Page 2 of King of Forest and Fur

She may not know much about her mentor, but she did know he wasn’t lying.

He scooted to the edge of his seat and forced Leila to look at him.

“I need you to keep believing in yourself. In me. You have so much more to give than being a divination professor.”

“But I love my job,” she started to protest, but he quickly held up his hand.

“I know. I’m not asking you to give anything up and I’m not belittling your work. You know, we are in the same field.” He gave her a wink, which allowed her to lower her defensiveness.

“I’m simply saying,” he continued, “don’t give up. We will find a way to unlock your potential of past and future time manipulation. It’s in you, I can sense it. You’re too talented in foresight to not be able to access the actual timeline itself.”

“Cha’. Except for my own.” Leila had an idea. “Do you think if?—”

“When.”

“When,” she corrected, “we figure out whatever it is that’s holding me back, would that unlock my power to see my own future any clearer?”

“The future is tricky when looking at it for ourselves. I’ve never known another Seer, or anybody for that matter, that could clearly see what would lay in store for them.”

Leila felt a little better knowing that at least she wouldn’t have the temptation at her fingertips. She knew from observing that it was better to just expect the unexpected and that was as specific as anyone should get.

Xanthus’s voice drew her out of past clients’ experiences.

“We just need to find what drives you into that box you have hidden away.”

“You could be wrong,” she said, finally voicing her fears and on-setting belief. “It’s been a year. I should have had something come from all of this work we have been doing. Shouldn’t I have?”

“Not necessarily. We’re close though. I know we are. And Leila,” he raised his heavy dark gray eyebrows at her, “when have I ever been wrong?”

She was comforted in knowing that Xanthus believed in her, but she just didn’t understand why.

“Here, stand back up. We have time for one more try before you have a divination class.”

Leila tilted her head back dramatically like a teenager would after being told the chores they had to do.

But, like an obedient student, she stood. Leila took a deep breath and faced the book that sat there motionless, taunting her.

Xanthus must have sensed the weariness in Leila as she scooted her stool back.

“Actually, we’ve been working hard. Maybe a break would do us good.”

“What? Now?” Leila wanted to, but there was a bigger part of her that needed to succeed. That was just how she was, and she knew, even if she didn’t believe she could do this, she’d find a way because she wasn’t going to back down. Especially with one of the world’s most esteemed sages guiding her.

“Rest may help you take a step back and see what may be missing.”

“No. I’ve got this. One more time, like you said.”

“But if you don’t believe, like you said earlier, then?—”

“No. I’ve got this. Let’s do it.”

The familiar, knowing smile crept back onto Xanthus’s weathered face. He knew Leila well enough now that he had her play right into his hand.

She smirked, admiring the way he always made her play against herself for encouragement.

“Now, listen to me.”

Leila loosened her body as she widened her stance and found a space between concentration and nothingness as she took in her mentor’s chant.

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