Eden recalled the book he was reading yesterday. Could he understand it? Or was it a habit borne of growing up longing for a techie’s talents? She swallowed around the lump in her throat. No wonder Elliott was so grumpy. Maybe it was better to grow up talentless instead of being hated by your family for being something other than what they wanted.
“I was supposed to take on the family business. They thought I might be able to learn what I needed to know. Then, I began feeling my mage power. I denied it for a long time, knowing my parents would hate me if they knew.” He paused to scowl darkly. “They did. The moment they found out I had a scrap of mage power, they disowned me. I spent several months on the street before Alena found me.”
“Wow,” Eden replied, not knowing what to say. “That must have been very hard.”
Elliott shrugged, one bony shoulder rising up and down. “It still is,” he grumbled and rose to stomp from the room. Eden watched him go, her appetite dwindling.
Focused on Elliott’s angry emotions, she didn’t immediately notice the mass of energy heading directly for her. Her eyes widened, and she froze in her chair. Five people entered at once. The group overwhelmed her senses. Alec’s energy was a soft gray among the other swirling colors and emotions, and she latched on to it, breathing deeply. If four mages were difficult, she would never survive a town, especially not one composed of mostly mages.
Alena’s eyes sought her out, assessing her posture and her expression. “You’re feeling better?” Eden nodded, but she was certain she still appeared overwhelmed. “Hmmm, I’m going to have to work on your shields. You can feel everyone, can’t you?” Eden nodded again, her face burning. “Don’t be embarrassed about it. Almost all mages can feel other mages to some extent. Most mages keep their shields up at all times to counteract the extra sense, although some can only identify another when they’re looking into their eyes. Others have more advanced senses.”
“Like smelling emotions and seeing colors?” Eden asked.
Alena cleared her throat. “Um, actually, no. Most mages can’t do that.”
Eden shifted in her seat nervously, ducking her head to avoid all the attention suddenly focused on her. She’d put her foot in her mouth, and now they thought she was weird.
She called out to Gideon who was still enjoying the fresh air on the porch. He made a small sound in her mind that sounded suspiciously like a snort. I can’t school you in everything, Edania. Some answers you’ll have to determine for yourself. Don’t worry; they’re just worried about safeguarding their secrets. Humans are very secretive creatures.
Alena patted her on the shoulder, the smell of her nervousness already fading. “Don’t worry about it; we’ll work on your shields.”
“Ok,” Eden replied in a small voice. She nibbled at her sausage to overcome her nervousness. The young girls crowded around the table, each taking a plate and filling it themselves. Alec did the same, but his motions were more controlled and relaxed than any of the females. His energy was soothing, and Eden wondered if it was because he was a techie or if it was a quality particular to him.
“I can’t feel Bette at all,” she blurted, eager to downplay her skills.
Alena grinned. “I don’t think anyone can feel Bette.”
“You could be a sensor and an empath,” Jessie offered. The labels meant nothing to Eden.
“That’s enough, Jessie,” Alena admonished. “She’s already feeling overwhelmed.” Surprisingly, the girl quieted. Eden studied the silent twin and wondered if the girl ever spoke, or if she was merely accustomed to letting her twin take the lead. She smiled at Eden but didn’t speak. Kathy squinted at Eden, her energy less boisterous than the evening before.
“You can’t do your own hair, can you?” Kathy asked. The nervousness in the room increased. Eden attempted to push the emotions away, but they floated in the air like dust motes. She couldn’t avoid brushing against them. She smiled, hoping to calm the others by demonstrating she wasn’t easily offended. She patted the snarls in her hair.
“Nothing complicated, no. I can brush it and clip it up, but that’s it. My best friend braided it yesterday morning, and I don’t have the heart to undo it yet.”
Kathy bounced, her excitement brightening the light between them. “I can braid hair!”
“That would be nice,” Eden replied with a smile. Alena was shielding. A wall surrounded her energy, but light and feelings still leaked past the barrier. Eden wondered if she should tell Alena that her wall wasn’t high enough. None of the young mages shielded at all.
