Sigils and spells, p.70
Sigils & Spells, page 70
Her expression told me she understood, but held some sadness that she couldn't give me all the answers that I wanted, or even that I needed.
“There is still time. For now, you will stay here and ready yourself, both mind and body. You have been blessed with many gifts, some of which have not even revealed themselves yet to you. Train with them, practice and become the best you can be. I have given notice to the High Priestess. She will assist you.”
“Is that why she told me she is going to begin working with me?”
“In part. Remain open and willing to receive the messages being sent to you. But also, be wary. I will not be the only one trying to reach you. Others will seek to lead you astray and if they do, the results could be disastrous.”
“That day at the river? Was that a part of this? This message, or the journey?”
What I really wanted to ask her was whether losing Evie had been part of the task of being asked of me. Ask her why I had to lose one of the few people who had been on my side, who had loved me for me.
“The loss of your friend was an unfortunate case of her being caught in the crossfire of the beginning of a war. People like you come into their major powers on either their seventeenth or eighteenth birthday. The enemy wished to test you and see if yours would manifest on that day. Genevieve was not an intended target.”
“Is that why I couldn't save her? Because my powers didn't appear when they expected them to?”
“The enemy is wily and uncaring. Do not blame yourself. You will spend the near future preparing and we will ready you for the battle ahead. It will be a long, long process, as this tug of war has been happening since the beginning of time and our enemy is patient.”
Thoughts and fears crowded my brain, not letting any one idea form fully before jumping on to the next. My hands shook, and I twisted them together in my lap to try and hide the reaction. How had I gotten roped into this?
“You must return now. We will have an opportunity to talk further soon.”
She stood and turned back toward the way we originally entered, looking back and waiting for me to follow. It took some courage to stand and do so; something inside me just wanted to wait here, to hide until the storm passed and nobody wanted me to do something I wasn't sure I was capable of.
Before we reached the opaque place in the wall, she stopped me once more.
“Annarah, I would like your permission to do something that may help?”
I looked at her, somewhat surprised that a goddess felt she needed to ask my permission to do anything at all. “Yes?”
“I would like to help your powers release sooner than wait for your next birthday. This will give you more time to become capable with them before you need to use them in the real world on your journey. May I?”
Two halves of me warred with each other. One said yes, absolutely! I'd like nothing more than to be more powerful, to learn what I was capable of. The other half wanted me to ask her to take them all away instead, to let me pretend that I'd never been chosen for this quest and spend the rest of my days hiding in the temple. With this new development, exploring the world outside the compound all of a sudden became way less exciting.
Despite my misgivings, I nodded.
She reached out and gently touched my forehead with two fingers. Warmth flooded me from my head to my toes, leaving behind a feeling of calm. The inner monologue of fear quieted some and left me some room to think more clearly.
“Thank you.”
She nodded. “Go now, carry on. We will meet again before long.”
I turned and ventured back through the wall into the temple, only to be met with darkness.
CHAPTER 10
To my surprise, the view that greeted me when I opened my eyes the next time was my own room. Unable to explain how I got from Maya's stall back into my own bed, I mentally replayed the dream before I even considered throwing back the covers and getting up for the day.
My own two fingers ran across the place on my forehead that she touched in the dream, and that curiosity drove me out of bed to stand before the mirror, looking for a physical manifestation of that touch. None existed.
Grounding myself, I reached deep inside, looking for the power she wanted to awaken in me. Coiled there in my center hovered a warm, silver glow, unlike anything I'd ever felt within me before. Whatever it turned out to be, I would have to experiment to find out. It hadn't been clear whether new abilities would surface or she just turned up the volume on the things I could already do. Time would tell.
Today lessons with the Priestess Francesca would begin after breakfast, so I dressed and headed for the dining hall. Diana greeted me as I entered, collected a tray of breakfast.
“How are you? Did you have a good night?”
“It was very interesting and I have a lot to share with you when we get a minute to sit down and have a chat. Once I'm done eating, I am heading to study with Priestess Francesca.”
“That's excellent. I think this will be good for you.”
With a wave, I moved to a table to eat. Others entered and left as I had breakfast and nobody acknowledged my presence. Even Sienna and Carrie walked right by as if the table were empty. Invisibility is rated only slightly above derision and maltreatment.
Daisy and I crossed paths as I exited and she became the first person besides Diana to see me.
“Hi Annarah! How are you today?”
“Good thanks. Want to meet for lunch later?” Knowing I had a rough road ahead of me, I wanted to know that there were people on my side, even if only a few. I wanted to bridge gaps and build friendships where I could.
A look of surprise flitted across her face, but a smile rose upright on its heels. “Definitely! Meet you here about one?”
“Sounds good. See you then!” With a wave, I headed toward the Priestess Francesca's office.
Entering the building, I stopped just inside the doorway, staring down the hall to her office door, which looked to be closed. Nerves bubbled up and threatened to bring my breakfast with them. Swallowing, I did my best to force them back down.
