Chapter 32 #3
“I don’t know. I see Witches do almost everything with magic or spells. I’m just not used to doing things that way. If I need to close a door, I get up and close it. It just doesn’t occur to me to use magic unless I really don’t want to get up and close the damn door.”
“But,” Doran argued, “it would show others your powers if you used them more often.”
“I don’t need to show off. Using my magic for every little thing would be showing off.” She still looked perplexed, and so did most everybody else.
Jordan said, “It’s part of you, Keena. It wouldn’t be showing off.” He put more potatoes on my plate without even realizing what he had done. Cliona laughed. He shot her an evil look.
“Part of me, yes.” I wasn’t sure I could explain it to them.
“I was stronger and faster than most human kids in school. But I was clumsy too, so that strength and speed could backfire on me sometimes. My father, my human father, taught me that flaunting things that I was better at would only make other kids resent me. So I didn’t flaunt.
It’s the same now. I can use magic, but I choose to do so only when I must. Abbey and I practice in the woods often, but it’s more like playing games. ”
Bevin looked at Abbey. “How good is she now?” Abbey looked to me and I shrugged.
She looked around at the others. “If you leave out potions…in my opinion? Better than Doran.”
Cliona spilled her wine and Jordan coughed. Bevin and Doran exchanged a quick glance. Doran tilted her head and gave Abbey a look that said you work for me. “When were you going to let us in on that little secret?”
Abbey straightened. “No one asked my opinion, and I didn’t feel it was my place to report on Keena. She shows everyone around her respect and friendship. I wanted to return that. If you’d asked about her progress, I would have told you.”
“So you don’t gossip about our priestess?” Bevin asked jokingly.
“Only if it’s something she wishes gossiped about.” She took a drink from her little wineglass.
“It’s another of my secret weapons,” I mused—and used my magic to lift the wine bottle and refill my glass and Jordan’s. Bevin watched with wide eyes. “Now back to business. Nessum is the wild card.” The bottle moved up the table to Doran’s glass as I spoke.
Bevin said, “Oh my,” as she followed its progress.
“You think he’ll show for All Hallows’?” Cliona asked.
“I think he may show before then.”
I was looking at Cliona, not the bottle. Jordan and the rest were still watching as it moved smoothly from one glass to another around the table. “Remarkable,” Bevin muttered as it filled hers and came to rest beside her glass.
Being able to cast and hold a spell while talking and thinking about other things was becoming second nature. And right now, I had to hold up walls to Jordan at the same time as well. It was still sometimes difficult, but it was coming faster and faster.
“Is that enough showing off for you, Doran?” Abbey said.
“It’ll do. Keena, I must really apologize yet again. I had no idea you had grown so much over these last few weeks. I was worried about your heartbreak and your…”
“Human sensibilities?”
“Yes.” She looked ashamed as she held her hands up, clearly unnerved that she’d not paid more attention to my progress.
“Let’s just say I threw myself into my work to avoid the personal issues. Coyle and Abbey have been helping. Now you know. So let’s get back to Nessum.” I kept my poker face, but inside, I wanted to laugh, pleased I had surpassed their expectations.
“You think he’ll show before All Hallows’?” Jordan asked again.
I looked at him. “You don’t? How many guards were on Feldema before my midnight visit from Dannaiva?”
“Two.”
“And now?” I asked.
Jordan looked as surprised at my question as the others. Seems he didn’t know me as well as he thought either. “Six. Two in the observation room and four in the cell corridor.”
“So you think he’s likely to come for her too.”
“I’m not sure we can stop him if he does. I’m only hoping they have time for someone to notify me if he shows.” He didn’t look happy about leaving his men in such a situation.
I turned back to Doran. “Where would he go and why?”
“He’s a Dark Angel, Keena. He can go anywhere he wants, on this earth or any of the realms of the Demons. I wouldn’t even be able to guess.”
“Okay, then let’s stick to the why,” I said. “Why?”
“Why hasn’t he already retrieved Feldema, if she’s what he really wants? If she’s not what he really wants, that would explain why he hasn’t come for her, but why abandon her, and the Slaugh? Why leave Thule in such a mess?”
They all looked around, waiting for someone to answer. When no one ventured a guess, I continued. “If we figure out the whys, then we’ll know what he’s planning. How do we find out the why?”
Doran pushed her plate away. “I’ll see if I can talk to Feldema again.”
Jordan chimed in. “Maybe we can find another Slaugh who’ll talk. They may not know where, but they may have a clue about the why. I’ve got a few informants in the Gremlins. They haven’t given up anything yet, but I’ll push ’em a little harder.”