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Chapter 17
I felt even worse the following day. So bad, in fact, that Jeffrey was called back to check on me.
“From what I can see,” he said to Killian as they stood on the opposite side of the room and in a voice that I doubted he’d expected me to hear, “you syphoned every drop of magic from her shine. She’s completely depleted.”
“How can that be?” Killian asked with concern. “I projected it toward her. She should have gotten a goodly supply from me.”
Jeffrey looked at me with creased brow. “Something’s not right.”
“Do you think they did something to her when she was beyond the portal?” Killian asked.
“That’s a pretty nasty place,” Jeffrey replied. “I’ve only met one other person who went there and survived.”
I sucked in air at his comment, but stayed silent. I wasn’t ready for th
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It took two days for my shine to replenish and my strength to come back. Jeffrey said that it was remarkably fast. He’d expected me to be in bed for a few weeks, not a few days. He wasn’t sure if it was my magical genetics or the remedy that he’d finally had the opportunity to use that did the trick. Perhaps it was both.Killian was called on a case, but he made sure that someone was with me in the house at all times. More often than not, it was a woman named Gail Simone.A trusted member of the society, Gail had a way about her that made her conscientious of my wellbeing and good company during times when I really needed it. She was about a decade older than me, but managed to hold off the ravages of time so that she looked to be around my age. Her shiny raven hair framed her pale, oval face as it hung sleekly over her slender shoulders. Her nose was long, narrow, and in perfect proportion to her pixie-
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We said nothing after we’d finished making love. Whether it was because we were both breathless or whether he was just as much in awe over the intensity of our sex as I was, I didn’t know.He sat in silence while I dressed and put on my makeup. I occasionally glanced at him through the mirror to find his look intense and studying.“What are you watching me so closely for?” I finally asked.“We didn’t use protection,” he mumbled.“Should I be worried?” I asked with concern.“About disease or pregnancy?” he asked.“I’m on the pill,” I offered.“I was recently tested,” he said with surety. “I can show you the results if you want.”“I trust you,” I said with a hint of relief. “I liked it without the condom. I vote we keep it that way.” Then, after a brief
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I spent the following week learning what I could about magic from both Gail and Killian. Jeffrey visited a few times and offered some tidbits to enhance the tricks and spells that I’d already learned, but, for the most part, he simply annoyed me with his nagging suggestion that we should utilize Jason’s skills to get Nora back.I, on the other hand, stubbornly held out for news from Anton while I focused on honing my newfound skills to optimum.I was getting good at creating fireballs. My ability to throw them with accuracy was still wanting, but I felt confident none-the-less. I was also becoming adept at teleportation on a local level. It wasn’t astral projecting. That’s when the physical body stayed behind. My physical body actually went with me. Both Killian and Gail felt it was the wiser move, since someone could tamper with my body if I left it behind. I could return to a body that was severely dam
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For the next few days, we incorporated telepathy and psychic impressions into my training. Both Killian and I were accustomed to – and appreciated- a certain amount of structure in our routine. Because of this, we’d set a time and date for our rescue mission to begin. With a deadline in sight for the use of my skills, it gave me a stronger determination to focus on what I was learning and how well I was learning it.By the time we were ready to travel through the portal in search of Nora, I had to admit that I felt a little like a super woman. I could pull the particles of energy that were all around us out of the atmosphere and use them to create a decent electric ball that radiated so much energy as to become fire. Hence, it was called a fireball. I’d even built up the strength in my arms so that I was able to achieve a decent distance when throwing it.I had the ability to make myself invisible if the need arose.
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Gail pushed away the plate of pasta that she’d devoured with such gusto that one would think that she was the one who’d just finished three hours of grueling physical and mental training instead of me. “I want to go with you on your mission.”Killian shook his head. “It’s too much to ask of Esmerelda and me. It will take all of the magic and strength that we have to stand up against Marduke and his minions. We can’t be using any of it on things like protecting you.” Seeing the hurt look on her face, he added, “It’s nothing personal. If we were stronger, I’d gladly let you come alone.”“I’m not as weak as you make it sound,” she pouted. “In fact, I’m the one who taught a good deal of what Esmerelda knows to her. I can hold my own.”“Indeed you can,” I said with a nod. I looked at Killian with
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Killian was careful to park the car behind the shed where it wouldn’t be easily seen. Bypassing the spot where my captors had parked on that horrific night helped me to push the memories deeper into the recesses of my mind so that I could focus on what lay ahead.I slowly pulled my body from the front passenger seat of the SUV. Even though the sun was peeking over the horizon, the tall pine trees prevented it from illuminating our surroundings with much more than a fine, hazy glow. We would have to rely on the small flashlights that we’d brought along with us to light our way to the portal.“Do you remember where you came out?” Killian asked as he pulled at the collar of his coat in hopes of more warmth.I shook my head. “Not exactly.”“She should be able to see the portal,” Gail said with a voice that hinted of disdain mixed with jealousy. “She has the ability.&rdqu
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My first instinct was to escape via the portal that I’d only just traveled through. To my dismay, before I could get my feet to obey my mind, Marduke waived his hand and closed it.“Killian!” I gasped as I frantically tried to reopen it to no avail.“He was never going to be allowed through,” Gail said with satisfaction.An amused smile formed on her lips as she watched me struggle to use my magic.“You’re with them? Him?” I spat as I gave up my foolish attempt to undo the magic of a powerful dark lord such as Marduke. “I thought you were our friend. You sure had us fooled.”“You need to give him a chance to explain what he’s all about,” she said with a tone that was similar to the one she’d used with me when she had me believing that we were friends. “The society has lied to you in so many ways. You need to listen to
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Instead of bringing clarity to the situation, Marduke’s tale made me all the more confused.He told of how he’d been a member of the society centuries earlier. He personally knew the founding members, including my parents. His claim was that he held a position of authority, but was overthrown and banished when he disagreed with and refused to admit certain practices and policies into order. These practices included allowing couples to syphon magic from each other’s shine.“What harm is there in couples sharing their magic?” I asked.His lips formed a weak smile. “Is it really sharing? The stronger one is always the syphoner; thus, weakening the weaker one. Without restrictions, the weaker one could be permanently altered. Yes. There is much harm. You know, firsthand, how it temporarily depletes the body’s life force. I am aware of how Jason repeatedly syph
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