"My apologies, Miss Asrhia." My academy outfit disappeared, and the long dress and cloak appeared before me. I began to change frantically.
“So? What did my mother say?” I asked again securing the leather belt to my waist. No answer. I turned around almost falling as I tried to hurriedly slip my feet into the old shoes I had borrowed and found Jennyver smirking while sitting on my bed. The bed was already made.
“Oh, I have no idea, I haven’t seen your mom today. But it got you out of bed didn’t it?”
I narrowed my eyes at her, and she laughed. "Sneaky girl. I'll get you back. You'll see."
“Yeah, you wish. No one can outsmart me.” She said, grinning and I chuckled. She was right. “She is still in her room with your Dad. Everyone was out late in the monthly council meeting last night even my parents.”
"Yeah, thank the Goddess. I have to be more careful, or she'll notice something is going on."
"I'm surprised your mother hasn't realized what you are up to by now. I swear she's like Omnipotent. She knows everything. She sees everything." We laughed. "For real though. You need to come up with better excuses too. You are lucky she has been busy lately and hasn't caught your ass in those crazy expeditions of yours. You know she can look at you and know you are lying." I sighed. She was right. "I know I need to get my crap together. “So, who are you meeting with today?" I gave her a pointed look, and her eyes widened. "With the High Priestess again? You've spent the whole week with her. How does it feel? Is it weird? Wait, but I thought you were helping Eisha?"
"Yes, its very weird, with a capital W, but is also amazing. To meet her that young before she even knew everything she was capable of, and get to know her on a different level it's truly a privilege. She's so different, but also she seems just the same. I can't really explain. And yes, I'm still helping Eisha. I just haven't seen her in the past week. I needed a new strategy to get through to her. What I tried didn't work. I think staying away for a few days was the best I could do. Hopefully, that helped her reflect on what she learned about her future. I'm going to see her today, so we will see." I raised the hood of my cloak covering my head and hair and stared at myself in the mirror. I looked so weird in these clothes. "You didn't have to make my bed you know?" I said looking at her through the mirror. "You are not a maid. You are my uncle's personal Healer and my accomplice on anything mischievous I have the audacity to come up with." We chuckled.
"I literally just pushed a button, and your bed was made. Also, I'll always be your accomplice, and I'm fully prepared for the consequences, but there are a few things you are forgetting. First, I'm still studying to be a Healer. Second, I take care of your uncle because he's the sweetest man ever to exist. Everyone loves him, like seriously, how do I even say no? Third, helping him gives me more points than any assignment ever would, the reference from your parents alone is worth more than gold. Four, we are still grounded from the last brilliant idea we had, and if my parents find out I'm once again covering for you I'm toast, and we will never see the light of day again. Like ever."
I looked at her totally deflated. She was right. We were still grounded, and here I was, traveling in time to meet people I had no business meeting and putting my life at risk. I sighed.
"It's ok. I know how important this is for you, and I'm all in with you. We can do this. Now go, before your parents wake up. I'll cover for you."
We hugged. “Thank you for understanding and always supporting me.”
She rolled her eyes. “You think being older than you would make me the voice of reason.”
I scoffed at the idea. Jennyver was eighteen, only two years older than I. We had grown up together, and our parents were best friends. We were unofficial sisters. "Please, you are barely older than I am, don't be dramatic." She chuckled. I turned walked to the window and touched my necklace. "Ok. Here goes nothing."
“Wait!”
Jennyver yelled right before I disappeared and I let go of the necklace. “What? I have to go.”
“So if you are planning on seeing Eisha today, what is your new strategy?
“I haven’t the slightest clue.”
FELIX
* * *
Why was I always gasping for fucking air since I woke up in this damn place?
* * *
My eyes watered in response to the increased pressure in my throat, causing tears to run down my cheeks as Ronan and the others forced the food down. I coughed, jerking my head out of their grasp and gasped for air.
