Page 11 of Gifted Destiny

Garrett is the first one to voice his suspicion. “Controlled how?” His tone is as stiff as his body. While I was imprisoned, Garrett and his brother were being groomed under Addington’s control.

“Mind you, my ideas are theoretical. I have no firsthand experience with this form of magic. Several experts postulate that an atmospheric mage’s power can be subdued or siphoned.”Tremayne’s hesitancy reveals his discomfort with the idea, and his description makes me recoil.

“Like a tether?” My disgust makes Kodi flinch. Since flickering into solidity, he’s started to react more naturally and shown a wider range of emotions. The departure from his usual aloofness is promising.

“No, no,” Tremayne says quickly. “Tethers are crude and don’t require consent. I don’t condone their use and have long maintained that they should be as illegal as the pheromone trap you encountered this morning.” His vehemence soothes some of my irritation, but I remain suspicious.

“Most mages have refined abilities. Their magic is trained via spells, gestures, or the manipulation of the natural world, but atmospheric mages have raw power. Because the magic exists in a purer form, it might be possible to channel it into something or someone. Ideally, this would happen before it explodes into an eruption like the storm this morning.”

Tremayne speaks mostly to Bren. Although my guardian appears to be more interested in the tower he’s creating out of the round snack crackers, I know he’s listening to every word.

“All mages are like rechargeable batteries. Their power levels fluctuate depending on how much they use, and their magic renews with time. Atmospheric mages are different because they have the ability to exceed their capacity. You convert the atmosphere’s ambient energy into more magic. When that magic isn’t used or discharged, it can leak out of you and have dire consequences.”

I gape at Bren, and I think I’m the only one surprised. Kodi and Avery appear unfazed, Garrett is upset by the information, and Ansel is too weak to react. Bren’s expression doesn’t change, but the tower of crackers starts to sway. The library snatches them before they can make a crumby mess on the table. Theydisappear, and the snack tray is replenished, although most of us aren’t interested.

“A battery might simply leak into its container, but Bren’s magic seeks to return to its original state. When it retreats into the atmosphere, the interaction can be volatile.”

Bren’s grip on my hand tightens to the point of pain. I lean toward him and he does the same. When our arms are pressed together, his hold loosens. Tremayne’s explanation fascinates me, but I’m also angry. If Addington had provided him with this knowledge, Bren could have learned how to control it.

“The idea I mentioned involves releasing some of his power before he overflows. He can channel it into an object, but the item will absorb his magic. Several historical relics powered by atmospheric mages have caused as much, or more, destruction as the mages that filled them.” Tremayne pauses, stroking his fingers down the length of his impressive beard. “Less reliable sources suggest that atmospheric mages have attempted to funnel their power into another person instead of an object,” the old mage adds in a more hesitant tone.

“And what happened?” Garrett growls.

“The research is inconclusive,” Tremayne responds with a shrug. “Humans aren’t capable of receiving direct doses of raw magic. The more powerful they are, the more difficult it is because of the capacity I mentioned earlier.” The mage’s bright blue eyes flicker in my direction, and the words die on the tip of my tongue. How did he know I would volunteer?

“I am also not specifically speaking about mage power, either.” Tremayne glances at Garrett and Avery after me, making the accusation fairer. “This isn’t limited to mages. Shifters and vampires are as powerful; their magic simply presents differently.”

My shoulders droop as the old man crushes each of my ideas. “But an object might be possible? If Bren places magic intosomethingand thatsomethingis stored in the library, we could protect it. The library will safeguard it against falling into the wrong hands.”

Tremayne opens his mouth to answer, but he doesn’t get a chance.

“What about me? I don’t have any power and I’m already dead. It’s not as if the process would hurt me.” Kodi’s unexpected words draw the attention of everyone gathered. Even Ansel’s eyebrows manage to rise.

“It’s a clever solution,” the mage replies. Kodi’s chest puffs with praise, but Tremayne isn’t finished. “However, I’m afraid it would be an exercise in futility if you can’t absorb or hold onto that energy. Can you achieve a corporeal form on demand?”

“Almost,” the ghost boasts.

“Then it might work,” Tremayne murmurs in a more hopeful tone. “I believe you have more options than the historical mages I have studied. The library might even know a solution that I haven’t considered.”

“This is only possible if my brother agrees to the discharge of his magic,” Garrett growls.

“Of course!” I huff as I turn my gaze to the older brother. “I’d never propose anything like that without Bren’s consent.”

Garrett’s dark eyes hold mine as he assesses the honesty of my statement. After a second, he nods. “This isn’t the first time I’ve considered doing this,” Bren says.

I break the intense hold the shifter has placed on me and swivel to my other side. Bren’s pale green eyes, fringed with long, thick lashes, reassure me before settling on his brother.

“Remember when I was around seven or eight? Addington gave me a rock and told me it was a worry stone. He told me I would focus better if I poured all my magic into it. I refused. I knew by then that his so-called help usually hid dark motives. I also thought he was stupid for thinking a rock could absorb mymagic. He’s known all along that he could use my power if he could just get it out of me.”

Instead of betrayal or anger, Bren’s tone conveys indifference and thoughtfulness. At first, I’d worried they would grow to resent me for the loss of a connection to their sire. It soon became clear, however, that they’d emotionally disowned him long before they met me.

Garrett nods stiffly. “I remember. Even before that, though, he’d tried to be the vessel.”

Tremayne grunts, drawing our attention. “The alpha shifter’s vanity would have been his undoing,” he explains. “My mage affinity includes assessing the potency and nature of a supernatural’s magic. It’s best that you didn’t comply, Bren. Addington’s magic is not complementary to yours. He wouldn’t have survived. No child should bear the burden of murder, even unintentional.”

I nod in agreement as my gaze shifts automatically toward Kodi. His memories were fractured, but he remembers killing his father before the man could kill me – or him. He was certain he’d killed before then, however, and the guilt haunts his afterlife. Addington might have deserved death, but the act might have broken Bren’s gentle soul.

“I agree,” Garrett replies as he rubs his hand over his short hair. “Especially since Bren was younger at the time. This power had just manifested, which would have made him about five years old. How did Addington know about channeling the power, though? Shouldn’t information like that be protected from those that might abuse it?”

---