Absolute Magic

by Stephany Wallace

  Murmurs broke the silence followed by smiles, which spread like a wave of kindness. My heart grew a size or two at that moment, knowing it was the memory of Mom bringing that joy to their faces.

  “I’m sure many of you remember her. She was beautiful and kind to others, and from what I’m told, I have her smile and her weird sense of humor.” Chuckles reached me as my eyes stung. “I wish I’d been able to meet her. I wish more than anything, that she had raised me, here with all of you. Unfortunately, I wasn’t so lucky. The people that should have loved me, hated me because they knew who I really was, and they made sure—that in my ignorance—I would grow up hating it too. But the day I woke up here, in this mysterious place, my life changed forever. And without even knowing it, I got a second chance. I know in my heart that my Mother's spirit brought me here, and for that, I'm eternally grateful. Thanks to this place and the people who helped me, I learned who my Mother was, and I gladly let go of all that hatred because I finally realized the truth, one which was hidden from me all of my life.”

  A tear spilled from my eyes as I looked into theirs, roaming every face as though trying to memorize them. These people were my family too, and I needed them to accept me.

  "I learned how powerful forgiveness truly is, thanks to Eisha, Ronan, Cynwrig and so many others who have given me a chance to prove myself to them. Today I come here with the hope that you will find a way to allow me that. Not to forgive me, but to give me an opportunity to prove myself to you. I pray that you can one day absolve me for what I was a part of before… because my name is Kevan Duel, just as my Mother wanted it to be, but it wasn’t always.”

  I could see the confusion on their faces as my chest filled with pain and dread. I wouldn't be surprised if they couldn't forgive me. Yet I needed them to, because there was no place I rather be than here with them. Nowhere else I belonged.

  “My name was Felix Cornelli, and I grew up a Roman.”

  The faces surrounding me instantly changed. Some seemed startled, as they looked towards Cynwrig and Brina, some mothers clung to their children scared, as others looked at me intrigued. A few seemed furious.

  “But I’m not that man anymore, and I will never be again. He died the day I learned the truth. The moment I realized how much pain the Romans had caused you. The second that agony you carry inside, hit my chest with the same strength it hit you. I feel what you feel, and I know there are no words that will ever erase your pain.”

  I looked into their eyes again, one by one as the images the Druid girl shared with me returned. I saw the Romans burning a sleeping village, killing innocent families as the Warriors tried their best to defend their home. Their guttural screams, the smell of burnt skin, and the desperate pleas for mercy reached me, as new tears fell from my eyes.

  “There is nothing I can possibly say that can ever bring back the people the Romans took from you. I know because they took my Father too. They killed him. He gave his life for mine, so I could have a second chance. I swore to him that I would be a better man, and as I stand here today, I swear to you that I will never hurt you.”

  I wiped my face and took a deep breath.

  "I have the blood of my Mother inside me, her love for others, and compassion. I also have my Father's unbreakable will and determination. In their memory, I promise you I will do whatever it takes to earn your trust. To be the man who deserves to stand with you. I'm not asking you to forgive me, although I’ll hold on to the dream inside of me that one day you will. I am only asking for a chance to prove to you who I truly am. To be the man I was meant to be."

  “Kevan has proven worthy of us,” Cynwrig announced, placing his hand on my shoulder. “I can feel the purity of his essence and the true need behind his plea, even as he stands before you now. His words ring with truth. We have forgiven him because he is no longer that man. He is one of us now and shall forever be. Kevan has our trust, and we have faith you shall give him yours too.”

  Silence followed as the villagers looked at me. The mixed emotions in them were so compelling I could feel them through the bond my ability created. Yet, I was sure I felt it in a completely different way that Cynwrig did. It wasn’t their emotional response; it was their physical reaction to our words. Goosebumps covered my skin as the feeling became heightened. I had never felt my magic this strongly, but I gave into its need. Closing my eyes, I allowed the waves of energy exuding from the people to wash up against me, and before I realized what I was doing, my feet were moving.

  My eyes settled on the crowd, and my heart began to race as the sensation intensified with each step. My eyes searched through the faces until I found my mark. A young man stood between a couple, his parents, and as my eyes met his, the sting of pain traveled through my left arm. I cringed as my elbow throbbed wildly and moved closer to him. People stood back as I approached, and I wasn't sure if they were giving me space, or running away from me, but at that moment I didn’t care. All I could focus on, was the pain radiating through my arm, and as I walked through the row of villagers and towards the young man, I noticed he held his left arm carefully against his chest.

  A purple bruise covered the skin from his elbow to his bicep, and I knew the bone was fractured. Something inside me knew precisely the places where the bone had splintered and broken apart. It was as though my vision was an x-ray, and I could actually visualize it. His mother stepped back confused, but she didn't seem frightened as others did. My palms began to glow before I could open my mouth, and the woman looked at me in awe. The glint of recognition immediately filled her eyes, and she nudged her son forwards.