"Can't you fucking understand that I don't want to eat?" The words weren't as threatening as they should be, my voice was weak, and another coughing fit cut them off. I held myself on the bed, instantly feeling Ronan's hands hold my shoulders, helping me remain upright while I tried to breathe. Another Warrior they had called Catar or something close to it, held a glass of water to my lips, and as much as I wanted to spit it on his face, the truth was I needed it. The cold, refreshing liquid slid down my throat soothing me. The food that had successfully fallen into my stomach brought me comfort, but I didn't want comfort. I didn't want to be here. Wherever "here" was. If I were honest, I didn't even want to live. I’d rather die than serve as a tool for whatever they were planning. Being trapped here, without knowing what game these people were playing with me was not my idea of a tropical vacation.
Ronan let me go and my body fell slack, resting on the wall behind me. My eyes closed, I was exhausted from trying to fight them off while they held me down and force fed me. Was this what my life was going to be from now on? The people I had considered my family had left me off to die at the lake. No that wasn't right. I didn't consider them my family. My Father was my family, no one else. Had he really left me there or was that just a lie from the Druids to get me to believe their stories? I searched my mind for an answer as my breathing slowed. I could finally feel the oxygen filling my lungs. The memories came to me, one after the other. Throughout every moment of my life, my father had always been there. He had been the only one to ever care. Agustina, my so-called Grandmother, had treated me like dirt ever since I was a child. She never cared about me, and I was fine with that. I had accepted it, although I never knew what I had done to her. I could see the hate and the repulsion in her eyes, every single time she looked at me. My father, however, had always loved me. He had even defended me in front of her. No. The answer was no. He wouldn't have left me behind, even if Agustina had ordered it.
“Hey.”
The voice was small and hesitant, but it brought me back to the present. I slowly opened my eyes and found Ronan sitting in front of me on the chair. The others were gone.
“How are you feeling?”
I chuckled sarcastically. “You care?”
“I think it is obvious by now, we do. Do you not agree?”
I shifted to face him and looked into his eyes. "Why? Why can't you just let me die? You know I do not believe you. My father wouldn't have lied to me my whole life about what you are and what you have done. I know what he said is true, so what is your game? I don't want to be here with you people, and I know you don't want me here. Still, you won't let me leave. You heal me and force me to eat, but why? Why do you care? And what the fuck do you want from me?"
He stared at me like he was trying to find the right words. "Would you please consider that maybe your father was lied to as well? That perhaps he shared with you the stories he had been told, but that does not necessarily make them true?"
I stared at him taken aback by his words while they swirled in my mind. He took a deep breath and rested his elbows on his knees. He focused on his hands while he spoke.
"When I was a nineteen-year-old boy, a horrible plague came to our village. It traveled from the north, and it began infecting our people. At first, we were not sure what it was, the men and women presented a cough and a fever, it did not seem like anything we needed to worry about, then their condition worsened until the infected people began dying. At some point, the fever became so high it caused the orga
ns to fail one by one until death came for them. I remember my parents forbade my sister and me from going out of the house. Father boarded the windows and even the door to protect us, yet I used to look out through the small gap between the wooden boards at night after they were all asleep. I remember how still the village looked, the scent of death seemed to impregnate the air, but what I remember the most was seeing the Àrd-shagart, our High Priest, out every night, roaming the streets. He visited hut after hut during the evenings. He performed blessings for those that were scared and needed reassurance that our Mother Goddess had not abandoned them. He walked around the huts and pressed his glowing palms to the walls as he recited the protection spell that he had created to keep the plague away from those that were still healthy. Sometimes, I even saw him carry the bodies of those that had perished under the illness out of their homes and cleanse the house to ensure the rest of the family could survive. He did not cease his attempts to help until the sun was already shining above our heads, then he would go into his home, bathe, change and begin all over again. He cared for everyone in the village until the plague finally left us. Sometimes, going as far as placing his own family last, so he could take care of the rest." He paused and when his gaze found mine I could almost see the pain etched on them. "My little sister died during that plague. Cynwrig and Art's parents also perished."
