Page 140 of Crimson Promises
“I understand, Ben,” I nodded solemnly. I understood that what my gift could do and what it could give others was important.Iwasn’t. I thought after last night, Ben had finally seen all of me.I guess I was wrong. At the end of the day, I was a force to be yielded to others.
Fuck that.
I was going to train and learn and master everything Ben taught me so I could dictate my own future. Maybe it was a good thing everyone always left. It meant no one would have the chance to use me for whatever suited their whims.
“Do you feel your power? It should feel like a living, breathing entity in your body. Easily accessible and responsive to your directions. It is a sentient part of you.”
I closed my eyes to focus on removing the invisible barriers I had learned to erect around myself to keep my magic distant. Where are you? I called.
At the core of every blood cell and every neuron, I felt the faint buzzing of my power; it grew louder, more powerful with my summons. As it had the last few weeks.
“I feel it.”
“Good. Our goal during these sessions is to begin to form your power into something that beckons to your will instead of pouring out of you when it senses something around you is vulnerable and needs to be healed. It will require physical and mental endurance.”
He walked towards the orb of light.
I mirrored his movements.
As we got closer, I noticed his jaw clenched and the veins running along his temple bulging.
“My magic depletes quickly. I tend to save it for extreme situations, say defending some from demon attacks when necessary. Even managing to keep this tiny ball of light going wears me out. Instructors always referred to the amount of magic you have in you as a 'well.' Archangel's power is so abundant that they always have a never-ending amount accessible. Their well never runs dry. The Gifted angel's power hovered around a seventy-five to one hundred percent mark depending on breeding, familial lines, etcera. It was one of the reasons that the Gifted didn’t converse with those outside of their class. They didn’t want to risk diluting their lineage with those of lesser magical capabilities. It always came down to power, how to obtain it, how to keep it, how to wield it. Whereas Ordinaries like myself typically have power levels around twenty-five to thirty percent. Not much, but better than nothing. At least, that’s what we were always told."
The shadows emphasized the scruff along his beard.
"There are magical objects, calledmagicum, for those that have what feel like endless amounts of power to help control and release that unlimited well of might. It is a tool. Imagine your power is as vast as the ocean we watched off the cliffs tonight. Amagicumacts as a dam that helps direct the water to where it needs to go. It helps regulate the flow of, stores, and regenerates your magic.”
“Sweet, when can I start using one of those?”
Ben frowned. “Unfortunately, most of those are in the hands of the Gifted. I had one once. It was taken from me.”
“Who took it?” I asked, intrigued to find out more.
“I’ll answer one question for every maneuver we practice and you get right.”
“Deal.” I rolled my shoulders back and held my chin high.
"Let's start with offense," Ben said, drawing a short, gleaming dagger from his belt. “Allow your power to come through the surface without interference. Feel that release. Show me what you can do."
I closed my eyes, focusing on the power that thrummed through my veins. I extended my hand, and a burst of energy shot out, striking a nearby rock and shattering it into pieces. I covered my head with my hands.
Ben’s wings shielded him from the majority of the debris. It sounded like hail as the shards of stone hit the ground floor.
When the silence resumed, I dropped my arms to see Ben’s wings had disappeared behind him.
“Good," Ben said, nodding approvingly. "But you must learn to be more precise. A careless attack could have disastrous consequences. Typically healing magic is not meant to be channeled for offense, as opposed to elemental magic, an affinity towards chaos, or heightened combat. We don’t know for sure the extent of your powers but we are going to operate based on the expectation that your power is like most other mending types of abilities. But we already know you have a high density of power that can be used to throw off attackers to give you an advantage to run. After healing me, or yourself you didn’t show an ounce of exhaustion. Healing a wound with any amount of demonic essence is no easy feat. At every opportunity, my chief advice would always be to run. Do not engage if you can avoid it, Aurora. Help will always find you.”
I rubbed my sweaty hands down the front of my leggings.
A few days ago, I would have scoffed at Ben’s incessant overprotectiveness, but in light of recent events, I knew the dangers he spoke about were out there, lurking in the shadows. I was thankful for that orb that continued to light the area.
“We don’t have to rehash this each time, Ben. I told you that I understood the seriousness of the threats around me. Why else would I ask you to spend time training me? I could be sipping a nice warm cup of tea instead of freezing my ass here with you.”
Ben walked ninety degrees around the clearing so he was standing in line with the orb. “We are going to try an exercise in control. Now, attempt to replicate a small ball of light in your hand.”
I placed my hands on my hips. “Ben, I appreciate the usefulness of this tool, but don’t you think that isn’t exactly a priority.”
Ben’s stare drilled into me. “It is often the simplest things that are most difficult to master. Having access to light, access to warmth if you're ever stranded, with the levels of magic you have, I would say, is pretty damn important.”
