CHAPTER XII #4
“In which you do not freely think of,” Sianoa corrects, reaching for her own sparkling toddy as she takes a heavy drink.
“Think of something right now, something small and random, something that has nothing to do with Heysan. Don’t look at him when you do it, don’t direct whatever you think of at him, just remain as you are.
Neither of us should be able to catch your thought. ”
I take a deep breath and begin to think of Millie and our ride back up the hill together, the forest around us so serene and calm. I can feel Heysan watching me from the corner of my eyes, his hand stroking his goatee in thought as he says nothing.
Hirovale would have pulled that.
“Your thoughts are your own,” Sianoa reiterates, now tipping the decanter of toddy towards both our glasses as she fills them full again. “Though we can hear them if they are pushed in our direction…”
Just like Elena.
“But we need to strengthen your door. Only the thoughts that you willingly want to give should be allowed out. Same with communication. Right now, when you speak to us silently, the door is wide open because your mind wants to have the conversation. What I need for you to do is wrap your fingers around the handle and hold it shut, even if you want to speak to us.”
The door to Keane’s residence comes back into my mind, standing strong against the greenstone as it secures itself tightly into the home.
“Okay,” I nod to the Ancient and reach for my drink. “Let’s try again.”
Her eyes dart briefly towards my hand, eyeing the black of my ring before her lips curve up in a knowing smile.
“Close the door tight. Only once you think it’s secure, try speaking to me silently. Let nothing pass through it. Imagine the sound of any words you may give bouncing off the door and back on you before they land safely in your mind.”
I nod fervently and lean towards her, watching as the emblem of Warrior flashes a violent black against the wood. It’s as if I’m standing in the home, looking towards the door from the inside out and Sianoa is waiting at the front to enter.
Can you hear me? I ask the Ancient timidly.
Yes, her voice comes into my mind. Try again.
The strong pines at the side of the door grow thicker, lending their sturdy limbs as they secure the door even tighter, daring anything to get through.
Why me? I hold the Ancient’s green eyes in question. My friends were surprised when I told them I was communicating with Heysan silently at the coronation. Why are they not able to do the same? Why can’t Keane?
“My brother Hirovale’s power runs within you” Sianoa replies softly, bringing the toddy to her lips, “along with what I suspect is your own power. It is through his summoning that you can speak to us as if my brother would. Though I do wish I had the same ability. I’d communicate with your King if he’d let me. ”
Heysan nearly chokes on his drink from his seat, his eyes widening on his sister in surprise.
The beautiful Ancient grins and shrugs her shoulder, turning her eyes on me in small challenge before she lifts her drink up to her lips.
I laugh at the woman, still enjoying her advances, and tip my own glass at her with raised brows.
Sianoa gives me a genuine smile and clanks her glass against mine as we both take a heavy drink.
“Women,” Heysan mumbles in disbelief.
“Wait,” I look at Sianoa in sudden realization, wanting to laugh at the irony. “Do you mean to tell me that I’m fighting against Hiro’s summoning by using his own summoning against him?”
Ancients, what a mind fuck.
“Yes,” Sianoa grins in response, “which is what makes this so fun. My brother gifts you his power and then you turn around and use it against him.”
I can see where that would be fun until another realization begins looming large in the back of my mind.
“What’s wrong?”
I stare at the Ancient, knowing her words can’t be right.
Along with your own.
My own what? My own power?
No.
Absolutely not.
I am human.
Stormfall caws loud from the table just as Maude’s sharp eyes push into my mind.
Are you human? She asked.
I scowl as even Renate’s comments now come flooding, hitting me even harder.
But you must know, Alexis, or even suspect, that you yourself are no longer mortal. I can feel it from you.
“Alexis,” Sianoa’s voice is filled with soft concern.
Stormfall caws loudly again, his yellow eyes looking at me in hard resolute. He wants to say something, I can feel it from him. Heysan sits up in his chair with a frown, removing his boots from the table as he leans forward.
“What’s wrong?” she repeats.
“Nothing,” I let out a heavy breath. “Let’s just keep going. I need to get this down.”
My hand is pressed hard against my temple, hating that I have such an aching head on a night meant for celebration.
