Firemancer Collection (Fated Saga Box Set Book 1) (50 page)

Colin’s mind began to race. The thought of searching for Catrina, all on his own, was daunting. Could he really do it? He took a deep breath knowing that somehow, he would need to find the strength and bravery to do so.

##

##

Concentration escaped Meghan. Since moving in with Juliska, she felt distracted, not quite settled in. Then, there was the extra time spent with Ivan; he had been attending her training at least once a day.

At what felt like a snail’s pace, she was learning how to create fire in the palm of her hand. The trick was for it not to spread to her entire body, or to some-
one
or some-
thing
else. Juliska and Ivan both agreed this was a vital ability needed on any journey. The ability to create fire anywhere, anytime, would be of great use…
then, all I need to do is learn how to
see
at will. No pressure.

The Initiation training was proving harder than Meghan had anticipated.

On the afternoon of the sixth day, Juliska had Meghan take a break from practicing Firemancy, and instead, focus on using actual magic.

“Don’t worry,” she said, before Meghan could ask. “This castle has protection around it. Eidolon cannot sense that we are practicing magic in here.”

“Oh. Cool,” Meghan said. She later changed her mind on ‘cool’, as it did not go well. Meghan attempted the Emissio spell, but to no avail.

After awhile, Ivan arrived to monitor her progress.

“Are you taking the time to collect energy before you try the spell?” he asked, after seeing Meghan fail time after time.

“Well, of course I’m trying to,” she retorted.

“Can I make a suggestion, Banon Blackwell,” he asked.

She nodded yes.

“Perhaps Meghan simply needs better motivation.”

Meghan did not like the sound of Ivan’s suggestion one little bit. Juliska pondered the idea, at first appearing unsure.

“The only reason I agree is that we are running out of time, but yes, perhaps you are right, Ivan.”

“Let’s change spells,” he said, taking Meghan aside. “I know you can do this,” he whispered so Juliska could not hear. “I’ve seen you.”

“That was a life and death situation,” she whispered back, realizing he was speaking of the secret adventure they’d shared while in Grimble.

“Exactly,” he mouthed.

Meghan scowled. What was he going to try to do now, put her in another life or death situation?

“I want you to block my spell, Meghan,” Ivan explained. “If anything, blocking a spell might help you stay out of harm’s way, even if you can’t defend yourself after.”

Meghan growled under her breath. 

“I am going to send a spell at you. Don’t worry, I’ll take it easy on you the first time. You will use the
Obstructo
spell to block me.”

Meghan had heard Jae use the Obstructo spell, back in Grimble. She readied her mind, attempting to collect magical energy to use for her spell.

“Ready?” asked Ivan.

Meghan replied by taking a defensive stance with her palm faced out. Ivan’s spell came so fast, Meghan never even had the chance to say her counter spell.

“Carnacari!” he shouted.

Meghan lost her stance and screamed as a cascade of white carnations pummeled her body. They broke and fell to the floor after hitting her. They were easily breakable, but still stung upon impact.

Ivan frowned. “What happened?”

“Sorry,” she huffed. “I was ready. I just freaked when a cavalcade of white flew at me. It wasn’t what I expected.”

“What
did
you expect?”

“Oh, I don’t know. To be thrown into a wall or something.”

Ivan sighed. “Let’s try it again, now that you know what’s coming. Although I might remind you…”

Meghan cut him off. “Yeah yeah yeah. In the real world I won’t have any clue what’s coming at me. You’ve reminded me a few times, Ivan.”

“At least you’re listening,” he retorted just loud enough for her to hear.

Ivan said his spell again, and again, and again. Finally, Meghan got her defensive spell up fast enough to block a few of the flower arrows. Ivan would have kept going, but Juliska decided it was time for a break, for which Meghan was very grateful.

That evening, they returned to the study of Firemancy. It was time for Meghan to gain control of the fire she was creating, and keep it in the palm of her hand. Three attempts in a row she created fire, but not until the third try did she successfully keep it from spreading. She held her palm upward, controlling the flames, but that is when the real trouble started: uncontrollable visions.

“This is no good, Meghan,” warned Ivan, after lifting her off the floor. “If all that’s going to happen is you fall instantly into a vision, I can’t trust to have you all there. This is too dangerous.”

Juliska nodded her agreement, but with added compassion. Meghan, losing her patience blew her hair out of her sweaty face, and let in to him, fiercely.

“I’m doing my best, Ivan,” she articulated in an angry whisper. “I’m exhausted from
trying
. Is it impossible for you to just say, great job, Meghan… Your half way there, Meghan…It’s only been six days and you’ve come a long way, Meghan…” Her nostrils flared in frustration, but she bit her tongue before saying something completely regretful.

“Exhausted isn’t going to help either of us,
Meghan
, if you’re stuck in an uncontrollable vision when I need you awake and in the present!” he grumbled back.

“Well maybe you shouldn’t have picked me, then!” she shot back.

“What’s done is done,” intruded Juliska, before the argument could escalate. Ivan shut up, nodding at Juliska.
At least he never argues with her,
thought Meghan.

“I say enough for today,” announced Juliska. “I think, in all honesty,” she glanced slightly toward Ivan, “that you are trying
too
hard, Meghan. Take some rest. We will start again tomorrow morning.”

Meghan left the room abruptly. She noticed that Ivan stayed behind, however, shutting the door behind her.

Her fury was instant. She knew Ivan and Juliska were discussing her failures, and before she knew it, she had burst into flames, losing complete control. She attempted to squelch it before it could be noticed, but Ivan was too quick.