  My hands gently straightened his arm, he bit back a scream but he didn't move as I placed my palm on his elbow. The blue healing energy traveled from me to him regenerating the ripped tissue, and moving the bone into place while its pieces fused together again. He slightly trembled at the pain while I gritted my teeth. I could still feel everything he was feeling. The bruise disappeared just as my magic receded. I smiled. The young man looked at his arm astounded and moved it, testing it out.

  I'd never experienced this when Cynwrig was teaching me how to heal. I could only see his injuries, but right now I could sense others' pain too. Could Brina's magic have something to do with this? Did she open up something else in me? I absentmindedly wondered if the mimicked sensations would ever dull for me. In all honesty, I hoped they didn't because they would keep me grounded in how much these people needed my help, and what my mission truly was.

  "He's a Healer!" His mother yelled excited, and gasps erupted around us. She hugged me and her husband thanked me, but I was too concerned to notice.

  Another feeling engulfed me, and I took off searching for the source. There was pain in my chest, and I knew the person's breathing was labored and minimal. It was as though it was happening to me but it wasn't as strong as the other felt it. I moved along the crowd rushing to the person who needed me, and before I got to him, I knew he was suffering from a respiratory infection, and it was severe.

  Unlike the other family, this man seemed wary of me, even upset by the discovery of who I used to be. He was a burly man, taller than me, so I didn't want to mess with him, but I was going to heal him whether he liked it or not. I held his gaze, while I lifted my glowing hand, and slowly moved it towards his body. His eyes lowered, focused on the light emanating from my palm as it settled against his chest. I assumed he’d been in so much pain for so long, that even if he weren't sure about me, he would let me help. His chest moved with difficulty as he attempted to breathe, and my body copied his, the sharp pains he endured hit me too. This level of infection didn't happen in one day. I could sense the poisoned tissue and blood in him, the inflammation almost crushing his airways. It had been there for at least a month.

  Closing my eyes, I moved and placed my other hand on his back so that I could treat him from both sides. I sent more healing energy than I probably needed, but I was worried about the infection. A couple of minutes passed, as everyone remained silent, th
e tissue regenerated and the disease slowly leaked out. The second my healing magic reached it, it transformed the poison, taking the pus away and leaving only clean, healthy tissue behind. His chest lifted sharply as he inhaled, letting out a loud sigh. The air had finally filled his lungs. The man looked at me shocked, and continued to take deep breaths. Sheer relief crossed his face, and the look in his eyes would remain with me forever. That was thank you enough, but apparently, the big man didn’t agree. He threw his arms around me, hugging me and nearly squeezing me to death in the process. His arms lifted me against his chest and only put me down when I coughed. Everyone laughed as I welcomed the air back.

  “He is a Healer!” The man bellowed just as the lady had and I chuckled.

  The next second, I felt something pulling at my leg. When I looked behind me, I found a smiling lady, but the tug came again forcing my eyes to the ground. A little girl stood there, with an ancient looking rag doll in her grasp and puppy dog eyes. I crouched down to her level and smiled.

  "What's your name?" My gaze briefly fell on her small hand as I felt a dull throb on my finger.

  “Nealie, but papa calls me Nea.”

  I smiled. “That is a beautiful name.”

  "Can you heal my boo-boo?” She asked, raising her hand and I saw a cut on the tip of her index finger—probably caused by playing with rocks.

  I nodded and held her hand, placing a kiss on her finger. My healing light transferred from my lips to her skin, closing the small gash and taking the pain away. She smiled in return, and her doll kissed me on the cheek.

  "Thank you," Nea said and skipped away to play some more. Her mother threw one last, kind look at me, and walked back to her seat with the others.

  Taking a deep breath, I noticed the changed faces around me. Excitement and pride rushed through me. I fought the urge to drop to my knee, and raise my arms in the air while screaming superstar! I made my way back to the altar as everyone’s eyes followed me. Brina grinned, while Cynwrig gave me his famous nod of approval, and I knew it should be weird, but his approval meant a lot to me. Somehow, along the way, he became my mentor.

  My eyes briefly connected with Lia's and my chest tightened. I thought I saw an emotion in them, but it disappeared too fast for me to recognize. Eisha held my hand, the look in her eyes was full of respect, love, and devotion. It also promised deliciousness once we got back home, I suddenly wanted to yell “Peace!” and take off with her over my shoulder.

  We watched Brina walk to the other side of the altar leaving a space in between her and Cynwrig.

  “Today is a blessed day,” she announced with a smile and quickly looked at me. “It’s a day for new beginnings, for old traditions to return, and for celebration. I can't explain the happiness I feel as Cynwrig, and I share with you the news. Today, for the first time in the history of our people, we have the honor to introduce to you a complete Druid Court.”

  Cynwrig motioned his brother forward, and he stood in between him and Brina.

  Oh shit! Were they going to introduce us all, like one by one? What the hell were we supposed to do?

  “Please welcome, Art Bressall, The Goddess’ Soul Hunter.”

  Gasps erupted around us, and on cue, Art began to glow with a multitude of colors that seemed to emanate from his skin. What the actual fuck? My eyes widened as the whole village that stood in front of us kneeled to him—even those who were sitting. Damn, so what was he now, some kind of God? He glowed when Brina named him part of the Court earlier, but everyone did so I thought it had just been her staff's magic. Eisha looked at me as though she could hear my thoughts.