The full of our group is at the inn, all of us sitting around a few tables that are pushed together in the middle of the common room.
Elena is with us, as are her two sisters, Mitra and Denise.
Both of them remain quiet and demure to the rowdiness of Knowledge and Warrior, but they do smile when drinks are handed their way.
Only two other patrons grace the inn with us.
The first is a Woodlands Discerni girl, looking about the age of adulthood as she sits in the corner by herself, reading a book.
The second is an older human man who’s visiting Sianoa’s temple as his last stop in his tour of Alston.
Both keep to themselves as our group orders another round of drinks, everyone celebrating Keane and I and the news of our engagement.
I’ve been drinking from my ale vigorously since the moment we’ve sat down. My head is pounding from the intrusions of both Sianoa and Heysan earlier, my mind vibrating with their voices that seem to linger. I don’t know what I expected from today’s training-
Actually, yes I do.
I expected to block them easily.
I expected to master the summoning as easily as I did with Hiro’s air. I expected to expel them from my thoughts.
But not only could I not do that, it seemed that every time I tried to expel them, my mind and body became more tired and more vulnerable, opening the two to thoughts that I didn’t want either of them to have.
The whole of the afternoon was hard and grueling, so much so that I tired quickly and started yearning for bed.
It was as if Hirovale’s summoning was fighting against me, willing me not to use it against the Ancient.
Or at least that’s what I suspected.
I had done so bad that Sianoa asked me to greet her in the late morning tomorrow, softly implying without saying directly that we needed the extra time to practice.
The thought makes me scowl as I take another heavy sip of ale, nearly finishing the drink just as quickly as the others.
“Hey,” Keane’s hand slips under the table and grips my thigh, pulling me towards him. “Forget today. Nobody expects you to master the summoning in a day.”
I do, I want to reply, but instead give him a small smile.
“Alexis…” Keane’s voice is a quiet command.
I sigh and let his words draw me into him, dropping my aching head on his shoulder.
“You did well with Rivian’s follower today.”
Ancients, was that today?
It seems so far away.
“I wanted her to spread the word. Do you think she will?”
“I do,” he gives a small nod of approval. “The first of many.”
I smile at my King, experiencing firsthand how quickly word and news can spread within Disce.
The more people that we could convince of Rivian’s true nature, the better it would help our cause once we eventually made the travel into Livyatan.
Ari looked ready to spread the word the moment we were done with our conversation earlier, her own dark eyes hurt and troubled as we recounted what it took to wake the Ancient and what it still took to wake her magical creature.
“And Alston?” I ask, my voice a near whisper.
“Desmond and I are working on it,” he grips my thigh. “You just focus on Sianoa and let us handle the changes here.”
I sigh and think again on the towns we rode through today.
Separate but equal.
What a harrowing thought. If anyone told me that I had to live on a certain side of town with my own shops and businesses I would openly scoff in their face. But the people here all seem fine with it...
Are they?
I have no idea because I still haven’t spoken to any of the patrons properly.
“Your sister was so casual when she spoke of the separation,” I keep my voice low and look out to our table of friends.
“That is what she knows and is accustomed with. It is how it has always-”
“-Stop, please,” I take another heavy drink. “I’m sick of hearing that excuse.”
Keane remains silent at my side for a few moments before he runs his hand down my leg.
“You’ve used the excuse countless of times yourself, Alexis…”
I sit up straight and raise my brows. “How do you mean, Your Grace?”
Keane looks at me knowingly, his brown eyes sharp as he reaches for Stormfall on my shoulder.
“Every time you note that humans require no change, that they need no summoning… Is that not said with the same sentiment? That they don’t need the change because it is how it has always been?
That humans need no new magic because they have thrived without it for the past thousands of years?
The same words run true with the people of Alston.
They have lived here peacefully, without any change to their lifestyle. ”
“That is different,” I scowl at Keane, hating that he’s made a valid point.
“Not by much, trouble,” he gives me a small smile as Stormfall purrs under his touch, “and I think you know that.”
I huff in my seat and think on Keane’s words. They do hold so much truth in them. Our lives as humans have always been as they are, and I’ve grown accustomed to that. Proud of that. But am I the one stuck in my own ways? Just as the Discerni are here?