The Seven (Fist of Light Series) (8 page)

“You did imply that everyone’s approach in discovering and establishing their power base would be unique,” I pointed out.

Jeeves must have had tuned most of my comment out, for he seemed to be pondering something to himself, although he finally snapped out of his reverie. Apparently, we had that in common.

Every word was dragged out of his mouth as if at the greatest painstaking cost imaginable. “This is a more comprehensive way to contemplate the psyche than I considered a mortal mind capable.” He nodded vaguely at the gyrating landscape. “These are the unseen portions of cognizance, rarely recognized, and even more rarely explored. The mind is an unpredictable place; you would be wise to be wary of it. Its intricacies are indecipherable.”

His grudging admiration brought out the best in me. I couldn’t help but grin. “And those?” I pointed at the two connected nodes of power, the locus of my mind. “The way I see them makes me some sort of genius, right?”

The smugness in his tone was glaringly evident when Jeeves responded. “No, of course not. You’re no genius. You just have a very unique way of perceiving reality, perspective, if you will. This could point to a number of redeeming qualities, though I’m not quite sure where to start, and I’m sure you’ll figure one out, eventually.” He paused dramatically, apparently waiting for a comment on my part, although none was forthcoming, so he reluctantly continued. “Well, this was enlightening, but I have very important business to attend to elsewhere.”

He pointed me in the direction of the larger orb. With that he flashed out, disappearing back inside his domain, going about his enigmatic business. It was only now that I realized Jeeves had taken a shot at me. The bastard. I took a deep breath for courage then glided resolutely forward into the enveloping light and warmth of my power, hoping not to be burned to ash when coming into contact with it. The process was disconcerting, but as heat enveloped my body and the light crowded into my soul, I felt perfectly at peace. No problem was so insurmountable that it couldn’t be dealt with when this power was at my fingertips. There would be no running from danger. There was just the joy of the fight, and the inexhaustible will to see it through.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a new world. Scents were stronger, sights clearer. The grass was greener, and the trees looked as if they would start speaking if only enough attention was paid. My senses were increased tenfold, and I could
feel
the wildlife around me, down to the smallest worm burrowing through the earth. The Air sung on my skin, whipping my hair back in what seemed a virtual torrent. The Earth called to me, waiting at my beck and call. Metal was present, but far in the distance and spread far apart. Water, however, was in abundance, it filled my senses. I was the Water, eddying and swirling underground, destined for parts unknown. Fire beckoned me with one finger, vast stores of it that filled my veins with warmth. The air around me buzzed with potential, the heat of the air waiting to manifest. There was something else, too, on the edge of my psychic hearing, observing silently, mysterious. Then my heightened perceptions faded, although they still remained above the normal ken.

A flickering image materialized and then stabilized in front of me, and it took me a fraction of a second to recognize Jeeves. I didn’t know he was able to do things like that.

It seemed my hearing was turned up to maximum volume because when Jeeves spoke his voice was akin to standing in front of the speakers at a heavy metal concert. “Terribly sorry, I forgot to impart you with some crucial information,” It was hard to miss the sardonic tone evident in his voice. “Summoning power is a relatively easy undertaking; the difficult part is maintaining that link for extended periods, while also determining how much power is necessary for the outcome you desire.”

I winced at the sound of his voice, and just like that, it returned to a bearable level. “You’ve got to be kidding me. This would have been helpful information before I had walked into that power nexus. So what do I do?”

Jeeves pondered for a moment, but it seemed he was just taking in the view of the area around us; he probably hadn’t been outside in a long time. I waited impatiently for him to respond, and each passing second caused a further slip on the feeble control that was maintained on my power.

Finally, Jeeves shifted his attention to me and continued to impart crucial knowledge. “Well,” he began, smiling as he watched the strain he was putting me through. “You will need to maintain the link to your power at will, though implementing it through elemental manipulation is a largely different process, one that is long and strenuous. Control will be garnered with time and practice, with the addition of demanding work. Experiment when you acquire time away from your hectic schedule.” His grin grew wider. “Retain the power for as long as possible before releasing it. You can hold it in check, but at the tipping point, you are given scarce choices.” He paused.

I gave him the dirtiest look in my arsenal as I felt sweat from the effort appearing. “Tell me now already, and stop enjoying this so much.”

This time, he was more concise with his response, which made me moderately less likely to throttle him. “You can ground the energy, a harmless approach when necessary, but quite wasteful. You can use it, dedicating it to one or all of the elements, although that is not a viable course, currently. Recycling is the best option, release your hold upon the power and allow it to drift back behind all the stops. Containment will no longer be reliant upon your will, and the strain will disappear.”

I sighed in relief and followed his advice. The power slipped back into its resting place, awaiting my call. My absence of power was readily apparent. The world seemed drab and plain in comparison to before.

“Your senses will gradually enhance with time and repeated touching of power. You’ll be faster, stronger. I will be content with your progression, no doubt. Start your control exercises first, calling upon and releasing your power. We can move on from that when you are able to do so.”

With that, Jeeves disappeared back into the deep recesses of my mind. Somewhere in there, I was sure he had created his own demesne, with all the extravagances of a king. But I could explore the depths of my mind another time, for now I needed to practice. I tried two of the available options, recycling and grounding, as I possessed no knowledge regarding the practical implementation of my power. They both came more or less naturally, and I could feel it becoming less strenuous with each successive application, like the exercising of a newly formed muscle.

