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This is a complete one-eighty. She’s watching me close and there it is; that predatory glint is back in her eye.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know, but maybe the world is better off without all this random power. I mean, can you imagine if, oh that guy there,” she points at a twenty-something, too good-looking guy wearing a letterman’s jacket.
He’s sitting at a table with a girl on either side of him and another one sitting across. He has his arms around the shoulders of the two on his side and his hands are on their breasts. He flashes an easy, too perfect smile, and even though he has three girls with him he looks at Moira and me and blows a kiss.
“Imagine what?”
“What if he had power? I mean, real power. Not this world’s power, but the power to make his will manifest. The power that would let his intentions, as lecherous and nasty as they are, be made real.”
My stomach roils at the thought and doubts take root like fresh seeds planted in the early spring.
“Yuck.”
“Right?” Moira says, and I turn back to her. “Anyway, it’s just a thought. What do I know?”
“Yeah,” I agree, but now I can’t quit thinking about it.
What if? What if magic was available in this world? Isn’t there enough bad already? Wouldn’t magic make it worse? The people in charge of the world are making a mess of it. What would it be like if they had magical power?
War would take on an entire new meaning. Society, as we know it, would completely collapse. Everything would be destroyed.
By me. I am the Destroyer.
I contemplate in silence as my stomach roils and the pressure in my head returns with sickening force. The Druid is going to answer my questions tonight.
ChapterFourteen
“Where do you get these ideas?”the Druid asks, waving his hand dismissively.
“It’s a legitimate question.”
“It is a question. Legitimate is not a word that applies. Higher. Get your knees higher.”
My legs are already burning and feel like they weigh a thousand pounds each. My clothes are sweat drenched, I’m out of breath, but I do what he asks and strain to lift my legs to waist height. A wave of dizziness comes out of nowhere and I stumble. Wheeling my arms I try to find my balance, fail, and fall flat on my ass.
“Ouch,” I complain.
“Distractions,” the Druid says. “You are incapable of focus.”
“I can too focus. I can focus well enough to know you’re avoiding answering my questions.”
I climb to my feet and dust myself off. My ass is bruised and I’m sure it’s going to hurt worse tomorrow. The Druid makes his dismissive gesture. Again. Anger swells in the center of my head, blinding any reasoning. I put my hands on my hips and grit my teeth.
“Again.”
“No.”
The world around us shimmers. I can see, if I look closely, it’s all an illusion but I try to avoid that. In the “real”, we’re in the same dirty alley filled with garbage, rot, debris, and rats. I prefer the illusion of being in a nice, wooded grove. This is what I want to learn; how do I make an illusion like this?
“Again,” he repeats through pursed lips.
“Not until you answer my question.”
He glares while chewing on God knows what because I haven’t seen him eat anything. His long, dirty beard quivers with the motion while the wrinkles make his eyes look like deep dark caverns hiding untold secrets.
“As usual, you ask the wrong question.”