“I can braid hair, too,” the silent twin, Jenny, said. Her voice was higher pitched than her sister’s.
Jessie nodded sagely. “Yep. She’s very good at it, better than Kathy.”
“Hey,” Kathy protested, disappointment scenting the air around her.
“You can both braid my hair sometime,” Eden said. “I like it braided to keep it out of my face.”
“Why don’t you cut it?” Jessie asked. Eden shrugged, not willing to answer. She wasn’t vain, but she didn’t want her hair to be as lacking as her body. Also, she loved long hair on women, so she understood the appeal.
“Girls, you need to eat; classes will start soon,” Alena directed. Her role in the house required a lot of mothering, and Eden didn’t want to consider where the girls would be without the generous woman. “Where is Charity?”
“Sleeping,” Eden replied without thinking. Charity’s form slept two floors above them, stable and muted.
Alena cocked an eyebrow, and Alec hid a quick grin behind a cup of coffee. “You’re adjusting very well,” Alena mused. Eden fiddled with her fork; waking her magic had also awakened her mouth. Alena addressed the quieter twin. “Jenny, since you’re done eating, can you wake up Charity?”
The younger girl pouted. “She always throws pillows at me,” she complained as she left the room. The table was silent except for clinking silverware. Eden had finished eating, but she enjoyed another cup of Bette’s delicious coffee. Although the room swirled with emotion, she enjoyed the company. Releasing her magic had increased her confidence and comfort.
Your physical form was merely a shell when your magic was contained, Gideon explained. Mages have a very challenging time living without their magic; it’s remarkable you survived. The spell robbed you of your soul and your essence, stealing your sense of belonging in your body and your existence. You will feel differently now, and it may take some time to adjust. Eden silently considered his words. She agreed more than just her magic level had changed. Who had suppressed her magic? Now that she knew what she’d been missing, she considered it a very cruel trick.
“Eden, can you join Alec and me in the sitting room when you’re done eating?” Alena asked, rousing her from her thoughts. Eden nodded. She had expected a meeting with Alena, but she didn’t know why Alec was necessary.
Charity stomped into the room, followed by Jenny who complained about getting smacked with a pillow. The beautiful woman was as much of a morning person as Elliott, maybe less so. Charity’s energy was chaotic and bright; but not in power, more in luminescence. Eden wasn’t sure what her interpretation meant. Her senses weren’t of any use if she couldn’t decipher them.
The girls slowly wandered to the backyard with varying degrees of reluctance. Alena explained to Eden that the building was occupied by an old mage and two low-level techies. The trio spent five days a week schooling the younger girls on the same subjects they would receive in school. Elliott and Mac were not required to attend. Charity attended lessons with the senile mage twice a week since persuasion was such a difficult skill to learn. As far as anyone could tell, it was the only ability that Charity possessed. Today was her morning with Mr. Crowley, and she wasn’t pleased.
“Shall we?” Alena asked when the room had emptied except for the three of them. Eden followed them to the sitting room, calling for Gideon silently. Neither Alec nor Alena looked surprised to see him waiting when they entered.
Eden
stopped at the doorway, stepped over the threshold, and stepped out again with a frown. Alena watched her antics with a bemused expression.
“This room is different,” Eden observed aloud, stepping in and then out again. She was so intent on deciphering why her senses tingled with awareness, she didn’t realize how strange she appeared.
“Yes,” Alena replied, hiding laughter. “The room is layered with spells. No one outside the door can hear what anyone inside is saying. It also mutes the energy of everyone else in the house.”
Eden fully entered the room and reassessed the energies of the others. She could feel them, but barely, like they were at the bottom of a deep well. She sighed in relief, releasing some of the tension from the constant sensations stressing her mind. Alena sat on the loveseat. Alec leaned one hip against the wall, with his muscular arms crossed over his chest. In here with them, their emotions were clear; if she stepped out, they would fade like the others.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to keep you waiting. And I’m certain I’m acting like an idiot. It’s like waking up with all my senses after being blind and deaf for twenty years.”
