Chapter 14 #2
“Then it’s a good thing I have time,” Livvy said in a tone only mothers perfect. “How about you start from the beginning?”
My smile grew. I dragged one of the stools over and set it up near the bed, close enough to see both of their faces while I spoke. Noren settled against my knee and his weight pushed me closer to the cot.
I went through the story without skipping any of the darker parts. Those hurt the most and made the biggest difference.
By the time I finished, the energy still crackled but now it mingled with exhaustion and curved my shoulders forward. My mouth tasted as bright as a spring rainstorm; the heaviness brought my lashes down to my cheeks.
“Anyway, the storm is gone and the flood is dealt with. I mean, the bridge will stand until it peters out on its own. So the Dryads are free to come and go—” I broke off on a yawn and slumped down over Noren’s massive head. “Sorry.”
The rustling of sheets startled me and Nexa scooted aside to give Livvy room to maneuver.
“Up,” my mom urged me. “Come on.”
Nexa’s eyes rounded. “You shouldn’t be moving like this.”
“Someone has to teach her what to do with all that energy. It sure as hell doesn’t seem like Poppy is going to do anything about it, and if she doesn’t get rid of it, it will eat her alive.” Livvy shook her head when Nexa offered to assist.
“You’re as stubborn as you ever were, Dae Darkling, I swear,” Nexa muttered.
“Go be with your daughter. I’ve got to deliver some life lessons to mine,” Livvy insisted. “I’ll be fine. You’ve always worried too much.”
“For good reason!” Nexa called out the last part as Livvy, leaning heavily on my arm, limped to the opening in the tent.
Emotion scalded new pathways inside of me, those that had nothing to do with lightning.
We took two steps outside the tent and stopped. “Grounding your body is just as important as grounding your mind,” Livvy told me. “For your magic and your nervous system.”
She gently shook off my supporting arm and applied light pressure to my arm.
“Place your palms on the ground. Stay standing. Both feet flat.”
She directed me into the correct posture, my joints creaking as I bent over.
“Channel the excess energy out into the ground while breathing in for four, hold, and out for six. Repeat it and picture a tether between you and the earth. You’re sending the excess electrical energy down the tether and out of you, all the way to the center of this land.”
I did as she instructed, and the crackling of static in the air grew louder than my heartbeat.
“Close your eyes. The tether grows brighter with the energy you send out.”
Her voice, the soothing cadence, wrapped an invisible layer of safety between me and the unknown. I kept at it until the image of a tether in my head solidified. The silver cable was as thick as the chains on an anchor.
And then I blew out, sending the energy away.
It spiraled down, drawn from the cavern in my torso. Second by second the storm dissipated from my blood, dissolving away.
At last I sagged, my knees bending and my hip hitting the ground.
“Better?” Livvy asked.
I blinked my eyes open. “You sure you can’t come with me and Poppy? I’d probably have a better time with this if you’re there.”
Her skin stretched in a tight, tired grin. “I’m sure you’re going to be fine. She can protect you in ways I can’t.”
“I don’t understand why you’re so Team Poppy. You weren’t there with her.” I scooted closer and rested my head on Livvy’s good knee. “She’s brusque, and I halfway think she wants to kill me.”
Livvy patted my shoulder. “She wouldn’t have worked so hard to keep you alive if she wanted you dead.”
“You didn’t see. She didn’t think it was crazy how the Dryads treated me. Like I was…I don’t know, some kind of deity.”
“You didn’t like that?”
“Of course I didn’t like it. Because I’m not… That’s not me. I’m not some kind of savior. I’m just a person doing what I can to right a wrong.”
“Not everyone feels that way. Oh, my girl. I know it’s hard for you. But power and responsibility don’t make someone a deity. They make you the best parts of you. Your heart is so big. Whatever happens, just keep being yourself and it will lead you in the right direction.”
I’d expected some sage wisdom from her but the simplicity of her comments surprised me.
Night peepers and pixies filled the air with familiar comfort, and the longer I sat there with my mother, the more grounded I felt. Not from her technique, but from her presence.
* * *
Four days later, with the last of the storm finally drained from my magic, I sought out Mike for some combat training.
“I’m serious. I want you to give me everything you’ve got. Throw it at me,” I practically begged. “I’ll never get better if you don’t!”
Mike was seconds away from rolling his eyes a tenth time. This time they’d get stuck, I was sure. “This isn’t the right way to learn and you know it.”
He held his arms out in front of him in a defensive maneuver, posture balanced and magic glowing around his hands.
“How can I be prepared for anything if you refuse to keep me on my toes? This is part of the process, Mr. Thornwood. Now hit—”
He moved before I finished my sentence, spurred on by my less than enthusiastic use of his last name. A blast of power sent me on my ass, and a beat later Mike hovered over me, his hand on my chest to push me into the dirt.
I grinned at him. “Time manipulation?”
“Gotta use whatever tools we have in our arsenal, right?” He wasn’t even breathing hard. “What are you going to do about it?”
Kiss him. Reverse our positions and straddle him.
I pushed my magic out and lifted him off the ground.
Mike’s eyes widened before another shove blasted him across the clearing of our makeshift training field.
He managed to get to his feet, and in the next blink he stood in front of me and I was back on the ground, time rewound.
He was getting better, stronger than before.
Mike held out a hand to help me up and I slapped my palm to his.
Once we faced each other, I ripped the air in two, reaching into the space between it for a weapon I’d hidden alongside the Imperium, without spells or salt.
The blade formed from the space between molecules before taking form, short and curved.
Mike eyed the blade warily. “Seriously? You want to gut me?”
“No, silly. I’m decent with claws and magic. But I’m not so good with weapons,” I insisted. “What happens if Dorian Jade decides he’s going to try to fence with me?”
“That isn’t a fencing blade, Tavi.”
My grin was as wicked as the sharp curve. “You’re right. This one is much better for close proximity fighting.”
Mike stepped into me instead of away, drawing one of his own daggers from the holster around his hips. Our blades met before laughter sounded from too close by. It caught my attention and Mike took the opportunity to parry and slash at my abdomen.
The air thickened, magic pulsing without my consent to protect my internal organs from the hit.
“Good one, Thornwood.” Melia clapped, stalking into the practice area and dropping her shield. “Now, do you love me, Tavi? Or do you love me?”
I cupped my hands around my mouth to raise my voice. “I think the answer is obvious.”
She jogged up to us. “I’ve gotten word. My spy network is lighting up.”
“What do you have?” At once, Mike was all business. Any hint of play evaporated from his features.
“Exactly the kind of news you were hoping for, Tavi. A disaster struck somewhere near Lake Wone.”
“People call that the great sea,” Mike leaned close to murmur. “It’s a fucking huge freshwater lake in the center of the realm.”
“Apparently the water temperature has been steadily rising and people are freaking because it caused a huge mudslide.”
My mouth went dry, the sense of control slipping away, the weight of dread pressing down like a stone wall.
“Sounds bad,” I replied. “When do we leave?”