First Magic, Raven Steele [sight word books txt] 📗
- Author: Raven Steele
- Performer: -
Book online «First Magic, Raven Steele [sight word books txt] 📗». Author Raven Steele
Sophie sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “Not necessarily. Vykens have also learned to manipulate Light in ways Auras have never learned. They use it to mask their appearance. For all you know, it could be your best friend at school.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because I would sense it.”
“How?”
I squirmed in my seat. “I don’t know. I just would.”
“Are you not listening? I admit you’ve done remarkably well with so little knowledge, but don’t let it go to your head. You are not invincible. It was that attitude that cost your mother her life.”
“So you’re saying I can’t have friends?”
“Not at all, but you have to choose the right ones: those who are like you. At Lucent, there are girls your age who are going through the same things you are.”
“I doubt that,” I mumbled.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.” Sophie was the last person I wanted to share my woes with. “How are we supposed to help others if we are locked away in some school?”
“Right now we are just trying to preserve our kind. And you’re not locked away. The girls can come and go as they please.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but she interrupted me. “We want our kind to help humanity, but not until they are properly trained. Eventually, you’ll be placed back into society where you can help the most.”
“Like serving on the boards of charities?” I mocked.
From what my father had told me, Auras were rarely allowed to have hands-on experience helping others. I’d never heard of an Aura who physically worked in a soup kitchen, but I’d heard of plenty who had established one. I remember my mom saying once (not too happily either) that our safety had become more important than our purpose.
“Exactly. You can still help without getting too close to others.” Sophie slapped the arm of the couch making me jump. “Enough serious talk. I’m only here for a couple of days. Do you want to do something fun?”
“Like what?” I didn’t think it was possible for her to have fun.
“First, let me ask you a question. What can you do with Light?”
“You mean how can I use it?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I can turn lights on and off by just thinking about it. Once I made an entire gymnasium black out.” I waited for my Aunt’s eyes to widen with surprise, but she just stared. “And I can calm people down by touching them."
“Like your mother.”
“I guess. And I think I’m really good at reading people, but I’m not sure if that’s Light or just me.”
“Could be a little of both. Anything else?”
“I have great hearing.”
For some reason this surprised her. “Really? How long have you had this gift?”
“For as long as I can remember.”
She stared right through me and whispered, “Mark.”
“What about my Dad?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to discuss your father right now. What else can you do?”
“Well, on full moons I’m really fast and I have great reflexes. I think I might be a little stronger too.” I almost told her about the balls of light I had started to create but stopped myself. She wouldn’t like the reason why I was making them. “What’s up with the full moon anyway?”
“It’s when the sun’s reflective light is at its strongest. This reflection makes it easier for you to take advantage of Light’s powers.”
“Are you saying I could have Light’s energy all of the time?”
She leaned toward me. “Absolutely. You just have to know how to call upon it. That’s why you need to come to Lucent. We can teach you all of this.” She paused. “But I’m getting distracted. We wanted to have fun. Let me show you what else Light can do.”
“Really?”
She stood and flashed a mischievous grin. “You might want to put on something warm.”
Following Sophie’s directions, I drove up the canyon as far as Jake’s little car could go before the snow became too deep. Several recent storms had dumped snow on us the last several days. Only an inch or so remained in the valley but in the mountains? It was here to stay for several months, at least.
After parking off the side of the road, we traveled by foot into the white forest. It didn’t seem like she was guiding me any particular direction. She’d stop frequently, look left to right, and then keep walking. I just wished she’d make up her mind because I was freezing.
The snow was at least a couple feet thick and every time I took a step, I broke through its hard crust and sunk low. Sophie, however, had no difficulties walking across its thin icy layer even though she had to have been at least twenty pounds heavier than me. Plus, she wore a heavy-looking white coat that hung well below her waist. Beneath it, her wispy, layered skirt floated behind her like a tailgating ghost.
I dropped to my bum and called, “Can we take a break?”
She turned around and gasped. “What are you doing sitting in the snow?”
“Apparently, I have elephant legs! I can’t walk in this stuff.”
I moved out of the hole and took another step, but once again the top layer couldn’t support my weight, and I fell through.
Sophie laughed and walked back to me.
“How do you do that?” I asked, keeping a keen eye on her movements.
“Do what?”
“Not break through the snow. You walk on it like you’re a mouse.”
She tilted her head and smiled. “There is so much for you to learn. I’m using Light, dear.”
She reached a hand toward me. I grabbed onto it and let her pull me up. “How?”
“The best way to explain it,” she thought for a moment, “is it’s like holding your breath only you can breathe.”
“That’s the best way to explain it? Hold your breath but still breathe? Sounds like a low-budget ninja film: ‘go through the door that is not a door!’”
She wasn’t amused. “I’m trying to help.”
I mumbled an apology.
She inhaled a breath and on her exhale said, “Try and imagine there is a balloon inside you making you weightless.”
“Can I fly?”
She shook her head. “You’re still bound by the laws of gravity. Light is only making you lighter, almost as if you’re in water. Now close your eyes and call upon Light. Imagine it expanding inside you.”
“Seriously?”
“How else are you going to learn?”
“Fine.” I closed my eyes and concentrated. I did as she asked and pictured a balloon, but after a minute I felt like I was burning up. I opened my eyes and gasped for air.
Sophie laughed. “That’s one way of doing it.”
I lowered my gaze. All around me the snow had melted. “Not quite what you had in mind?”
“Not really but you’re learning. You just need to practice.” Sophie glanced around. “I guess we can stop here, but we need to wait a little longer for the sun to go down.”
“Why?”
“What I’m going to show you is much more impressive when it’s dark.” Sophie stepped into my hole with me. In seconds, she had warmed the area until the ground was dry. “We can sit here and wait.”
We sat in silence for several minutes, listening to winter’s stillness, as the sun dipped behind the tops of the trees. My thoughts drifted to May and how difficult it would be to not know where your ability came from. I was about to ask Sophie but stopped. May should be the one asking, not me.
Sophie caught my eye. “What are you thinking about?”
“Huh? Oh nothing.”
“You can tell me.”
I glanced around while trying to think of something to say. “Just how strange it is to be here with you.”
“We should’ve been doing things like this all along.”
“Why?”
“You are so far behind other Auras. Normally it’s the mothers who teach their daughters about Light, but where your mother isn’t around, it should’ve been me.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
“Llona,” Sophie hesitated. “I need to ask your forgiveness.”
“For what?” This had to be a first.
Comments (0)