And with that, she was gone.
I quickly went upstairs to change, thankful that I had bought a pair of black leggings and a purple undershirt. I braided my hair and put it up in a crown atop my head, securing it with pins I had found in one of the drawers of the bathroom. As I came downstairs, Lydia was already waiting for me. She gave me a once over and nodded approvingly.
“This will do fine for our sessions.”
We went outside and she led me round the house to a green meadow which had been neatly cut back. Someone had placed black mats on the ground and two water bottles were waiting for us in the grass. Someone had also put down a little crate which served as a table, equipped with paper and a quill.
“So, Auretheos told me in his letter that you have mainly been using your heka to heal, is that correct?” Lydia askedwhile taking a seat in the grass next to the crate. With her legs crossed, she looked right at home in the serene landscape around us, her hair flowing in the wind and matching the colorful trees around us.
I hesitated. In recent years this might have been true, but there had been times when my heka had been a weapon and I had used it to destroy. But that wasn’t something I could share with Lydia. Not now, maybe not ever.
If she noticed my hesitation, she didn’t give any indication, and I quickly steered the topic to safer waters.
“Yes, I worked as a nurse in my hometown after my mother became sick. Dr. Marris knew about my heka because my parents had gone to him for help when my powers first manifested and he promised to keep my heka a secret if I’d work for him,” I said.
Lydia nodded. “So you were quite young when your powers first appeared?” she asked, pulling out a notebook and quill to take notes.
“Yes, from what I remember I was about 3 when I first used my heka with intent. But my mother told me that even as a baby I had a way of always getting my way. Although I don’t believe this to be true because my heka only works when I write or draw something that I wish for.”
Lydia pushed the quill and paper over to my side of the crate and said, “Show me.”
My hands shook slightly as I grabbed the quill. Lydia was watching me like a hawk, as if she doubted that I had any magical powers at all. I closed my eyes for a brief second.
One breath. One act. One choice.
Do good. Stay clean. Hold steady.
Unsure of what to wish for, I went for something simple and pretty:
“Fates, I call upon your age-old wisdom.
Let flowers bloom across this field.
As I command, so it goes.”
I folded the paper and instantly felt the rush of giddiness in my blood as always when I used my heka. This was a minor spell, so I wasn’t too worried about using my heka. There was a slight breeze swooshing over the grass and a rustle of noise as small flowers started to grow out of the ground. I had created the beautiful purple flowers my father used to plant for my mother. A one-of-a-kind flower I had never been able to properly identify.
“Very good.” Lydia mumbled, not the slightest bit impressed by my heka. “So you scribble down your spell and it manifests instantly, or can you actually delay the spells?”
“I have delayed the healing process many times, so as to make it look more natural. I didn’t want anyone suspecting magic behind our creams and lotions,” I explained.
Lydia nodded absentmindedly. “All right, so our first test will be how far in advance you can cast a spell. I will write down three spells for you to cast, varying in hours and days. While I do that, you can take a jog around the house and warm up your muscles.”
She went to work right away, and I started to run at a slow pace. It had been ages since I’d been running and I could feel every muscle protesting. I wasn’t unfit by any means, but Ihadn’t exercised in a while and would probably pay for it by tomorrow.
After I had circumnavigated the Lodge a few times, Lydia motioned me to come back to the mats. She handed me the piece of paper and told me to take some time tonight to put the spells into motion.
“Now that you are all warmed up, I want to see what you can do with a dagger. Being a wordsmith means you hold great power and will likely be the target of attacks.”
I snorted because I wouldn’t call conjuring up pretty flowers “great power,” but didn’t say as much to Lydia.
Out of nowhere, a dagger appeared in my hands and Lydia positioned herself opposite of me. “Show me what you’ve got girl,” she purred and stalked towards me.
The weight of the dagger in my hand felt familiar, I could feel muscle memory taking over. I wasn’t the best fighter out there, but when I had worked at the Nest, it had been a necessity to carry a weapon. Pushing the thoughts of my old life away, I focused on the red-headed wordsmith in front of me.
When she came towards me, I shifted the dagger in my hand and planted my feet firmly on the ground. I watched her move towards me, favoring her left leg. Interestingly enough she was probably left-handed, but held her dagger in the right hand. I didn’t have much time to think, but decided to evade her attack by stepping to the right and coming round behind her.
I had guessed right because at the last moment she shifted the dagger from her right to her left hand and tried to stab in my direction. Anticipating her move, I brought my elbow down on her outstretched arm and knocked the dagger outof her hands.