The door flew open just as she put out the final flame. The curtains behind her were singed and smoking, giving her away. Ivan’s self-righteous eyes caught her. Meghan glared, about to rekindle herself, as he re-shut the door.

“Ignore him,” insisted Nona. “I watched you practice all afternoon, and you did very well. Even Juliska believes that. Now, it’s time to rest.” Nona knew her words would hardly calm Meghan’s fiery temper. At least as she stormed away, no more fires erupted.

By morning, however, she had ruined her sheets, singing them beyond repair. Meghan sat up, still fuming, but more determined than ever to succeed.

“I will keep my emotions under control today,” she said, decidedly. “I will not let Ivan Crane get the best of me.” She immediately got up and began practice. She created a controlled fire in her palm on the first try, but a vision awaited her.

Nona sat, still as a statue, keeping guard as the vision took over.

It began much the same as it always did … her repeated nightmare of Jae Mochrie, injured and beaten, lying on his pillar, just out of her reach. She held her breath through to the end, not wanting to relive the vision, but as it neared its typical ending - Jae’s beaten body being hurled into the great dark abyss - something new occurred.

Jae stood up, egging on the faceless silhouette, challenging it.

Meghan breathed, paying more attention now.

“Jae! You can’t fight that thing,” she yelled instinctively. Then she thought,
Maybe he’s supposed to fight this thing? Maybe he needs to fight it.
” Be strong Jae!” she encouraged. “Fight it! I know you can!”

The vision did not take the turn Meghan hoped it would.

Jae spun and peered at Meghan. She fell backwards in shock. His eyes had turned black, and his face was contorted and wrong.

Amazingly, the silhouette backed away from him, and a face began to form in the blackness of the silhouette. The only distinctive feature that Meghan could see was an eerie, pleased smile. The silhouette faded and vanished, leaving Jae to fight the evil expanding inside him. He fell to his knees, panting, screaming and convulsing until the blackness had ripped itself out of his body.

Then, the vision ended and Meghan was on her bedroom floor. She fell onto her back with a thud.

Nona licked her face as Meghan moaned in despair.

What did this change mean? Was this still Ivan’s fear she was seeing? Would he ever explain to her what it all meant?

Meghan feared she was defeated. How could she forget about this vision and move forward? How could she keep it from happening, repeatedly, every time she created a fire?

“Oh, Nona. I’m so tired. I’m not cut out for this.”

Nona stopped her licking as a knock at the bedroom door intervened and sidetracked Meghan’s melancholy mood.

Breakfast, delivered by Pantin Hollee.

“Thank you, Hollee,” mumbled Meghan, rising from the floor.

“Up early and hard at work already, I see.”

Meghan nodded half-heartedly.

“I’ve never seen anyone work so hard and learn so fast, Meghan. It will all come together.”

Despair and failure must have been written all over her face, Meghan realized. She fought the lump rising in her throat, determined not to let it surface. She mustered out, “Thanks.”

Hollee gave her an understanding pat on the shoulder and left, insisting she eat.

After breakfast, her strength renewed, Meghan hardened her mind once again.

She would not fail Juliska.

She would work harder.

She would gain control.

##

##

Colin tried to ignore the third argument (in a week) currently raging in the Mochrie house. Jae’s father was angry with him, nothing new.

However, Irving’s agitation soared today, at the fact that Jae was disappearing for hours while he was supposed to be with him, studying.

Colin did not wish to be present for this argument, which was proving to be the most heated he had ever witnessed. However, his curiosity got the better of him.

Where is Jae spending all his time? And why hasn’t he told me? It’s not like him to disobey his father.

“Jae, you must understand I do this for your own good,” avowed Irving. “Tomorrow morning you will accompany me to work. That is final! No more wandering off.” Irving’s face was red hot.

The angry glare that emanated from Jae sent shivers down Colin’s spine, and he swore that for the tiniest of moments, Jae’s eyes even changed color, appearing darker.

Then, Jae did something he had never done before. It paralyzed everyone in the room.

“No, Dad,” he said with a quiet confidence. “I won’t.”

Irving’s red face turned purple but no words would come out of his mouth. Sheila Mochrie sank into her chair with a blank stare, having never heard Jae outright defy his father.

Colin decided he no longer wanted to be present.
This is going to get bad. Very bad
. He edged his way to the front door, escaping, and took cover behind a nearby rock formation. To his surprise, a moment later Jae bounded by.

Colin had the briefest of thoughts …
Maybe I should follow him
. He was curious now. Where was Jae disappearing to if he wasn’t spending time with his father, which until the arguments of this past week, is where Colin believed Jae always was.

“If I can’t trust Jae, who can I trust?” muttered Colin. He decided to follow anyway, with the intention of outing his presence at the right moment.

Jae was still obviously angry. He mumbled as he stormed off, punching and kicking rocks along the way. Colin had never seen him so angry. Could he blame him, though? Life with the Svoda was hard enough, and Jae’s father, even harder.

Jae was too upset to notice Colin following a distance behind him. Jae came to a stop at the entrance to the path that led to Juliska Blackwell’s castle. It was a steep climb. Colin hid as Jae glanced back, appearing to be checking to see if he was alone. His face showed signs of an inward struggle.

Jae began the climb to the castle. Colin decided not to follow, which turned out to be a smart decision as Jae got a few steps up, then changed his mind and came back down. As soon as he was down, he changed his mind and began upward again, at a hasty pace, as if determined not to change his mind this time.

Was Jae visiting Meghan? Colin doubted that. But why would he visit Juliska Blackwell? Was he so upset with his father he would turn him in, and for what? Being mean? Colin knew that Jae respected Banon Blackwell, and at the same time, she had not always been kind to his family. Then Colin had another disturbing thought.