  “I shall explain later.” I nodded, my gaze returning to the front.

  “Welcome, Lia Brown, our Seer of Destinies.” Everyone clapped excitedly, and I still had no idea what that meant.

  She stepped back, her eyes glowing a light blue, similar to mine but much softer. Letting go of my hand, Eisha walked forwards next.

  “Welcome, Eisha Cinnia, our Seer of Prophecies, and Traveler of Time and Space.”

  I could feel the excitement in the crowd at the announcements. Hearts beat rapidly, blood flow increased, the energy levels changed all around us, and I grinned at how strange but right my ability felt. She returned to my side; her eyes glowed the beautiful silver I had come to love. I guessed glowing was the trick for the crowd.

  “Welcome, Kevan Duel, our Master Healer.”

  Lifting my hands, I let my healing energy burst out of my palms, making bright blue light engulf them. The emotion must have remained in them even as I stood there because they continued to applaud and cheer.

  Or maybe, just maybe, these wonderful people were willing to accept me after all.

  BRINA

  * * *

  We walked through the portal returning to our home as Art's hand stopped me. He stepped in behind me before the archway closed.

  "I need to talk to you, little sis."

  “Of course. What is it?”

  He sighed, and sat on the bed waiting for me to sit with him. My Spear of Light disappeared as I moved closer. He held my hand while Cyn sat next to us.

  “When I went to the Blessed Isles, I saw Nels.”

  I gasped and my heart filled with warmth. “Grandpa? How is he? Is he okay? Can he see us from up there? Wait, it is up there, isn’t it?” Art chuckled, and I realized I was rambling.

  “Yes it is up there.” His gaze moved to the sky through the window. “Somewhere among the stars.” When his eyes returned to me, they were filled with love. “He is well, peaceful and resting. And yes, he can see us from up there which makes him really happy.”

  I smiled as tears gathered in my eyes. That was all I wanted, for him to be happy. The image of him laughing at my craziness back at our old place flashed in front of my eyes. His handsome face, his beautiful sky-blue eyes twinkling… "I'm glad." It was the only thing I could manage to answer without crying. Art's hand held mine tighter, and I knew something else was coming.

  “He gave me a message for you, but I’ll understand if you are not ready.”

  My eyes widened. "I am. Tell me, please."

  “He said he was so proud of you, and that you have become a beautiful woman.”

  My lips stretched into a smile even as the tears fell from my eyes. That was Grandpa, a sweet talker even from the Blessed Isles. No one had ever made me feel as special as he did.

  “He also wanted me to tell you that he didn’t fail you in his duties. He taught you everything you needed to become the High Priestess you were meant to be. Nels, said to trust yourself, and when you couldn’t find the answers you needed, to sign his lullaby.”

  Chapter 7. What The Hell?

  BRINA

  * * *

  “Why would Grandpa say he taught me everything I needed to be the High Priestess? He never spoke of magic before, trust me, I would remember something like that. Also, it wasn’t like a conversation about spells and abilities could be brought up casually during coffee or a ride to my office.”

  “My Goddess…”

  I sighed, frustrated and confused as I walked through the portal followed by Cyn, Lia, and the others. “And why would he tell me to sing his lullaby? It makes no sense, Cyn. I mean, it’s not like I don’t remember the lyrics, he basically fed that song to me until I was fifteen. There was no telling that man that teenagers didn’t need lullabies.” I silently chuckled. Grandpa never stopped seeing me as his Little Bee.

  My heart warmed at the memory. I was fully-grown, and Grandpa still made me sing the song with him while we were cooking on Sundays—which was his only day off. Another memory rushed me, and I stopped walking into the clearing. With a gasp, I whirled around towards Cyn, just as the portal closed. The others stopped, startled, and almost crashing against each other. They stared at me.

  "The cave! I saw him in the cave, I mean, I saw us. I experienced a memory I guess, and he was singing the lullaby to me." I blurted out forgetting the previous conversation had been private.<
br />
  Art chuckled while the others looked at me like I was a little crazy. “What are they doing?” Kevan asked, being the only one out of the loop.

  "They can communicate telepathically now that they are both in sync, and officially the High Priests. It's one of their joint powers." Lia answered like she was speaking to no one in particular.

  I sighed, looking at Cyn. We were already at the Drombeg Stone Circle, and this was a special day. Also, I was kind of torturing Cyn at this point. We had been talking about this since last night after, Art told me about Grandpa's message. The conversation could wait. "Never mind. Just ignore us."

  Cyn stood by my side and took my hand. It was as though we were now magnets, drawn continuously to each other, suddenly needing to join hands at every moment. Our essences hummed and seemed to ignite when we did, it was a spellbinding experience every time. I smiled looking at the magnificent standing stones around us, while nostalgia filled me. We hadn't been here since the night Cyn finally took me to the place where he was born, and told me about his parents. Kevan and Lia looked curiously at the surroundings, and for the looks of it, we weren't alone.

  "Perhaps we should have come at night." Cyn's gaze followed the tourists who walked around us and took pictures of the site.