by C Zinnia
He laughed. “Give me a bit to finish what I’m doing and then I’ll make you a tea,” he said. “It’ll help with soreness.”
“I can make it, Papa,” she said.
“No, no, no,” he said. “I make it. You sit. Watching you try to walk makes me hurt!” He laughed again.
Mel watched him make brine and pour it into the row of large mason jars. He added a glass weight into each one before putting a funny looking cap on each one.
“What does that do?” Mel asked.
“Allows the carbon dioxide to escape the jar without me having to open them. If you don’t release the pressure, the jars will explode,” Papa said. When he was finished, he stored the jars in the panty. He put a kettle filled with water on the stove. “What time are you working with Eli?”
“Sometime soon,” Mel said.
As if called into existence, Eli walked into the kitchen. “Hello again,” he said to Mel. “Daren should be here in a little bit.”
“Okay,” Mel said.
“How has your day been, Papa?” Eli asked.
“It’s been good. I’m not sore like Mel is,” he teased as he prepared Mel’s tea.
Eli grinned as he glanced at Mel. “You look like you’ve had a great morning overall,” he observed.
Mel flushed as she looked away and bit back a grin. “I have,” she said. She was initially shocked with herself for admitting as much to Eli, but then she realized she felt comfortable with talking to Eli about the subject. Neither he or Papa had a perverted vibe to them. It felt like Eli was speaking to her like he would to one of his male friends. Mel appreciated it.
“You know, that kind of training has a lot of healing properties,” Eli said. “For the body, mind, and soul.”
Mel hadn’t expected that comment. “Really?” she said.
“Yep,” Eli said. “Even the health industry has found it improves your immune system, decreases risks of heart attacks, decreases stress, and improves sleeps among many other benefits.”
“Unless you’re with the wrong person,” Mel said reflexively. She cringed as she remembered the guys she had slept with. She didn’t feel after sex with them the way she felt now after being with Viola.
Eli laughed. “That is true,” he said. “It’s all about finding the right partner for you.”
Papa handed Mel a cup of tea. “This will help with your soreness. Trust me. But give it time to cool down a bit,” he said.
She sniffed the tea and noticed it had a bitter smell. She scrunched her face. “It smells wonderful,” she lied.
Papa and Eli laughed.
“I know it doesn’t smell the best and it won’t taste very good, but it’s good for you,” Papa said. “You’ll thank me tomorrow for making you tea.”
“Thank you, Papa,” Mel said.
Eli and Papa made small talk while Mel quietly sipped her tea. The taste wasn’t much better than the smell. She was relieved when Daren arrived.
“Are you ready to get started?” Eli asked Mel.
“Absolutely,” Mel said.
“Take your tea with you and finish all of it,” Papa said to Mel.
“I will,” she said. “Thanks.”
Eli, Daren, and Mel went to the spare office. Mel tried to savor her tea as she looked out the window. She enjoyed seeing and hearing the song birds as they flitted through the branches of the trees.
“What do you need me to do?” Daren asked.
“Put this on,” Eli said as he handed Daren the necklace.
“Is it our anniversary already? Oh Eli, and I didn’t get you anything,” he jested. He put on the necklace, intrigued by the triangle stone centered between various gold, brown, and red beads. “What does it do?”
“It protects your energy from being attacked or manipulated,” he said.
Daren laughed. “My energy? From what?” he asked.
“From someone like me,” Mel said miserably.
“What do you mean?” he said.
“Daren,” Mel began with a deep breath. She stood and faced him as she nervously fiddled with her hands. “It’s my fault you took me to the fight. I manipulated your energy so you thought it was your idea to take me. It was wrong of me. I had never done it before and didn’t even think it would work, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that I did it to you. I violated your trust. I acted without integrity. And I’m so sorry. I understand if you never forgive me for betraying your trust.”
Daren was quiet for a while. “When?” he asked.
“When what?” Mel asked.
“When did you do your energy thing?” he asked.
“The day of the fight,” she said.
“Oh,” Daren said, looking relieved. “Well, don’t do it again because, you’re right, it was a violation of trust. If we’re being honest, you probably didn’t do as much manipulating as you thought you had. I wanted to bring you to the fight since we went kayaking together. I was actually debating with myself over it.”
His admission shocked her. “Really?” she said.
“Yeah, it was really fun hanging out with you and it just seems like you need to do more things that’ll get you out of your head. I know the fight would have done that,” he said.
“Oh,” Mel said. She looked from Daren to Eli. “So, even if I hadn’t done what I did, I would have more and likely still ended up at the fight?”
“Yep,” Daren said.
“Huh,” she said, dumbfounded.
“This is a good lesson, Mel,” Eli said. “When you’re meant to be somewhere, you will end up there, so don’t compromise who you are and your integrity to force the situation. Doing so can create a nasty outcome for you. I knew you would be there since I did Viola’s card reading.”
Both Daren and Mel stared at Eli in shock. “Really?” they said.
“Yes,” he said.
“This is good to know,” Mel said.
“It’s all about trusting that you will be where you are meant to be when it’s the right time,” Eli said. “There are times to be more assertive, but this wasn’t one of those times.”