I swallowed feeling the weight of his words and for some reason even the weight of his pain. "What is your point?" I asked, trying to seem indifferent.
He sighed heavily and leaned back in the chair. "My point is, my friend, that you heard that story from me, but I lived it. I know my people are good because I have seen it with my own eyes. I have seen their sacrifices, and I have shared their pain. The High Priest's children could have fallen ill to the plague while he was torn from their side to help the others. He could have perished, yet he continued to put himself at risk because he understood the responsibilities that came with being our spiritual leader, and in his eyes, the village was his to protect. It was his family. He never wavered. He cared for them in any way he could without a thought of what it could cost him. I am certain of that, as I am confident that The Romans burned our people alive that night in Anglesey like they had done to others before us. My wife, and family died by fire that night, as I thought they were safe and fought to save the children of a neighboring family. I lived that. I saw it with my own eyes. I felt the loss, and after my heart had been ripped from my chest, I continued to fight so I could help save the rest of my people. That is my responsibility as a Warrior and the day I took my protection vow I understood that. Unlike you, your father, or his father before him, I was a witness. If it is your destiny to die, then so it will be, but it shall not be by our hands and certainly not under our care. I will not allow your people to blame one more death on us."
Ronan stood, and without another look, he walked out of the cave.
* * *
~*~
* * *
EISHA
* * *
I placed the empty plate in the basin, and poured some water over it, washing it.
My eyes went to the window as I dried my hands on the small towel. The day was over, the sun had hidden, and the moon was brightly shining in the sky. A small smile graced my lips as I imagined Art coming to visit me tonight. We had spent time together almost every day since I had agreed to "give us a try" as he had put it. If I were honest with myself, I would admit that the prospect of the love I had experienced in my visions excited me. It filled me with hope to know that I could have that feeling, and as hard as I tried, I could not help but wonder when the first vision would come true. I knew love was nurtured. That it took time to grow within our hearts. Nevertheless, each time Art kissed me I longed to feel what I had felt during the numerous trances. I wanted to experience that emotion that took over my body completely, illuminated my soul, and that screamed through my every pore that I was his. I had never wished for time to pass as desperately as I did at this moment so that I could feel that way for Art at once. I wanted to love him now.
A strange feeling in the air alerted me that I was not alone and before it had fully registered, the knife I had used to prepare dinner was out of my hand and flying through the air. My eyes widened just as Asrhia squealed, and moved out of the way within a fraction of a second to impact. The knife went past her and crashed into the stone wall behind her, falling to the ground. Impressive reflexes. I thought.
“Will you please stop attacking me every time I appear?”
I suppressed a chuckle. I was so relieved to see her after she had been absent for a week. I thought she had given up on her attempts to help me and deserted me. Without a thought, I approached her and hugged her.
"Thank you for coming back," I whispered and stepped back. When I looked into her eyes, they were wide, and her face was ashen. I chuckled.
“I was not expecting that,” She admitted, lowering the hood of her cloak. “So….” She trailed off not knowing what to say.
"I thought about what you said, and you were right. I was selfish." Her mouth dropped. "I can be a reasonable person," I said in my defense, and she arched a doubtful eyebrow. I chuckled once more. She was such an adorable young girl. I wished I could meet her parents. "After you explained about my deaths I could not bring myself to stop thinking about the torment Cyn and Art must have gone through in those moments. I cannot in good conscience justify putting them through that just because I am afraid to face who I am. I realized everything you said was true. I am afraid to do this on my own because my mother is no longer here, and I do not know how to do this without her. I also realized that perhaps I am not as alone as I once was." I paused and took a deep breath as my heart raced in my chest. "This is not by any means a small step for me, but I have made my mind to take it. If you are willing to teach me still, I will do my best to learn."
