Page 18 of Out of Sight

Hrinian frowned. “Why?”

“I don’t want to leave a mess. Go.”

She wrapped power around them, lifted them, and shoved them back through the door.

Ted smiled and followed them out.

“You know, Hrinian, you bound my energy before it really manifested. The power you were getting was a sick trickle compared to what would happen a few months later.” She snorted. “Too bad you corked it. Well, now that I can control things a little better, I am just going to retrieve what is left of what you have stolen.” She looked at him and saw the traces of her energy swirling around.

She focused and pulled her energy back, tucking it in with its friends. He slumped and jerked.

“And now, you have six sources of energy in you, and your friends have nine and eight respectively. That is stealing. So, let’s just fix that.”

She sorted, gathered, and sent the power back to the people it was stolen from.

They were screaming. Of course they were. She sighed, and Arden came up behind her. “Are you done with them?”

“Arden? I think so. They seem to be fading. What do you have in mind?”

Arden smiled, and under the shadows, vines shot up and wrapped around them, pulling them flat against the grass, dragging them up against a pile of soil. “Nice. I have a project I want to use them for.”

The men flailed but were pulled into the soil until their bodies turned to dust. The screams went quiet, and silence covered the area.

Arden smiled. “I will let Estelle know that that soil is to be saved for special projects. The herbalist is going to be able to put them to good use.”

Ted was stunned. “Have you done this before?”

Arden smiled. “Once or twice. You never mess with Mother Nature.”

One red djinn and two orcs stood up from the other side of the mound of dirt. Nemia waved. “Hey. So that was terrifying.”

Ted chuckled. “Apparently, we have a lot of rage.”

Arden shrugged. “Not me. They take from others; now they will heal and nourish others. Very circle of life.”

Nemia blinked. “Very tooth and claw.”

Arden grinned. “That, too.”

Ted looked around. “Why are you here alone?”

“Oh, I work here part time and spend the rest of my life in an office working on business plans. This was my final visit with the seedlings before I go to the islands for an interview.”

Ted blinked. “For what?”

“They are looking for an officiant for their bonding ceremonies. Someone who can live on site and keep to themselves. A friend put me forward for an interview, but I have to head out tonight and get my ass there to try and prove I am a good candidate to help people in love find balance.” Arden grinned. “I love a challenge.”

Ted looked at her, really looked at her. “You are more than you show.”

Arden grinned. “You are very perceptive.”

Mik said, “She’s a grower, not a shower.”

Arden snickered. “Yes.”

Mik smiled. “Can we see you?”

“No. I don’t think it is necessary.”