“You’re right, it wasn’t,” she said. “I’ve got to learn to trust the process.” She looked back at Daren. “Regardless, it doesn’t excuse my behavior and I’m still sorry.”
“No, it doesn’t excuse it,” Daren agreed. “Apology accepted.”
Mel was surprised he accepted her apology. The look on her face made him chuckle. “Really?” she said.
“Geez, Mel, we all mess up,” he said. “My best advice is to treat energy boundaries like physical boundaries. If you wouldn’t do something to a person physically, don’t do it to their energy.”
Mel nodded. The comparison made sense. “You’re right. Thanks,” she said.
“Let’s test out the necklace,” Eli said. “Mel, try to implant an idea into his energy again. I wrote the idea on their card. Make sure Daren doesn’t see it.”
“Are you okay with this?” Mel asked Daren.
“Sure, let’s test this necklace out,” he said.
Mel read the card. She managed to keep a blank face even though the idea Eli wanted Mel to implant seemed absurd. Mel imagined the idea as a ball of energy. She felt the ball run along Daren’s energy. Mel’s energy effortlessly melded through the light protective barrier created by the necklace. Daren’s energy relaxed around the idea and took it in.
Daren’s eyes widened and he looked at Eli with a mixture of betrayal and amusement. “Really, Eli? You’re trying to implant the idea that I want to be on the kickball team?” he said.
“You all have a kickball team?” Mel asked, trying not to laugh.
“Why not?” Eli said. “We play kickball, soccer, badminton, volleyball, and other sports during our solstices. It’s fun and it keeps us all active. Not all of us are interested in being fighters, you know.”
“And you don’t want to be on the team?” Mel asked Daren.
“I’m already on the soccer team because of Cindy and Mom ganging up
on me,” Daren said. “I love socializing at those events. I’m not as interested in competing. I mean, I already got Viola and Alura trying to convince me to fight in the tournament this year.”
“You should,” Mel said abruptly.
Daren paused. “What?” he said.
“You should fight,” she said. Information trickled into her brain along with the image of Chris. “You need to beat Chris. It’ll help.” She shrugged. “That’s all I got.”
“Damn,” Daren said as he rubbed his face. “I’ll think about it.”
“How do you feel about being on the kickball team now?” Eli said, getting them back on topic.
“It’s starting to seem like a good idea,” Daren said. His eyes widened as he looked at Mel. “Can you get rid of that idea?”
“I don’t know how,” she said.
“Well, damn,” he said.
“Why don’t you ask Viola to join?” she suggested.
Daren and Eli looked at each other. “Viola is too . . . competitive to be on a team,” Daren said. “She’s better with individualized sports.”
“Oh, why?” Mel asked.
“Some of our teammates just want to play and have fun. V only wants to win,” he said.
“Mel, what did you think of the protection on the necklace?” Eli asked eagerly.
Mel bit her lip. She was unsure of how to phrase her response. “Well . . . it was . . . present,” she said.
Eli realized where the conversation was going. “How was the strength?” he asked.
“Umm,” Mel said.
“You can be honest,” Eli said.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said.
“It was weak at best. I noticed it was there as my energy passed by it, but it wasn’t difficult to get through,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
Eli smiled. “No, don’t apologize. This is good. Failure is just another step closer to success,” he said. He pulled out a notebook and flipped to a page he had bookmarked with a pen. “This is the spell I used.”
Mel could feel the energy of the spell. The energy didn’t seem to mesh well with his energy. “Did you write it?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“No,” he said.
“How do you feel about the spell?” she asked.
He shrugged. “It seems okay,” he said.
“But you don’t like it,” she said. “In fact, I’m willing to bet the majority of spells in this book you don’t like.”
“It’s not that I don’t like them per se. I would just use different words and supplies for them,” he said.
“Then do that,” she said. “You and whoever wrote these spells are two different people. You both have different experiences and are going to resonate with different words and objects. You need to write spells that you can feel and believe in. It’s the feelings and the belief and the intention that give the spell power, right? I mean, that’s why I’m able to do whatever it is that I do because of my intention. If you don’t believe in it, then it’s just a bunch of words and herbs.”
Eli was uncomfortable with Mel’s assessment. But Sarah was so talented. I’m not good enough to write my own things like she could, his thought pulsed through Mel’s mind.
Mel could see a black ball of gunk lodged into Eli’s solar plexus. She knew it was playing a role in how he felt.
Remove it, a voice whispered within.
Mel’s hand began to glow, but she quickly noticed Eli and Daren didn't notice her hand. She felt an invisible hand grab her wrist and pull it towards Eli.
Eli watched without comment as Mel touched his abdomen. He flinched in discomfort as it felt like her hand slipped within his body.
Mel found the gunk, grabbed it, and pulled it away. She watched it melt in her hand, turning into golden dust that floated away. She felt tired after the action. “I’ve never done that before,” she murmured.
“What did you do?” Eli asked, touching his solar plexus in wonder.
“You had gunk there that made you feel like you couldn’t write your own spells,” Mel said. “It had to be removed.”
