Chapter 11
Ididn’t see Theo again for the rest of the night and actually felt relieved.
I needed time to process what had happened in his study and to decide how I felt about it.
I knew it was unlikely that anything like this would ever happen again.
And yet, the tiny pang of disappointment that followed? Deeply uncalled-for.
I’d spent my day in the library of the Lodge and had taken a walk into town again.
Dinner had been a quiet affair in the kitchen, surrounded by a chatty Enbergin and his staff.
I had returned to my room shortly after.
I was pleasantly surprised when I not only discovered that my clothes had already been delivered, but I had also received a letter from my mother.
She said she was safe, well-fed, guarded, and most importantly: not worried about me.
Which was probably a bald-faced lie, but I appreciated the effort.
I scribbled back something quick and comforting, equally pretending to be braver than I felt, and collapsed into bed, asleep before I could overthink any further.
When I came downstairs the next morning, the new letter for my mother in hand, a servant informed me that breakfast was waiting for me in the dining room downstairs and that Caelan and Auretheos had already left for the temple.
I entered the small breakfast room and was greeted by the heavenly smell of pancakes and fresh jam.
I had brought one of the books from my room I had started reading and got comfortable on one of the plush chairs that were arranged around a big wooden table.
I carefully spread jam across my pancake and rolled it up all the way.
Leaning back in my chair, I propped my feet up and placed the book atop my knees.
Grabbing the rolled-up pancake, I took a hearty bite and nearly groaned at the taste of the warm jam.
“Don’t let Auretheos see you eating jam with one of his precious books in hand!” a voice called out from the other end of the room.
I jolted upright, the book tumbling to the floor and jam dripping down onto my clean shirt.
“Oh dear, I am sorry for startling you. Are you all right?”
The voice belonged to a female who was now walking over to me. She looked to be in her 50s, but I knew from my encounter with Theo that the outer appearance was not an indicator of age in this realm.
She was small, even compared to me, and had reddish curls, trimmed into a short bob and striking green eyes.
“I am all right, I just didn’t expect anyone else to be in here since Caelan and Theo already left,” I explained, set the pancake aside, and extended my hand in greeting.
She hesitated, long enough for the silence to stretch, then clasped my hand in a firm shake.
Instead of releasing it, she turned my hand slightly to the side.
Her eyes fixed on the golden paint on my thumb, the residue I hadn’t managed to scrub away in the bath the night before.
“Theo, hm?” she asked with a funny expression on her face, her lips curving up slightly.
I quickly pulled my hand back, suddenly very aware that I had no idea what sort of person Lydia was.
If she was a stickler for rules, she’d probably report my indiscretion and the Fates knew what would happen then.
But before I could respond, she continued.
“My name is Lydia, I hope the guys have not forgotten to inform you about my arrival.”
“No, of course, Caelan told me you’d be arriving soon. I didn’t know you were already here,though,” I said.
She sat down next to me, and I watched as she ladled her pancake with jam and rolled it up the same way I had.
“I have never eaten my pancake like this before and I do like to try something new every day.” She smiled.
“It’s the superior way to eat pancakes for sure.” I smiled cautiously. For some reason it was difficult for me to gauge whether she was friend or foe.
I cleared my throat. “Thank you for taking the time to teach me, my name is Maelis.”
She nodded. “When Auretheos calls, I will always be ready to help. He has been a wonderful friend to me over the years and has helped me more times than I can count.”
It was strange listening to the people talking about Theo, he had been so formal and almost rude the few times I had met him. But he was obviously well respected and liked around here.
“So, I hear you have a special heka, similar to mine?” Lydia asked.
I sighed. “I’m afraid I know very little of my heka and how to use it.
No one in my family was gifted and using any kind of magic is strictly forbidden in the mortal realm.
So there was no way for me to ask about my heka.
I once tried to find information about the old magic, but all the books about magic had been removed,” I explained between bites.
Lydia nodded in understanding, finishing the last piece of her pancake.
“Well, I do have to say that that was an excellent pancake. But don’t be fooled by my sunny demeanor, training with me will be hard. How are you with a sword?” she asked and raised an eyebrow.
