I held my breath, thinking Marcus would turn her down or have another explosion, but his clothes rustled as he reached over to hug her. “Thanks, Kallie. This is the best present I’ve ever gotten. I love it so much.”
Rishi meowed, and Kallie mumbled, “It really was nothing. It was easy to make.”
I didn’t believe her. Wands were strong magical objects, and this wand had to be fortified with powerful demigod abilities to be able to withstand casting Marcus’ magic without blowing itself apart. She’d poured a piece of her own power into this. It showed how much she still cared.
“I can’t wait to try this out,” Marcus squealed as he sat back in his seat. “This is awesome.”
“Well, you deserve it,” Kallie said quietly, though I didn’t think Marcus heard her.
I drummed my fingers on the tabletop. “Who is this witch you’re meeting with, exactly? Max said she was a friend of your parents.”
“Yeah. She works with my mom, but they’ve been friends since I was born,” Marcus explained. “She used to babysit me when I was little, and she comes over for family parties all the time. She’s not my aunt, but she might as well be. When I was in the hospital after my first attempt, she came to talk to me and gave me some tough love. My parents are always soft and gentle, but she knew what to say to me to get me out of it. She says what she means, and she doesn’t sugarcoat anything. Sometimesit can be rough, but more often than not, it’s helpful. She’s a very powerful witch, and we can trust her to teach me what I need to know to get the job done.”
The door opened, and a woman walked in. Her heels clicked against the floor, and I could feel the air swirling around a cloak that billowed at her ankles.
“Marcus,” she said brightly. “It’s good to see you again.”
Marcus immediately stood, and I knew this woman commanded respect. “It’s been a while. Guys, this is Priestess Chloe.”
I was shocked. Nobody mentioned anything about this mentor being a Miriamic priestess. That meant she was one of the people who’d sentenced Marcus to the Darke Institute. He didn’t seem to hold any animosity toward her, though. Rather, he seemed to respect her. She must’ve advocated for him alongside his mother, to avoid a harsher sentence.
“Marcus, I babysat you for years. Just call me Chloe,” she offered. “Have a seat. The technique you’re about to learn is very intensive, so you’ll want to get comfortable for it.”
Marcus sat, and Chloe took the chair at the head of the table. “Chloe, these are my friends Kallie and Charlie,” Marcus introduced. “They’re demigods, like me, and we’re working together to find the Divinity Keys, open the Elven Gate, and fulfill Charlie’s prophecy as the Elven heir. We believe that by growing my power and learning how to read minds, I’ll be able to obtain the valuable insight we need.”
Not just anyone was privy to this information, but Chloe was a Miriamic priestess. She was practically a queen among the witches, and she was privileged to possess any and all information any other rulers had. Marcus trusted her, so I did, too.
“I can help with that,” Chloe began. “As you know, various members of the Miriamic Coven possess the ability to readminds. But these powers have limitations. While each witch’s specialty differs, I have yet to meet a witch or warlock who can fully intercept another person’s thoughts with precision. A member of the Mentalist Cast may have the unique ability to read thoughts that you freely share with them, but they aren’t able to see what remains hidden. A Seer might be able to interpret messages through feelings, but aren’t able to get the exact thoughts in words.”
“What’s the difference between the Mentalist Cast and the Seer Cast?” Kallie wondered. “They sound so similar.”
“They are, in a lot of ways,” Chloe admitted. “And there’s some overlap between the two Casts’ powers. What separates a Mentalist from a Seer ishowthey use their power. Mentalists toy with the mind or have the power of telekinesis, while Seers are more adept at perceiving emotions, reading information from a distance, or obtaining visions about the past or future.”
She turned back to Marcus. “Since you have the powers of both Casts, I believe you may be able to combine these powers to read minds more effectively. It’s a technique I developed long ago alongside your Aunt Talia, who is a Seer. It’s called teleinsight.”
“Forgive me,” Marcus said curiously. “I know you’re the Mentalist Priestess, but how were you able to develop a mind-reading technique? I thought you had the powers of telekinesis.”
“I do,” Chloe confirmed. “Unfortunately, teleinsight is not something I’m able to do without the proper tools. Talia and I were in possession of powerful objects that granted us access to immense power. We no longer have those objects, so we can’t perform the technique anymore. In fact, I don’t believe any other witches could pull this off. However, I remember it well and can teach you. Since you have demigod powerandthe power of all five Casts, you should be able to do this. First, you’ll need a wand so you can focus your powers. As the technique is verydirect, I don’t believe even you will be able to perform it without assistance. A wand is required for this technique to work.”
“I’ve got one,” Marcus said, and he waved his wand in the air. He almost poked me in the eye.
“Ouch! Be careful,” I snapped at him, rubbing my cheek where he’d stabbed me.
“Sorry,” Marcus apologized.
Maybe this was the weapon we needed. Get the Warden in here and we could just have Marcus gouge his eyes out by accident.
“This will work well,” Chloe said. “What you’re going to do is take your Mentalist powers and your Seer powers and combine them together, then direct that magic down into the wand. If you are focused enough, you should be able to pierce through any mental wards the subject has protecting them.”
“So it’s like usingsimultensionon yourself, like Ava does when she combines Fire and Water magic to make blue fireballs?” Marcus asked.
“That’s what I’ve heard when it comes to your friend, yes,” Chloe responded.
“Ava’s magic is stronger than ever when she combines her powers. Maybe if I do this, I can use teleinsight to read the Warden’s mind,” Marcus said.
“I wouldn’t jump to conclusions just yet,” Chloe warned him. “While the technique is powerful, other demigods are an even match for you. I don’t think you’d be able to overpower another demigod’s mind without their consent. Plus, this spell works best in close proximity, so even if youcouldread the Warden’s mind, you’d have to get close enough to him to do it.”
“All right,” Marcus said. “Let’s stick to these vampire baddies for now. What can I do once I’m inside their head?”
