Page 59 of Chaos and Destiny
“No, Temir. I should go. I’ll meet you back here in an hour.”
I pulled her into a hug, and as soon as I let go, she vanished.
“Who’s your friend?” Rhogan asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Someone who doesn’t want to get involved with us. You know where we are going?” I asked, deflecting.
“Seems like she’s already involved with one of us,” he said, pushing his shoulder into mine.
“Something like that.”
“The wielder is right up here. His parents are waiting with him.”
We walked to the house, and Rhogan entered like he owned the place. We sat down in two chairs opposite an older fae boy and his parents.
“Before you even start, just tell me why you told them, Rhog,” he asked.
I looked at him and back to the boy.
“Cheb, you know I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important. I would have never told your secret if I didn’t know this was the best way to keep you and your parents safe.”
“Why would I join the rebellion and not stay in hiding or go to the king? I heard if he sees my powers, he will protect me. Might even let me live in the castle. Seems like a good idea to me.”
Rhogan gave me a look, and I nodded. My turn.
“My name is Temir. I trust that everything we say here today will stay here. Is that a fair thing to ask? Even if you decide that the rebellion is not the right place for you, can you keep this meeting between us?”
“Yeah, yeah, we’ve already promised Rhogan he could kill us if we talked.” He looked at Rhogan, who grinned from ear to ear as if the threat were something to be proud of.
“I actually live in the palace with King Autus. I thought about leaving that out of the meeting, but I think it’s best to just be honest with each other. I can tell you firsthand that being someone’s slave, being at someone’s beck and call all day every day for the rest of your life is no way to live.”
“I can’t believe hiding and running for your entire life is a way to live either,” he answered, looking at his parents.
“No, but I think joining the rebellion would be the middle ground. You wouldn’t have to hide from everyone, and everything you did would make a difference. You could help change the world.”
“Is that what they told you?” he asked.
“Actually, no. I’m not even sure the rebels wanted me when I first joined. But I wanted them.”
He bit his lip, studying me. “What is your magic?”
“I’m a healer, what’s yours?”
“They didn’t tell you?”
I shook my head. “Should they have?”
He motioned toward a bucket in the corner and then stood, drawing the water in a thin stream through the air and into a bucket in an opposite corner. He concentrated so hard I thought he might start sweating, but eventually, one bucket was empty and the other full.
“I’m just learning, and there’s no one to teach me, so I know it’s not much, but it’s getting better.”
“Can I show you?” I asked.
He looked to his parents, who nodded, and I stepped toward him. “You’ve already figured out the hard part, and that’s the initial spark to let your magic move. Close your eyes for me. Now picture your magic like the water in the bucket. You’ve only got so much to perform the task. No matter how big or how small the task, your power is limited.”
Hope lit his eyes. He nodded, and I could see his understanding.
“Before, when you moved the water, I believe you pushed it constantly with your mind until the task was done, but your bucket was also almost empty. You’ll never have a bigger bucket. Your magic will never grow to be more expansive than it is right now. And you shouldneveruse the last drop. The key is rationing your magic, letting it do the work for you. Keep your eyes closed and think of moving the water again. But this time, I don’t want you to actually move it. I want you to just see it happening. Watch the full process in your mind. After you are done, take that entire process and wrap a small bit of magic around it. Put your magic into the process and not the actual action as it happens.”