Alena smiled reassuringly. “Take all the time you need. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you. When mages mature, they are broken in slowly. Their magical senses develop along with their regular senses; they never feel separate. Abilities manifest over time so as not to overwhelm the mage. Some stronger abilities delay manifestation until a certain age, perhaps waiting for a particular maturity level.”
“Hmmm.” Eden considered Alena’s words as she lowered her body to the settee. Alec sat in the chair between them and Gideon perched next to her. Eden silently asked him if she could pet him, and with his permission, she stroked his soft feathers. He lent her comfort with that simple touch, easing a portion of the nervousness wafting off the others in the room.
Alec cleared his throat. “Eden,” he began, and Eden wondered if this were the first time he’d actually addressed her. She liked the sound of her name on his lips, but she refused to dwell on it. Lusting after Alena’s boyfriend was not the smartest idea, especially not when she was also lusting after Alena. She almost giggled, but Gideon admonished her. Now was not the time. “We think… Um, we are certain that the necklace which suppressed your magic was also tech. It is a Magitech piece.”
Eden stared at him, the bottom falling out of her world.
Chapter Fourteen
Alena
Eden’s beautiful eyes widened. The young mage had gone through so much. Alena hated to increase her stress, but it was crucial to determine the possible reasons she was being followed. Her eyes had changed, Alena noted. They had been a muted brown, as bland as the gazes of most mundanes. Now, the deep brown shade mingled with golden flecks. Against her dark hair and bronzed skin, they were striking. If anyone had told Alena that Eden could be more beautiful than she was yesterday, she would have laughed. But she was. She flicked a glance at Alec, wondering if he noticed.
“Magitech,” Eden breathed. “I don’t know anything about Magitech. I thought it was just an idea, kind of like a fairytale.
“Honestly,” Alena said, “so did we. I’ve never encountered a single Magitech or a piece of equipment that contained both magic and tech. There are a few inventions that can place a tiny measure of one into the other, but they seem equally strong in your amulet.”
“How do you know? Alec, can you take it apart to examine the purpose of the tech? Alena, you can determine the basic spells, right?”
Alena grimaced. She didn’t want to touch the thing. Alec frowned, but for a different reason. “I don’t possess the skill level to test a piece like that, especially with all the magic layered on it. I would hate to break it and leave us with nothing. I would like to test you, though. We’re curious to see if any tech abilities were released with the amulet’s removal.”
Eden’s eyes widened further, and Alena regretted springing all of this on her. “You think I might be Magitech? Not just the amulet?”
Alec shrugged. “It’s just a guess. Not many mages could wear a piece like that and not have it interfere with their bodies or minds in some way. But, your magic was also suppressed. The tech may have reacted to you as a mundane. I have no way of knowing; I’m only a mid-level tech. There might be someone I could ask for help, though…” He trailed off, and Alena looked at him curiously. He hadn’t mentioned this before. Alec gifted her with a sheepish grin. “Sorry, I just thought of it this morning. I was wondering if Davin could help us.”
Alena’s brows rose in suspicion. “Davin Rennert? I don’t know about that. I know you think he’s a good guy from your university days, but we have a household of unregistered mages. I don’t like the idea of trusting one of the most powerful techie Elites in the territory, especially not with this secret.”
“Davin isn’t anti-mage like many of his peers; he goes out of his way to help mages. His company is at the forefront of developing Integration products. It was one of the reasons we were friends, despite him being higher level than me. I won’t include him yet, but if we have no other options…” He let the idea hang, shrugging broad shoulders.
Alec was only trying to help, but Alena thought his tendency to think the best of everyone would someday doom them. At the very least, it could cause messy problems. Eden followed their conversation curiously.
“Dr. Davin Rennert? The owner of Rennert Industries? You know him?” The prospect momentarily distracted her from her possible status as a Magitech.
Alec nodded. “I knew him very well. As to the testing, it would only be a couple things; it could be done fairly quickly.”
