Chapter 24 Declan #3
“Great. ‘My mom’s the Keeper of Magic, and she wants to put you through a trial so you can date me,’ wasn’t quite the line I’d hoped would win men’s hearts.”
Her laughter rang off the mountainside.
“I hadn’t planned to frighten the boy to death, merely get to know him.”
“Right.” I grabbed my wine and downed half the glass. The whole conversation made my insides squirm. “How would you . . . I mean, you can’t . . . could you ever meet him?”
Mischief sparked in her eyes. “Being the Keeper isn’t only about paths and tests. I may have a trick or two you will come to enjoy.”
“Such as?” My heart began to race. “Could I see him? Look in on him at times? Like you did with me?”
She nodded. “The Well reacts differently to each of us. It may allow you to See him, or it may . . . well, we will see. I do not want to get your hopes up.”
My eyes widened. “Could he talk back? Could I touch him?”
She raised her glass like a shield. “Mothers do not need to hear about touching.”
My cheeks colored. “That wasn’t—”
“Breathe, son. I am teasing,” Kelsa said. “The simple answer is, ‘I do not know.’ I tried touching your face so many times . . . and Keelan’s. Perhaps, it will be different for you.”
The wistfulness of her gaze pulled at my heart, but my mind reeled as it turned over one possibility after the next. “Temporal magic, Gifts that aren’t Gifts, the Well, me being . . . something. This is a lot to take in. Where do we even start?”
“We start in the same place any student would, with knowledge and study. Many believe magic is instinctual or that it’s emotionally driven, but that’s not wholly accurate. Instinct and emotion play a role, but without knowledge, a Mage’s potential is limited.”
The baffled look on my face made Kelsa laugh. “All those years with Atikus and the guild, and they never taught you any of this?”
“Not really. When I was little, they tried to teach me magical theory, but as the years passed, and a Gift failed to emerge, they decided my time was better spent studying more mundane topics. I was glad they stopped trying to teach me all the things I couldn’t do.
It was more frustrating than anything.”
“No more talk of being a Mute, understand?” Her lips pursed. “Let me explain it a different way. You have been treated by a Healer, haven’t you?”
“Of course. Never for anything serious, just a few deep cuts from sparring.”
“That is a good example. Almost anyone with the Healing Gift could handle minor cuts like that, but say you broke a bone—or worse, suffered internal damage. A Healer who had never studied anatomy would not be able to help you. A Healer must visualize what they are Healing.
If they had never seen a liver before, they could not visualize one accurately, and therefore, could not heal one.”
“I guess that makes sense.” My attention strayed to órla. Her eyes were closed. “How did I Heal myself?”
Kelsa startled. “You did what?”
“When I first touched the stones of the Path, its magic threw me backward, knocking me unconscious. I woke with órla breathing magic into my mouth. I wasn’t thinking. I reached back to stretch my back, and Light flared from my palm. The next thing I knew, nothing hurt anymore.”
Kelsa glanced at órla. One eye opened, and her head nodded once.
“Declan, I . . . I do not know. A Healer cannot Heal himself. Those who try learn that magic rebounds and causes more harm than it Heals.”
“It didn’t work that way for me, but I had no idea that I even had magic when it happened. I was just trying to ease an ache,” I told her. “Could it have had something to do with órla’s breath?”
“Perhaps. Your relationship to magic is also unique. Still . . . I have no idea. For now, please do not try that again.”
I chuckled. “Keep órla’s beak away from my skin, and I won’t need to.”
For a moment, I lost myself staring at the owl, who was sleeping soundly again, letting out tiny purrs as she breathed out.
Kelsa shook her head. “Back to studying. All of this explains why Healers spend many years studying physical structures, such as human anatomy, before ever attempting to Heal anyone with more than a minor scrape.
The basic knowledge of intent—what they want magic to accomplish—involves a lot more than hope for a certain result.”
Suddenly, she waved a hand, making a ball of fire flare and explode above the table.
I leaped up so fast my chair tipped back and clattered against the ledge.
“Son, you must concentrate to make this work. Healing is the most complicated of all Gifts, so do not let that one scare you. I am using it as an example so you understand that knowledge is critical to expanding your power. As we get into the four pillars,
I will give you material to study before we start with practical application.”
órla, now wide awake thanks to Kelsa’s fire show, flapped back onto the table in front of me. “You’ve got this, Declan. Just remember, you’re a lot smarter than you look.”
Kelsa barked a laugh that startled both órla and me. “We’ll skip the lecture on staying humble. I think she has that well covered.”
“Absolutely no worries there.” I rolled my eyes as I righted the chair and sat, then regarded the proud little owl, who puffed out her chest.