I couldn’t keep track of time as I continued to draw and release my power, but it was possible to follow the path of a fly through the air as if it was sliding through amber. Except I felt a drain on my reserves; the exertion of this new muscle was not without its challenges. It was disconcerting, feeling my limbs grow heavier and my rasping breath come shorter as I fought to fill my lungs with oxygen. When it became an effort to lift a finger, I grounded the last bit of the energy at my command, and a slight tremble shook the ground.

As I looked around, sweat streaming down my face, I thought the grass expanded before my eyes, lush, green, and full of boundless vitality. I put it down to extreme fatigue and stumbled out of the glade. For a moment, I thought I saw some movement in the brush, but it was gone before there was a chance to further examine it. I decided that hallucinations were commencing due to my exhausted disposition. In a daze, I walked slowly back toward the foster home, wiping the sweat off my face as I did so. I thought that it was about time that I lifted some new digs; these didn’t have much life remaining to them.

I glared at the remains of my clothes. They were torn and ragged in innumerable places. Damned things hadn’t made it through the escapades of the day intact. It was a shame, really, because they were some nice clothes. I had lifted them out of some mall last time I’d passed through in L.A. All designer, all very expensive, it was going to be hard to let them die quietly. I didn’t know the best course to take concerning stealing, either. I had always been on the move, so the law had never caught up, and had always been so careful not to be apprehended.

I made up my mind quickly enough, no more stealing unless absolutely necessary, which meant I would have to resort to begging. Unfortunate, really, but I didn’t think Jas would mind. He could probably dish out that money without it even denting his weekly allowance, so I wasn’t going to feel bad about asking in the first place. That decided, I opened my eyes from my meditative state and found myself already within the foster home. I probably should work on that, as I needed to be more aware of my surroundings, or would be blindsided some fateful day that would likely arrive sooner, rather than later. Rex was sure to come calling again. He couldn’t let such a stain on his reputation go unchallenged. Hopefully, this time he would do without his cronies, although I highly doubted that he would fight fair.

But, if Jeeves were to be believed, I wouldn’t have to worry about petty school bullies like Rexxy. Stronger, faster, more aware. As I trudged the last steps to my bed, I barely had enough willpower to pull the sheets up over me.

T
he next morning, I brooded over my steaming bowl for a time before hunger finally took the reins. I gulped down the meal, barely taking time to savor the taste before devouring another bite. I was up for seconds and then thirds in minutes, and then, finally, my stomach was content. Sam grinned benevolently, making a comment about growing boys and their appetites. I got up quickly after that, realizing that I wasn’t prepared to face Em, not yet. I had a vague sense of her, my new powers giving me something of a sixth sense, when they were extended. I felt the texture of her power, so analogous to my own, still down in the girl’s dorm.

I needed time to ponder every aspect of this new development before approaching her. I suspected she already knew of my abilities but wasn’t just going to come out and say it. So, I hurried outside while trying to project calmness. Jas was already waiting on the porch when I escaped to the outdoors, sitting comfortably on the bench with an expensive black jacket, like he was considering buying the place. And I was sure he could swing it, too. If being a Skin Walker had anything to do with bloodlines, I was sure that he had his own crap to deal with, and he was probably still unsure of what to do with me: either keep me at arm’s length for his own protection, or take a chance. I’d like to think he did a little of both, but I wasn’t going to push him.

I grunted amiably in his direction. “What’s up? How was the headwind?”

“Tailwind, actually, it was quite nice. You should try it sometime,” he joked.

I laughed at the incredulity of that statement as Jeeves butted in. “
If pigs could fly
…”

He looked me over as one would when purchasing an item of worth. His gaze was searching, sensing on a primal level, and it was disconcerting.

Jas looked impressed. “You’ve grown, and I don’t mean in height. What did you do yesterday?”

I bought myself some time while admiring the scenery. The days were starting to lean toward summer, and it showed. The fog that was so ever-present in San Francisco was trying to maintain its stranglehold on the city, but was beginning to fail. The sun peeked over the horizon, and the birds greeted the day with irritatingly joyful melodies. I guess I just wasn’t much of a morning person today.

I grinned, seeing my chance to stick in the barb. “Oh, you know, this and that, Jeeves has me doing some exercises,” I tapped the amulet sitting upon my chest, now comfortably warm to the touch, it seemed that Jeeves had come out of hibernation as my powers started to reveal themselves.

He gave me a disgusted scowl, half playful. “All right, keep your secrets, if you want ‘em so bad. Let’s get out of here.”

Smile affixed to my face, I followed after him off the porch toward the street. What wasn’t expected was the Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500. I should have, really, but it hadn’t crossed my mind that Jas would need something as human as a car. I couldn’t help but admire the all black paintjob, and the tinted windows, which seemed to be more opaque than regulation standard. The red trim accented black and red wheels, giving it an overall sleek and powerful visage. Jas slid into the driver’s seat as if it was no big deal and revved the engine. It was a six-speed, and I’m sure it had enough torque to beat most other cars on the street, even bone stock as it was. I realized a couple seconds later that I had been staring after Jas had casually rolled down the window and looked pointedly at me, then at the passenger door. I hopped to it, careful to touch only the handle as I got inside.

My gaping mouth became responsive long enough to get out a sentence. “Nice ride. Wish I had something like this.”

I was admiring the state of the art entertainment system and heated seats, so Jas’ response was nearly missed. “It’s yours. Registered under your name, sponsored by yours truly, technically.”