“I have never held a sword. But I can defend myself with a dagger, if that’s what you’re asking,” I said.
Lydia exhaled loudly and got up. “Well, we have our work cut out for us then,” she stated matter-of-factually and turned to leave. “Let’s meet in front of the house in 15 minutes. Wear something comfortable, but not too warm. We are about to get sweaty.”
And with that, she was gone.
I quickly went upstairs to change, thankful that I had bought a pair of black leggings and a purple undershirt.
I braided my hair and put it up in a crown atop my head, securing it with pins I had found in one of the drawers of the bathroom.
As I came downstairs, Lydia was already waiting for me.
She gave me a once over and nodded approvingly.
“This will do fine for our sessions.”
We went outside and she led me round the house to a green meadow which had been neatly cut back. Someone had placed black mats on the ground and two water bottles were waiting for us in the grass. Someone had also put down a little crate which served as a table, equipped with paper and a quill.
“So, Auretheos told me in his letter that you have mainly been using your heka to heal, is that correct?” Lydia asked while taking a seat in the grass next to the crate.
With her legs crossed, she looked right at home in the serene landscape around us, her hair flowing in the wind and matching the colorful trees around us.
I hesitated. In recent years this might have been true, but there had been times when my heka had been a weapon and I had used it to destroy. But that wasn’t something I could share with Lydia. Not now, maybe not ever.
If she noticed my hesitation, she didn’t give any indication, and I quickly steered the topic to safer waters.
“Yes, I worked as a nurse in my hometown after my mother became sick. Dr. Marris knew about my heka because my parents had gone to him for help when my powers first manifested and he promised to keep my heka a secret if I’d work for him,” I said.
Lydia nodded. “So you were quite young when your powers first appeared?” she asked, pulling out a notebook and quill to take notes.
“Yes, from what I remember I was about 3 when I first used my heka with intent. But my mother told me that even as a baby I had a way of always getting my way. Although I don’t believe this to be true because my heka only works when I write or draw something that I wish for.”
Lydia pushed the quill and paper over to my side of the crate and said, “Show me.”
My hands shook slightly as I grabbed the quill. Lydia was watching me like a hawk, as if she doubted that I had any magical powers at all. I closed my eyes for a brief second.
One breath. One act. One choice.
Do good. Stay clean. Hold steady.
Unsure of what to wish for, I went for something simple and pretty:
“Fates, I call upon your age-old wisdom.
Let flowers bloom across this field.
As I command, so it goes.”
I folded the paper and instantly felt the rush of giddiness in my blood as always when I used my heka.
This was a minor spell, so I wasn’t too worried about using my heka.
There was a slight breeze swooshing over the grass and a rustle of noise as small flowers started to grow out of the ground.
I had created the beautiful purple flowers my father used to plant for my mother.
A one-of-a-kind flower I had never been able to properly identify.
“Very good.” Lydia mumbled, not the slightest bit impressed by my heka. “So you scribble down your spell and it manifests instantly, or can you actually delay the spells?”
“I have delayed the healing process many times, so as to make it look more natural. I didn’t want anyone suspecting magic behind our creams and lotions,” I explained.
Lydia nodded absentmindedly. “All right, so our first test will be how far in advance you can cast a spell. I will write down three spells for you to cast, varying in hours and days. While I do that, you can take a jog around the house and warm up your muscles.”
She went to work right away, and I started to run at a slow pace. It had been ages since I’d been running and I could feel every muscle protesting. I wasn’t unfit by any means, but I hadn’t exercised in a while and would probably pay for it by tomorrow.
After I had circumnavigated the Lodge a few times, Lydia motioned me to come back to the mats. She handed me the piece of paper and told me to take some time tonight to put the spells into motion.
“Now that you are all warmed up, I want to see what you can do with a dagger. Being a wordsmith means you hold great power and will likely be the target of attacks.”
I snorted because I wouldn’t call conjuring up pretty flowers “great power,” but didn’t say as much to Lydia.