Eden gnawed her bottom lip, that action which thoroughly distracted Alena. Alec seemed mesmerized as well. With the way he shifted in his chair, Alena assumed the habit had the same effect on him. When Alec and Alena first agreed to have an open relationship, she had never considered they might be interested in the same woman. One failed attempt at dating the same woman had disillusioned them both, but it seemed like it might happen again. Alena found the idea both tantalizing and frightening. She would love to have Eden and Alec in her bed, but it hadn’t turned out so well the last time.
Eden’s eyes widened, and Alena cursed silently. She’d forgotten Eden could sense emotions. She cleared her throat, desperate to change the subject. “Do you think you could do that?”
Eden shook herself as if the physical emotion could clear her mind. “Um, yeah I can do that. And shields?” She looked directly at Alena, verifying her assumption.
“Yes, shields,” Alena replied. “Later this afternoon, we can work on that.” Alec seemed curious. He knew he was missing something but didn’t know what it was, and Alena didn’t look forward to explaining. He tended toward shyness with women, despite his attractiveness and sweet personality.
“And clothes?” Eden asked hopefully.
Alena smiled. “Yes, we can do that this morning. Do you want to accompany me into town or would you like to avoid it now?” Eden bit her lip again, and Alena resisted the urge to roll her eyes to the ceiling in supplication.
“I am worried about going into a bunch of people. When I sensed all of you this morning, it was overwhelming.”
“It is mostly techs so you shouldn’t feel anything. There are very few mages in Canton - one or two compared to the seven here.”
Eden glanced at Alena uncertainly. “I feel techs as well, even though it feels different. Alec is a muted gray instead of chaotic colors and energy. It’s soothing,” she admitted with a pretty blush, peeking sideways at Alec.
“You can sense him too?” Alena asked incredulously. She’d never heard of a magic sensor being able to identify techies. She didn’t know much about empaths and had been surprised when Jessie mentioned it as a possibility. “What about the animals? What about the techs in the back house?” she questioned, sitting forward in eagerness.
“Gideon and the connection between us is obvious and clear. Zar feels different from Gideon
, but I can still sense him. As for normal animals, no. When I sat on the porch this morning, I didn’t sense the birds I heard singing. The techies in the back are weak, but I can still locate them. I haven’t met a mundane yet.”
“Amazing,” Alena breathed. She almost wished she were in the Western Territory so she could consult the elders about Eden’s powers.
Eden shrugged. “Actually, it’s kind of irritating. My senses feel constantly overwhelmed. I think going into town would be a bad idea.” Alena waited while Eden considered the pros and cons. Alena didn’t know why it was such a difficult decision. She was a woman like Eden, so it shouldn’t matter if she rifled through the younger woman’s underwear drawer. When the thought filled her with heat though, she understood a little better. It had been far too long since she’d been with a woman. Alec kept her extremely satisfied, but it didn’t lessen her desire for the joy of a woman’s body.
Finally, Eden sighed. “I’ll stay here. Maybe I can do that test Alec mentioned. Do you mind going alone?”
“Not at all,” Alena said and meant it. Leaving the house for a while might help clear her mind. “Alec, can you do the testing this morning?”
“I’d be happy to.”
“Eden, how will you react if you are Magitech?” Alena didn’t want to leave if she was bound to break down with the discovery. She almost considered delaying her trip until after Alec was done with the test. She forced herself to trust that Alec could handle any problems. It was difficult for her control-freak tendencies.
“I’ll be ok,” Eden said with forced cheer. “I handled having magic; I can handle a little tech.”
Alec exchanged a glance with Alena. They wished it was that simple. Thankfully, Eden hadn’t been raised on horror stories of tech abilities driving mages insane before they reached adulthood.
“Is there anything besides clothes that you need from your apartment?” Alena tried not to dwell on matters she couldn’t change.
“No, I don’t think so, except maybe some stuff from the bathroom. My toothpaste and toothbrush…there are some upstairs, but I don’t want to use up all your supplies. I’ll go get my keys; they’re in my room.” She stood. Gideon disappeared, making Alec and Alena jump, but Eden barely noticed.
Magic's Divide (Magitech Book 2) Page 12