I'd neglected to ask whether the information the goddess imparted to me should be kept a secret. The High Priestess knew, but she'd not mentioned anybody else. Although, if I worked with Priestess Francesca to master my magic, she must know something. Or maybe she didn't. Maybe she just knew I had powers that needed taming. From then on, I promised to keep a journal going with all the questions that I needed answers.
Steeling my nerves, I strode down the hallway and knocked on the door. Her voice bade me enter, and I stepped over the threshold.
“Close the door behind you, please. “
“Yes, ma'am.”
Pushing the door until it latched, I moved to stand before her desk and waited. My toes wiggled in my shoes, trying to release the nervous energy building in me without being obviously fidgety. Her shrewd brown eyes studied me in silence, ratcheting up my anxiety.
“It appears we will be working together every day. My job is to ensure that you are not a danger to yourself or others. Magic is not a toy. It is not meant to be fun or amusing. Nor is it to be used in frivolity. Do you understand?”
“Yes ma'am, I do.”
“Good. I have warded my office for safety. Show me what you can do.”
Seconds passed while I gaped at her, mouth hanging open. My mind drew an utter blank. She could have followed that command with one to tell her my very own name, and I would have been unable to comply.
“Okay then. Let's try something a little less complicated then. Can you at least tell me about what you have been able to do thus far?”
After a few blinks to clear my thoughts, I nodded. “Um. I'm not entirely sure, since I was forbidden from using them. Most of the things I discovered by accident. I can somewhat control water. I can move things with my mind. With effort, I can also make light dimmer or brighter. I was also able to somewhat heal myself, although not completely.”
Her gaze bored into me as I spoke. As my voice trailed off, she gave me a moment to continue, and when I didn't, she let out a huff.
“To begin with, move something for me. Anything you can. Feel free to start small and we can work our way up.”
Eyeing the items on top of her desk, I settled on a pen. Light, easy and not breakable if I should lose control and drop it. Also not likely to cause an injury should something go haywire. Once it reached about head height, I lowered it back to her desk, managing to set it down gently and not drop it.
Her gaze went from the pen to me and she raised her eyebrows. “How long can you keep it in the air?”
“I'm not sure.”
“These skills are like your muscles. The more you practice, the more control you will gain. Lift the pen and hold it in the air until I tell you to put it down.”
Giving the writing implement my entire focus, I extended my hand, palm up, and raised it off of her desk. Within seconds, it began sinking back down. She shook her head.
“Raise it back up. Keep it at the same level.”
My hand began shaking with the effort almost immediately. The pen continued to drift downward despite directing every ounce of my concentration to preventing it. It didn't take long before no amount of willpower could keep it elevated and it dropped right back to the desktop.
“Hmm. Thirty-nine seconds. Not exactly impressive.”
“I'm sorry. Like I said, the High Priestess instructed me not to use my powers at all. I've not been able to practice.”
“I expect you to practice this particular skill constantly. I've warded your room in the same way I've protected my office. Start with a small item and work at extending the amount of time you can control it. Just keep repeating the same exercise, although you can practice different techniques to see what works best.”
“Okay. What else?”
She looked at me like I'd sprouted a second head. “That's it. Until you can manage even the most minuscule task, we won't be able to proceed with anything else. This is the bottom of the basics on the magical scale.”
The surprise must have been obvious on my face, because she looked at me and snorted.
“What, you were expecting to do more?”
“To be honest, I didn't really know what to expect, but I guess that holding a pen wasn't it.”
“Well, the most logical place to begin with a task is at the beginning. Let's start there and we can see where we end up. Return to your room and begin practicing. Remember, you are only to practice in your private room with the door closed, and only what I have instructed you to work with. Nothing more.”
“Yes, ma'am. I'll remember.”
Just like that, my first lesson in magic ended, and I found myself dismissed.
CHAPTER 11
Weeks passed as I manipulated my newfound magical abilities under the tutelage of Priestess Francesca. We'd finally reached the point where she could do nothing more than instruct me to continue growing my control in the abilities we worked with.
“We have reached the point where I believe it is time for you to continue your training with the High Priestess. You have exceeded my expectations in just a few short months. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. Thank you for taking the time to work with me and teach me what you know.”
“You're very welcome. You proved to be an apt pupil. Please feel free to come and find me if you have any questions or there is anything I can help with.”
She gave a little wave, and I headed out of her office. Once I shut the door behind me, I stopped in the hallway and leaned against the wall. Tilting my head back, I closed my eyes and said a little prayer of thanks to the goddess.
Though she hadn't contacted me directly again, I felt her presence and I dreamed of other things. Things I believed to be harbingers of things to come in the future. They didn't always make sense to me, but I did my best to file them away for later. I wanted to be able to recall them when something came up that appeared to be related.
With a deep breath, I headed for the cafeteria to meet Daisy for lunch. We'd been eating together a few times a week and our friendship was growing, although slowly. The connection between the two of us wasn't as instantaneous as Evie and I, but I knew those kinds of friendships were very rare.