Asrhia squealed, clapping in her happiness and jumped on me. Her arms wrapped around me and she squeezed me. I laughed accepting her hug, yet my eyes watered with emotion, and I was not entirely sure why. When we stepped away from each other, her eyes were also wet. We dried our cheeks, and she took my hand pulling me towards the bed.
“Alright, let us begin.”
I gasped ripping my hand away from hers, startled. “At this very moment? Today?”
She chuckled. "Yes. There is no time to waste. Your people need you."
“Ok, take a deep breath and close your eyes.”
“And then what do we do?”
“Just take a deep breath, I need you to relax before we begin. Clear your mind to anything and everything that might distract you. Now, take a deep breath with me.”
I closed my eyes and followed her instructions as we sat cross-legged on the floor. I imagined a white space surrounding me.
“Breathe in… Breathe out.”
Her soft voice became soothing as the light inundated my being.
“Breathe in… Breathe out.”
I felt my body slowly relax with her voice. The air traveled through me filling my lungs and leaving through my mouth. Before I knew it, he was with me. In this space I had created just for me. I felt him there, his love, his warmth. A small smile touched my lips. I liked being here with him.
“No, wait! You are not supposed to let the trance take you. Eisha. Crap!”
Asrhia's voice reached me, but it was distant, too far away to make sense.
How are you here with me? I asked, enjoying the warmth of his body against mine. I couldn't see him, but I knew he was here. I could feel his warmth wrapping around me and chasing away the cold that usually overpowered me.
“I promise to always be there for you. We are connected.”
His voice slowly drifted and disappeared.
“Come back, damn it!”
The frustrated words prompted my eyes to open. I frowned, I was staring at the ceiling, and Asrhia was kneeling in on top of me.
“What happened?” I asked, letting her pull me up.
"It was not a vision," I answered, confused, and stared at her remembering what I had experienced. "He was there," I whispered more to myself as the warmth returned. My hands flew to my arms, and I realized my skin was not cold as it typically occurred with a trance. I was not trembling or weak. I had been somewhere else.
"Who was there?" She asked, but I did not answer. I was not entirely sure how to explain or if I should. She looked at me as though assessing me. A calculative spark entered her eyes. "Your level of control is lower than I imagined. It really just takes you whenever it feels like it, does it not?" I sighed, defeated and nodded. "Well, I guess we must take an entirely different approach. We have to start from zero."
"I do not know anything about it aside from what I saw my mother do," I confessed.
“I can imagine. All right then. Let’s start with the basics. What we teach the children at the coterie when they begin their journey.”
I chuckled. “I figure the beginning is as good a place to start.” She smiled. “So what is the first step?”
She stood, offering me her hand. “You need an anchor.”
“An anchor?” I questioned, getting up.
She nodded. “An anchor is the very first thing we provide to the kids before their first vision.”
I shook my head. “I do not understand.”
"An anchor is someone that holds your hand while you enter a trance and keeps you connected to the present as your essence experiences the truth given to you." She paused at my confused face. "Imagine a child learning to swim. When you first submerge him into the water, you hold him so that he can get used to the feeling of his body in that new environment, to learn how to move his arms and legs and swim. Eventually, the child learns to swim, and he doesn't need you to hold him anymore. The anchor does that for you. Contrary to what others believe, when we experience a trance we do not see a vision as though it was a movie." She stopped when my frown deepened. "I apologize, let me try again. Visions are not images displayed before your eyes like a story. When a trance begins, our essence or soul leaves our bodies and travels to the moment in time we need to witness. We are travelers of time and space. That is how our visions work. We are not Seeressess, or Witches or fortunetellers. We are Ovates. Unlike the rest, we are there, actually there in that place in time experiencing that truth we must witness, stop, or bring forth to pass. As we return, our soul reunites with this vessel, our body, and we can use that knowledge we gained to help and protect others."
Unwanted Magic (The Ancient Magic Series Book 3) Page 10