why food had helped stave off what she had thought were migraines.
“However, there are situations where a Sheridan needs or has used all of her energy and reserves without recourse to food to replenish it. In that case, usually one of three things happen. One, the Sheridan overextends their gift, flaming out causing them to be unable to access their gift until time and rest has replenished it. Two, they push past their limit, use their life force, and die completing their task.”
Aletta felt her eyes widen with shock. “Sheridans can die from using their gift?”
Awena nodded. “That is a risk that all magic users have, especially supernaturals, who need a larger concentration of magic in their body to live. Human Sheridans have a fifty/fifty percent chance of survival, judging by the few documented cases we have on this. Supernaturals that push past their limit only have a ten percent chance of survival. And in every single recorded case of this happening, the Sheridan in question that survived was never able to use their gift again.”
Aletta nodded, grateful that Awena always answered her questions, even if she interrupted. Awena had once said she believed that asking questions was the best way to learn, since it meant that your brain was fully engaged and working on putting all the pieces together. Also, it often opened avenues of inquiry that the teacher might not have thought to cover.
After taking a moment to process this new information, Aletta asked, “So what’s the third thing that happens?”
“Occasionally, there is a person present who is magically compatible with the Sheridan. They share their gift with the Sheridan, allowing them enough strength to finish the task without drawing from their life force.”
“But doesn’t that usually run the risk of drawing from the other person’s life force?”
“Actually, it is safer for both of them because the magical burden is halved, pulling much less magic from them. Also, when multiple people work together to achieve a result, there is an amplification factor that goes into effect, causing magic to regenerate faster. In all the history of Sheridans, there have only been three cases of a Sheridan drawing too much power from themselves and their partner. All three sets died. However, when the circumstances surrounding those instances were examined, it was discovered that there was no chance of any other possible outcome. Fate may be evaded for a while, but it will eventually have its due.”
Lirim finally spoke up, asking the question that Aletta was wondering. “How do you know if you are magically compatible with someone? When I was training at the Glade, they set up units that were well rounded in both offensive and defensive magic, trying to put personalities that work well with each other together. But there wasn’t any talk of actually sharing their magic. Just working together.”
“Sharing magic can be quite tricky, as very few magics are truly compatible on a fundamental level. However, when you donate blood, you learn that there is both a universal donor and a universal recipient. The same holds true in magic. Certain types of magic are more compatible with some types of magic than others. In Aletta’s case we are fortunate to have both.”
The both just stared at her, so she elaborated. “Lirim, you draw your magic from nature. In essence, your magic is life-based. You are a universal donor because all magical creatures are living things.”
He opened his mouth and she quickly cut him off. “Zombies do not count. They are abominations and perversions of natural magic law. Technically, zombies shouldn’t even be possible to create, but just as there is light, there is also darkness.” She shuddered slightly. “Enough of this subject.”
Lirim nodded meekly. She stared sternly at him for a minute before deciding that he meant to behave.
Turning to Aletta, she continued, “Sheridans, on the other hand, are universal recipients. As nature mages draw from life, Sheridans are the other side of the coin.”
Aletta paled and whispered, “My gift comes from death?”
Awena stared at her before sighing. “No, not at all, although that is not an illogical conclusion. When nature mages draw from their surroundings, they are drawing from the physical life around them. Sheridans however, draw from the intangible. They draw from feelings, hopes of finding someone or something, dreams of finding a way, the longing to bring someone to justice or bringing someone home safely. They draw from things that cannot be seen but are just as strong as anything physical.”
Aletta took several minutes to absorb that. Finally she smiled. “That’s actually really cool. But does that mean that I can’t share energy?”
Awena shook her head. “Unfortunately not. Unless you are closely bonded, it is only possible for you to receive, not give. Just like Lirim can give but he cannot receive. Everything requires a balance.”
Aletta and Lirim both nodded at this. It was Lirim who spoke up, “So what are we doing today? I’m assuming that all this talk was not just theoretical.”
Awena scowled at him. “You know what they say about assuming.”
He sighed and looked down. “Yes, Aunt Awena. I apologize. I eagerly await whatever it is you choose to share with us today.”
Awena muttered something under her breath and Aletta had to stifle a giggle. They were really too much alike sometimes. Seeing their closeness suddenly sent a wave of longing for her own family through her, and she had to bite back a sigh. She must’ve shifted or something because both Lirim and Awena were suddenly looking at her.
Drawing her mind back to task, she looked expectantly at Awena, who uncharacteristically apologized to her. “I’m sorry, Aletta. This disrespectful nephew of mine distracts me too easily. Why don’t we go ahead and get started?”
Aletta smiled and replied, “I’m ready whenever you are. What do I need to do?”
“Get comfortable and center yourself. Lirim, you too.”
Slipping off the couch onto the floor, Aletta settled into a comfortable cross-legged pose. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breat
hing. Gradually, the room and its other occupants slipped away from her consciousness, although she was still aware of them on a distant level. She felt her heart slow into a comfortable rhythm and her breathing even out into slow, steady breaths.
She distantly heard Awena tell her to find her magic core and she did as she was bid. She stepped into the golden pool of light, the heart of her magic. When her vision cleared a moment later, she was standing in front of a tidy cottage, although the garden was still wild and overgrown. Drinking in the place that had become her secret haven, she heard herself murmur, “Now what?”
Awena coached softly, “Now, reach out and invite Lirim in.”
Her voice still quiet, Aletta asked, “How?”
“It’s different for everyone. Just do what feels natural.”
Thinking of Lirim, Aletta smiled and held out her hand. Only a moment passed before she felt a strong hand grip hers, and she pulled Lirim into the garden. Letting go of his hand, she smiled and gestured at the cottage and garden. “Welcome to my magic.”
He looked around, drinking everything in. “Wow, this is how you see your magic?”
She shrugged, “It just felt right when it appeared like this.” She frowned slightly. “Although Awena said that the garden was wild because I lack control. Even though it’s been months and she says that my control has improved significantly, there has still been no change in the garden.”
He finally dragged his eyes away from his surroundings and looked at her, taking in her frown and uncertainty. He offered, “There’s nothing wrong with an uncontrolled garden. Nature isn’t an orderly thing; it’s messy chaotic life. Maybe the garden had nothing to do with your control.”
She searched for the words to explain what she felt intuitively. “I’m not a gardener. In fact, I murdered the plant that my mother gave me as a promotion gift. But there’s something wrong with this garden. There’s an underlying wrongness that I can’t pinpoint. This garden, it’s not healthy.” She knew that her face showed her uncertainty and confusion clearly.
In Search of Healing Page 5