Chapter 18
The next morning, Chad arrived at the L.A.W. mansion for his evaluation, a mix of anticipation and nerves churning in his stomach. Brianna greeted him at the door with a reassuring smile, though he noticed a hint of tension in her eyes.
"Ready for this?" she asked, leading him through the ornate hallways.
Chad nodded, trying to project confidence he didn't entirely feel. "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. What exactly should I expect?"
Brianna hesitated before answering. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. Bas has been rather secretive about the specifics. But I'll be there with you the whole time."
Chad entered a large, circular room he hadn't seen before. The walls were lined with bookshelves and strange, glowing artifacts. In the center stood Bas, along with several other members of the L.A.W., whom he recognized from the Imbolc ritual.
"Welcome, Professor Patterson," Bas said, her voice carrying a hint of formality. "Are you prepared to begin your evaluation?"
Chad nodded, squaring his shoulders. "I am. What do you need me to do?"
Bas gestured to a small pedestal in the center of the room. On it sat a plain wooden box. "We'll start with something simple. I want you to open that box using only your Word Wizard abilities."
Chad approached the pedestal, eyeing the box warily. He could feel a faint hum of energy emanating from it. Taking a deep breath, he focused his intention and spoke clearly:
"Open."
Nothing happened. The box remained stubbornly closed.
One of the witches snickered under her breath. He thought it was Lioness. Sahara, standing next to her, swatted her arm.
Chad felt a flush of embarrassment creep up his neck. He glanced at Brianna, who gave him an encouraging nod.
Clearing his throat, Chad tried again, this time infusing his voice with more authority:
"Box, I command you to open!"
Still nothing. The box sat motionless on the pedestal.
Bas's voice cut through the tense silence. "Remember, Chad. It's not just about the words themselves. It's about the intention behind them. The power comes from within you."
Chad nodded, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
He thought about the power he had felt when he wanted Brianna to stop leaving—the night he wanted to bring her scarf to her.
How much did he want her to wait? It wouldn’t really have mattered, except that he didn’t want her to be cold. He cared.
Right now, he cared about opening the box so he wouldn’t be embarrassed, but perhaps that wasn’t enough. Maybe he would care more if he knew what was in the box.
“Bas, what’s in the box?”
She smiled. “Good. You figured it out.”
Brianna’s posture straightened. “Figured what out? Was this some kind of test to see if he’d open the box without knowing what he could be unleashing?”
Bas nodded. “Exactly.”
Chad felt a mix of relief and frustration. "So, this was all just a test of my judgment?"
Bas nodded, a hint of approval in her eyes. "Partly, yes. A Word Wizard's power is immense, but it must be tempered with wisdom and caution. Opening an unknown magical object without proper precautions could have disastrous consequences."
Chad ran a hand through his hair, processing this information. "I understand. But how am I supposed to learn to use my abilities if I'm always second-guessing myself?"
"A fair question," Bas replied. "The key is to find a balance between confidence and caution. Now, let's try something different."
She gestured with both hands, and the pedestal with the box vanished, replaced by a small table with a potted plant. The plant looked withered and brown, clearly on the verge of death.
"Your task now is to reanimate this plant.”
“Whoa. Are we talking about raising the dead?”
Bas chuckled. “No, my friend. It’s still alive, but barely. See if you can heal it.”
Holy shit, Chad thought to himself. Could I become a healer too? Not just a protective warrior, but someone who can help people? He wanted to find out, and he wanted it badly.
He closed his eyes and pictured nutrients pouring into the plant. He had heard the witches pray to the Goddess and knew that the Goddess liked rhymes. The room was full of witches, all tuned into the Goddess. “Okay. Let me try something…”
Bas nodded, giving him the go-ahead.
“Goddess of nature, and of life. End this plant’s dying strife.”
The plant wilted, turning brown and brittle. Completely dead.
The other witches tittered, some placing their hands over their mouths to hide their smirks. Brianna shot them a dirty look.
He turned to Bas, throwing his hands in the air. “What did I do wrong?”
