The white coated mink led Emmeline through the hallway and down some stairs leading to a dark study with no outdoor light. They must have been under the walls. The animal said telepathically to Emmeline…<\/p>\n
I will return in in a half hour pretty one.<\/em><\/p>\n …and it left. Beyond the door, Emmeline could see a pair of light globes illuminating desks full of books, notes, and more. At the far side, she saw a blinding flash of light illuminating Kalista as she shot a lightning bolt down a long hall into the darkness. The sound was loud, but it seemed to muffle quickly. Kalista noticed Emmeline and turned. “Ma’am.” she said with a bow, placing her wand down on the nearby desk.<\/p>\n “Nice shot, Kalista,” Emmeline said as she peered through the darkness. It was nice the dark never held secrets from her. “How are you?”<\/p>\n She looked a bit exhausted, \u201cFine. The master, she has me pushing myself to my limit. We are trying to determine what I can do. Apparently I can still cast lightning, both near and far. The spells I was taught still work. Though some have not gone quite as planned.\u201d<\/p>\n “How do you mean?” Emmeline asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI cannot fully control it. The master calls it pattern rebound. She says that as I am essentially fey that I cause a disruption in the weave of magic from tapping the surrounding mana directly and not through a medium of blood, formula, or patron. Last night I accidentally turned one of the guards into a sheep. He got better. The night before I ended up levitating myself uncontrollably. It doesn\u2019t happen often, maybe one in twenty spells. The master says in time I could gain control over it. She says the elves have learned techniques to balance this effect and someday I might be able to meet them. So, for now I practice.\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n “A sheep? Oh… my. Well that does seem like a very good idea. Is there anything I can do to help?” Em fervently hoped she would not suddenly become a pregnant sheep. Because… ewe.<\/p>\n \u201cThe master, Magitrix Alix, she tells me that she will need to assess you to find that out. If you can help me, that is. I do not know what that means.\u201d she confessed.<\/p>\n “I think she doesn’t know the full extent of what I can do. I think I’ve only told her what I cannot do.” Emmeline thought about that. She had no intention of giving away all her secrets to any one person. She needed Alix, though, so she would give the magus precisely what she asked for. It occurred to Em that was a rather fey way to approach things. It suited her.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is helping me discover my abilities. We are testing each spell one-by-one, except the dark rituals I once knew. I don\u2019t have a coven anymore and frankly those rituals called on another being for power. Best to not get his attention the master says.\u201d added Kalista.<\/p>\n Emmeline nodded. “You don’t need him. You’ve evolved beyond all of that,” she told Kalista with great confidence.<\/p>\n “I wish I shared your confidence. I can’t look at a shadow not think he is hiding there or a person’s eyes and not think he is looking through them. He is beyond charismatic. What he says, happens, and anyone regardless of their will could succumb to his charms and powers. You have no idea what he is capable of.” she said. Kalista wasn’t too fearful, she simply stated facts.<\/p>\n “I understand,” Emmeline said. “You aren’t alone. When you feel threatened, frightened, or tempted, you can talk to me. I’m here.”<\/p>\n \u201cYou, your friends, and your gods gave me life – a second change. I know you will be there,\u201d she said with a melancholy smile. \u201cThe magistrix tells me that my story, if I tell it verbatum, will elicit hatred for me. She says you can help there.\u201d<\/p>\n Just then Snow appeared.<\/p>\n The mistress says that the fey one must rest now and then continue her readings. Pretty one, the mistress commands you return as the fiery one is done with his matters.<\/em><\/p>\n The little mink turned and moved back up the hall, pausing a moment to see if Emmeline would follow.<\/p>\n Em nodded to the mink. “I’ll see you later, Kalista.” She gave the fey girl a hug and then hurried on after the mink.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The white coated mink led Emmeline through the hallway and down some stairs leading to a dark study with no outdoor light. They must have been under the walls. The animal said telepathically to Emmeline… I will return in in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[4],"class_list":["post-2933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-thalassa","tag-emmeline"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8aqU2-Lj","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2945,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2016\/05\/02\/on-the-road\/","url_meta":{"origin":2933,"position":0},"title":"On the Road","author":"Illuminatus","date":"May 2, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"As the party were passing hardby the highlands and woods where the hags were battled, Ren\u00e9e road up to the Baron, bowing slightly and discussed some thing Emmeline not Elemix could hear. Elemix could make out the words 'danger', and 'possible'. Once she was done, Ren\u00e9e backed her horse off\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3142,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2016\/08\/23\/renee-and-kalista\/","url_meta":{"origin":2933,"position":1},"title":"Renee and Kalista","author":"Illuminatus","date":"August 23, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Emmeline had heard that Renee had arrived briefly in Uzec before immediately leaving for home once it was heard her parent's manor had been attacked. A week passed and she arrived in Uzec, family-in-tow. With the Baroness still in Derrien dealing with the aftermath, the seneschal sent the young woman\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3207,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2017\/01\/06\/dark-dreams\/","url_meta":{"origin":2933,"position":2},"title":"Dark Dreams","author":"Illuminatus","date":"January 6, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The storm kept coming. Ixian, now revealed to have been the unwitting stooge of Olga the Winter Hag looked outward, guarding the entranceway. He reported that he saw movement of the Old Men, but none approached too close. He worried about his tribe members, his lost friend Hidmeel, and the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2939,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2016\/04\/26\/the-lioness-the-witch-and-wardrobe\/","url_meta":{"origin":2933,"position":3},"title":"The Lioness, the Witch, and Wardrobe","author":"Illuminatus","date":"April 26, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The following morning, Emmeline was summoned by Magus Alix to her tower. After normal greetings, the magus said, \u201cI know you wish to return as soon as possible to Uzec, but I have some need of knowledge to better teach you and help you protect that which is of import\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Emmeline","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/12\/image.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/12\/image.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/12\/image.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/12\/image.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3031,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2016\/07\/18\/antare-vanawe-and-the-mother-tree\/","url_meta":{"origin":2933,"position":4},"title":"Antar\u00e9, Vanaw\u00eb, and the Mother Tree","author":"Illuminatus","date":"July 18, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The city of Antar\u00e9 was so beautiful to Emmeline, and to think all her life it was but a single day from her home. The elves who lived here called it the Shore of Forever or the Kindly Isles. Long ago a human hero stumbled upon the Isles and during\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2952,"url":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/2016\/05\/06\/queen-of-love-and-beauty\/","url_meta":{"origin":2933,"position":5},"title":"Queen of Love and Beauty","author":"Illuminatus","date":"May 6, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"During the ride, Lord Roland spoke to Emmeline, \u201cmy lady, I wish you at my side at the summer tournament. Despite this journey, we should be back in time. That said, we will need candidates for this year\u2019s Queen of Love and Beauty.\u201d \"Uzec is gifted with many lovely young\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Thalassa"","block_context":{"text":"Thalassa","link":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/category\/thalassa\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2933"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2933\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countlessworlds.org\/thalassa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/p>\n