Eli nodded. “I do have my reservations about writing my own spells. I don’t think I’m at that level,” he said.
“Well, here’s your chance to find out,” she said.
“You’re right,” Eli said. “Will you help?”
“No,” Mel said brusquely. It was almost as though someone else had spoken for her. She was startled by her response. Information flooded her brain about Eli and Sarah and their dynamics. “I’m sorry, that came across very rude. I feel like you need to learn to do this and be empowered by your gifts. You still rely way too much on Sarah’s teachings instead of focusing on making it your own. And some of that was her fault for not encouraging you to grow in your own gifts. You should be trusting your gifts like you trust mine.”
He tugged on one of his long locs. “You’re right,” he said. “The cards and my dreams have been advising me to trust my abilities, but I haven’t taken the leap yet.” He glanced at the old, weathered journal in his hand. “I suppose I should be writing my own journal instead of focusing so much on Sarah’s.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Mel said.
“May I have the necklace back?” Eli asked Daren.
Daren handed the necklace back to Eli.
“Give me thirty minutes,” he said. “I’ll be back.”
Chapter 16
Daren glanced at Mel. “Well, while we wait, I’m going to get some food. I’m starving,” he said. He walked towards the door and noticed Mel wasn’t moving. “Come on, Mel. You can visit with me.” The relieved look on Mel’s face caused Daren to laugh. “I meant what I said when I told you I’m not mad at you.”
“Just had to be sure,” Mel mumbled as she walked with Daren to the kitchen.
Lee had removed the remainder of the door and the hinges. He was currently measuring the door frame.
“You know, I think it looks better without the door,” Daren observed.
“I do too,” Lee said. “Though, I’ll need to fix the frame too. They had the door to try to prevent the sounds of the kitchen from travelling upstairs as much. We’ll have to see how much of a difference it actually makes.”
“So, are you going to be a beta now?” Mel asked.
Lee laughed. “Is Bruce trying to get you in on it too?” he said.
“No, but you’ll be a great beta,” she said. “And Samuel needs the help.”
Lee was surprised by Mel’s statement. “Samuel needs help? That’s hard to believe. That guy is as calm as they come,” he said.
Mel shrugged. While Mel agreed with him, she also got the image of a duck in a pond. “Don’t know. It’s the impression I get about him,” she said. “He’s like a duck? I don’t know what that means.”
“I do. Calm on the surface, but frantically paddling underneath,” Lee said. “Maybe he is like a duck, but I never noticed.”
“You may want to listen to her, Dad. She’s a powerful witch after all,” Daren said.
Mel cringed at the word “witch.” She still wasn’t used to viewing herself in that manner.
“Fair point,” Lee said. “Well, I’m going to get the supplies to fix the door frame and take care of that, then I’ll give Bruce the good news.” He left.
Daren ate chicken and vegetables for his early lunch. Mel drank her tea as they visited. He was almost done with his meal when Eli came back.
Eli handed Daren the necklace.
“All right, Mel, give it another try,” Eli said. He handed Mel another card.
Mel imagined the idea was a ball. She saw the ball float towards Daren. This time, her energy gently bounced off the protective barrier around him. Mel tried again and the energy bounced off again.
“It’s not going in this time,” she said.
“Could you force it?” Eli asked.
Mel tested the barrier. “I could, but Daren would notice something was off,” sh
e said.
“Good,” Eli said with a smile. “I’ll continue to work and improve of my technique, but this necklace will work for now. Thank you for your help, Mel. And thanks for being our test subject, Daren.”
“No problem. Can I go to work now?” he asked.
“Yep,” Eli said.
“Good deal,” Daren said. He quickly washed his dishes. “See y’all later.” He left.
“How are you feeling?” Eli asked Mel.
“Okay,” she said. She was still a little tired from helping Eli, but she didn’t want to admit it. How dumb is that to be tired after minimal work? she thought.
“How about we try some energy work?” he suggested.
“Okay,” she said.
Eli and Mel went back to the spare office.
“So, would you like to tell me what happened yesterday, during your meditation?” Eli asked.
Mel told him everything. This time talking about it didn’t cause her to tear up. Mel felt like she was just stating facts.
“That was very good insight,” Eli said. “I hope that you released the only block you had on your gifts.”
“Me too,” Mel said. “So, are we meditating again?”
“We’re going to see how well you are able to leave your body at will. You’ve already done it a couple of times, so your body may interpret it as a low energy activity. First, we are going to address the concept of safety. When you leave your body, it puts your body at risk for other beings to walk into your body and/or attach to your energy field,” Eli said.
Mel’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “What?” Mel squeaked. “A ghost could walk into my body?”
“Yes,” he said. “So, a being can take over your body or attach to your body and influence your behavior and decisions. Any time you are in an altered state, including being drunk or high, you are more susceptible to these attachments. You must do things in order to protect yourself when you go into any altered state.”
The concepts made Mel nervous. “How do I protect myself?” she asked.
“First, you need to imagine a protective barrier wrapped around your body. You are the only one who can pass through this barrier. You want to make sure to protect yourself, especially when your spirit travels elsewhere. You can create a prayer to go along with the visualization to make it more powerful,” he said.