The remainder of the inhabitants of our isolated little village mostly continued to ignore me, with a few exceptions. As for the majority of them, while they didn't seek me out, they at least conceded my existence. Sienna and Carrie continued to behave as if they couldn't see or hear me, which I considered a win.
It had been decided to remove me from the group of acolytes, as my position here morphed into something far different. So, while I wasn't a priestess of the temple, I also wasn't one of the underlings either. My individual trajectory just propelled me forward on an unclear path. The “real” me was just along for the ride, it seemed.
Daisy and I reached the doorway at the same time.
“Hey, how did your lesson go this morning?”
While I'd been advised to not make a big production of my magical abilities, I was allowed to talk some about the training I was doing. Thank goodness. Some days required the opportunity to vent about my failures or have someone else cheer on my successes.
“It went fine. I graduated.”
Daisy raised her eyebrows. “Graduated?”
“Yep. Priestess Francesca decided that I have exhausted the teachings she is able to provide me and I will be working with the High Priestess from now on.”
“Wow. Congratulations! I mean... That is a good thing, right?”
“Thanks, and yes, I think so anyways. It means that I am making progress, which is better than sucking at it all and remaining incapable of managing my abilities.”
Her voice dropped as she looked around us and leaned in toward me. “Can you show me something? Just a little?”
I giggled. “Maybe. I'm not really supposed to, but I am supposed to practice daily in my room, and there is no rule that says you aren't allowed to visit me there.”
“Ooh, that would be so cool.”
As we drew closer to the food line, and Diana, we dropped the subject. We gathered food, chatted with Diana for a few seconds and scooted our chairs into the usual table. The chicken fettuccine she made smelled amazing, and so did the garlic knots. I could happily live off of the soft, pillowy, garlicky mounds of homemade bread.
“Do you want to go for a ride after lunch? Or do you need to go see the High Priestess?”
“I don't think I have to see her until tomorrow morning, so we can ride. That sounds like fun.”
While I'd ridden multiple times since the day we lost Evie, I usually went alone and I'd never gone back to the waterfall. The memories were just too much for me to handle still and I couldn't bring myself to do it. Whatever had initiated the river rising also scared Maya, and she shied away from the trail branch every time we passed it.
We finished eating and headed out. Toby chatted with us while we tacked up, and then we exited the barn. Daisy led the way down the trail and Maya followed her pal with little direction from me.
As we drew nearer to the trail leading toward the water fall Maya grew more anxious, prancing to the side and tossing her head. Daisy led her horse down that fateful trail and Maya drew to a dead stop.
Daisy and her horse continued down the path for a ways before realizing we weren't behind them. She turned back, calling out to me.
“What are you guys waiting for?”
“Hang on!” I called to her and then dropped my voice back to a soothing whisper for Maya.
She had no desire to go down that trail again, and I wasn't sure I did either. Favorite place or not, the waterfall would be forever tainted in my memories. On the other hand, I didn't know if I wanted to explain to Daisy why I didn't want to follow that trail either.
Maya made her opinion on the subject obvious. Her emotions thrummed right through me as if they were my own.
“Maya doesn't want to go that way, lets circle around this other trail instead.”
“I've never been to the waterfall, though, and I hear it is absolutely breathtaking. I'd really like to see it.”
Something inside me grew tight at her insistence. For some reason it cemented my choice to not follow her.
“I'd really rather not, maybe another time? I don't want to force Maya.”
An emotion similar to irritation flitted across her features, gone in an instant. At some point, maybe I would need to explain the reasoning to her, but I wasn't ready to do that today.
“Okay then.” She drew the words out just enough to convey her unhappiness, but not quite enough to be rude about it.
As she pulled up alongside us again, I shrugged. “Sorry.”
She stuck her lip out in a pout, then traded it for a grin. “Just kidding, I won't pout about it. I can always see it another time.”
The rest of the ride passed with the two of chatting away. Something deep inside me kept trying to pull me under and make me feel edgy, but instead of giving in to it, I pushed it even deeper to examine later when I returned to my room and could be alone.
We returned to the stables and took care of our horses, grooming them and feeding them some dinner. Daisy rushed through and seemed in a hurry to separate, waving goodbye and not even asking if I wanted her to wait for me. Odd, but not particularly alarming behavior. I did see Toby staring after her as she left, though.
“Is she in a rush to get somewhere?”
Making sure Maya's stall was latched, I turned to face him. “Nah. I think she is a little peeved at me. She wanted to go see the waterfall today and I wouldn't do it.” I reached through the stall door and stroked Maya's soft muzzle. “Maya didn't even want to set foot on that trail either.”
“Well, I can't say I blame her, or you. That wasn't a great day for either of you and in the grand scheme of things, it really wasn't that long ago. Don't rush yourself. You'll know when you're ready to go there again.” He gave my arm a gentle pat.
“Thanks, Toby. I appreciate you more than you'll ever know. Oh! And guess what? I graduated from working with Priestess Francesca today. Starting tomorrow, I'll be studying under the High Priestess herself.”
