“Miss Harlowe!” A green-eyed man came forth. His multicoloured aura glowed brightly and widely.
“You already know Darius,” Alex said with a hint of pride.
Darius?Like Alex, he’d grown broad and tall, but I recognised him easily. His features hadn’t changed. But then again, Alex had gone through a complicated transformation, and Darius’s aura meant he wasn’t undead.
“I’m so happy to see you.” Darius bowed.
“The first time I’d seen your aura, I knew it was different. You’re a wizard.”
“Mage, if you don’t mind.” He beamed. “Miss Harlowe. You’re a vision.” He made the gesture of shielding his eyes. “You must be a bonfire because my heart is melting.”
I laughed, my first laugh in a while, but Alex exhaled through clenched teeth.
“That should tell you everything you need to know about the mage.” Alex didn’t crack a smile. “Miss Harlowe needs training. I’m sure you’ll be professional and do everything to help her.”
A prick of guilt stung me. He must have been hurt by my hesitation when he’d asked me if I wanted him to train me. But while the tug in my chest suffused calm within me, I had trouble trusting people. Alex had been nothing but kind to me, yet between what had happened in my house and the big changes in my life, my sense of safety had been challenged.
“I thought you would be more comfortable with Darius.” A strained note crept into his voice.
He gave me a bow of his head before leaving.
He strode across the hall, his dark suit adding a layer of menace to his persona.
“He’s sorry for what he did to you.” Darius beckoned me to follow him. “He won’t tell you, but he is.”
“Actually, he apologised and told me how sorry he was.”
He skidded to a stop, his halo glowing with the colours of sunrise. “He apologised? You made an Englishman talk about his emotions while sober. I’ll be jiggered.”
After we crossed the hall to go to the garden, I asked, “Are you going to teach me how to handle knives and guns?”
“Not now. A wili kills with her mind.” He touched his temple. “You must master your inner power before anything else. There we are.” He sat on a marble bench under a tree. “Take a seat.”
The sun warmed my cheeks, the water in the fountain behind me trickled gently, and the soft breeze carried the scent of roses, but I didn’t deny I found it hard to enjoy the nice weather.
“See the leaves on the path?” He flourished his hand, and they floated in a circle before falling. “I would like you to focus on them as if you wanted to see their auras. Your gift as a soul searcher is an excellent starting point.”
I concentrated on the dry leaves, but aside from catching Darius’s quiet feelings, nothing happened.
“What should I see?”
“Nothing. The leaves should catch fire and turn to ash.”
“What?”
“Don’t be alarmed. That’s why we start with dry leaves.”
An hour later, an ache pounded in my head, and the leaves were still intact.
I slouched back. “It’s tiring.”
“The first time is always the hardest.”
A tall woman dressed in black walked down the gravel path. Her shiny raven hair was gathered in a perfect chignon, and a dark veil covered her face. She turned her head towards me. My skin pebbled.
“My lady.” Darius waved at her, but she ignored him. “Are you enjoying yourself today? Beautiful weather, innit?”
She faced straight ahead.