“Well, you ended its strife all right,” she said. “But calling on the Goddess was smart. She heard you. Unfortunately, your wording matters quite a lot. She can take things notoriously literally.
Chad groaned. “I’m never going to get this, am I?”
“Yes, you are,” Bas said forcefully. “You have to.”
“Can’t you just get Dr. Emerson to save the world? He seems a lot more knowledgeable than I am.”
Brianna opened her mouth, but Bas turned her laser focus toward her. It was as if a silent command was given. Brianna shrank back a step and lowered her gaze.
“Let’s try one more test,” Bas said. “This time, you decide what it will be. It needs to be something you want very badly.”
Chad took a few moments to think.
“Okay. I want everyone to stop laughing at me,” he said forcefully.
Suddenly, the witches had duct tape covering all their mouths. When they ripped it off, a lot of them said, “Ouch,” and they all glared at him. All but Brianna. She was grinning. “You did it! Plus, you got revenge without killing anyone.”
It was Chad’s turn to laugh. He felt a surge of pride and relief at his successful use of his Word Warrior abilities. However, his elation was short-lived as he noticed the stern expressions on the faces of the other witches.
“Next time I want an upper lip wax, I’ll go to an aesthetician,” Joell said.
Bas stepped forward, her emerald eyes flashing with a mix of approval and warning.
"Well done, Chad. You've demonstrated a significant improvement in your control and intention.
However," she paused, her gaze sweeping across the room, "we must remember that using your abilities for personal comfort or retaliation, even in jest, can be a dangerous path. "
Chad nodded solemnly, feeling chastened. "I understand. I'm sorry, everyone. I didn't mean to cause any harm or discomfort."
The other witches murmured their acceptance of his apology, though some still rubbed their lips gingerly.
In the weeks that followed, Chad threw himself into his training with renewed determination. The incident with the withered plant and the duct-taped mouths had been a turning point, showing him both the potential and the pitfalls of his growing abilities.
Brianna was by his side for much of it, offering encouragement and occasionally serving as a practice partner. But Chad couldn't shake the feeling that she was holding something back. There was a new tension between them, a hesitancy in her eyes when she thought he wasn't looking.
One evening, after a particularly grueling session working on protective wards, Chad finally broached the subject.
"Bri," he said, collapsing onto the couch in his apartment, "what's going on? And don't say 'nothing.' I know you too well for that."
Brianna sighed, sinking down beside him. “Apparently, Lioness has been using her remote viewing abilities to study the anomalies. The results are alarming. We may need you sooner than expected.”
Chad turned toward her and took her hands in his. “What did she see?”
“Someone is trying to break through from the other side. Two someones, actually.”
“What is this other side? Does it have to do with the other dimension Bas alluded to?”
“Yes. I’m afraid so. It seems that there is probably a space between parallel universes. That is what’s referred to as the Aether or Ether. Lioness said they’ve broken through on their side, and now they’re trying to come through ours.”
Chad gasped and rose. He raked his hands through his hair as he paced back and forth. “What do they want?
“I wish we knew. Something at the Library of Congress. That’s where Lioness narrowed down the anomalies to.”
“What makes her think these anomalies are people?”
She has actually seen hands and faces trying to push through.
Chad started hyperventilating and had to sit down. “Does Dr. Emerson know?”
“Yes, but Chad—he just got a diagnosis of lung cancer. His focus is divided right now.”
Chad shot to his feet. “Shit! So, he could actually die. And not only would I lose my mentor, a man who has been nothing but good to me, but it would also be up to me to stop these bastards?”
“I’m afraid so. But, Chad, you’ve been making tremendous progress. Yes, this is a little frightening, but you can do it.
“A little frightening? Try terrifying!”
Brianna rose and held onto his arms, as if to prop him up. “You won’t be alone, hon. We’ll all be with you.”
“Hon?” A small smile crept across his face. “Does that mean we’re an item?”
“Well, duh.” She draped her arms around his neck. “You know I love you, right?”
“I do now.” Chad captured her lips in a passionate kiss.