Reckless Magic

I formed the information I wantedto know as a single strain of thought, sending it through my invisible streamof magic using it as extra force against the wall Amory had created. I probedand probed, finding myself tiring from the exertion.

“Don’t give up now Eden, workharder,” he commanded, and I realized why he was the principal of a highschool. Yikes.

Again, I did as he said. I stood upstraighter, focusing my body as well as my mind. There had to be a loopholehere. If there was a way to pierce his force-field it wasn’t going to be fromstraight on. I continued to search what felt like a square energy field. Imoved my magic, like fingers brushing themselves over a smooth surface, until Ifinally found it; a small, but real opening where his energy field met at acorner.

The hole was tiny, almost minisculeand I was not surprised I had brushed over it so many times before. As I wasinvestigating the catch, Amory realized what I had found. Quicker than I couldreact, it was gone.

I searched again, with renewedvitality. Now that I knew what I was looking for, I began to find more and moreof them. They felt like little rips in my magic, almost like getting a smallsplinter caught in smooth silk. The more I searched for them, the clearer theybecame, but whenever I went back to one Amory had already covered it.

I realized I must give up thinkingand let my magic take control. I blanketed his mind with my magic, allowing itto completely envelope. This took more energy than I thought it would and Ifound myself out of breath.

From what I could sense, there werethree separate, small openings, but if I hesitated they would be gone. All atonce I let my magic infiltrate them, forcing my way into his mind and revealingall of his thoughts. As quickly as I could, I searched for the one thought Iwanted to know most: what my mother and father looked like. I flicked throughhis mind like a flip-file, searching through all of his past memories.

Being in someone else’s mind wasalmost overwhelming; it was like I had become him. His thoughts and my thoughtswere one and the same. I kept my mind protected, but his was completelyrevealed. I found myself embarrassed as I not only thought his thoughts butfelt his emotions. I refused to stop however, until I found what I was lookingfor.

I searched and searched, realizingthat although I had surpassed his force-field, he was still capable of hidingthings from me. Suddenly I saw a small glimmer of what I wanted, a long darkhaired woman. The image was ripped away from me before I could make it outclearly and my searching became a game of tag.

The minute I found the image I waslooking for, another menial image was thrown up in its place. I got tired offishing trips and old books; I was almost hungry for the image of my mother. Iflipped through his memories quicker and quicker, as if I was watching hisentire life on fast forward. I felt him growing weaker.

And as he grew weaker, so did I,until I nearly collapsed. A deep longing sensation welled up within me and Icouldn’t tell if it was from Amory or if it was from me. I remembered who I wassearching for and began again with new vigor.

Suddenly they were before me: mymother and my father. Although nothing had been said out loud, the very fibersof my being told me who they were. My mother was the most beautiful woman I hadever seen. She was strongly built, but had a tiny frame. Her eyes were the sameeyes that I had, deep coals that were almost too big for her perfect, porcelainface. Plump, bright red lips were turned into a smile as she looked at myfather with overwhelming affection. Her dark hair fell in long waves down toher waist and covered her pale figure, making the memory appear to be in blackand white.

I tore my thoughts away from mymother to look at my father who was looking back at her with such a lovingexpression that I began to cry. He was tall and strong; his very being definedthe word “Immortal.” He too had dark hair, but it was much curlier and croppedclose to his head. His skin was darker than my mother’s; it had the same olivetone that Talbott had. His lips were pronounced on his face, but stretched inthe form of a smile. A long, angular nose sat underneath the greenest eyes Ihad ever seen. As he gazed at my mother they glimmered like emeralds.

I examined the scene they were in;they stood gazing at each other in the middle of a crowded room. My mother wasplaced next to a man at first I assumed to be Kiran; the same dirty blonde hairand piercing blue eyes. But on longer examination I realized that he was older,taller and meaner looking. The man wore an embellished gold crown upon his headand draped his arm around my mother protectively. My father stood on the otherside of him, tense as if ready to attack at any moment. Although the blonde manwas speaking, my mother and father stared intently at each other as if he did notexist at all.

Suddenly I was ripped away fromthem. I reached out with my hands as if I could grab on to that memory and holdit close to me. After it was gone I felt lost; I fell to my bed sobbing. Thestrength I used to enter Amory’s mind was gone and I felt weak and somehowexposed.

“Very good, Eden,” Amory whisperedin a hoarse voice. I heard the emotion in his voice, and I wanted to apologize,but all I could do was sob.

The parents I never knew I had, theparents I never thought about were suddenly in front of me. Every molecule Iwas made of hurt from the exertion of so much power; every emotion in my soulcompletely exhausted. I unexpectedly felt such a longing for something I hadnever known, I did not know if I would ever recover.

“It’s normal to feel this way. Youaccomplished something just now that only the most skilled of us all could hopeto do.” I looked up at him, tears streaming down my face, in confusion. “Whatyou did just now is called Complete-Mind-Manipulation. I did not ask you to dothat. I asked you to read my thoughts. That is much simpler and requires notnear the effort. Reading peoples thoughts is more like reading a newspaperheadline, you literally read their thoughts with your magic; there are noimages involved. I will not ask you to try it right now, but tomorrow at schoolI think you should practice on some of your classmates. Reading thoughts doesnot make the other person aware of what you are doing, most people are sendingout their thoughts in one way or another, you are simply catching them. Whatyou did was entering my mind and becoming united with it. You were able to notonly know what I was thinking, but what I have ever thought. You saw everythingI have ever seen and felt every emotion I have ever felt. This is a veryinvasive process and rarely accomplished without the permission of the otherperson. Everything that you feel now, is multiplied by a hundred in me. MostImmortals find it difficult to recover from the process; but thankfully for ustonight I have undergone this process before,” his voice cracked and I realizedhow weak he suddenly was. Amory was slumped over in his chair, resting his headin his hands, staring down at the floor.

“I am so sorry,” I blurted out,bursting into more tears.

“It’s not your fault; I should haveexplained more of what you were looking for. I just never assumed you had thatkind of power,” he shook his head, and stood up unsteadily. “I will leave youfor tonight, please remember everything you have learned today and use it tomorrow.Well everything except…. this,” he walked slowly, shakily to the door andclosed it behind him. I had nothing left and could no longer control myemotions; I laid my head down into my pillow and let out everything I neverknew I felt.

Chapter Twenty

I arrived at school the nextmorning to another full parking lot. Magic under control, Aunt Syl had given memy freedom back. Thank God. I couldn’t say that I blamed her; waiting for me tofigure out I was superhuman had its disadvantages. But no more blowing thingsup on accident, now I could do it on purpose.