Eliza's Shadow (13 page)

I sprinted toward the opening in the distance,
still gripping Ren’s arm tightly. He laughed and matched my pace. Our breath
ragged, we broke free of the trees and stepped into the clearing. The silvery
field stretched out before us. The fuzzy tips of the grass glittered and swayed
gently in the moonlight. Beyond the field, the rocky shore dropped sharply into
the ocean. Moonbeams slithered over waves.

“This is incredible.” I gasped.

“I thought you’d like it.” He said softly.

Releasing my arm, he ventured forward setting down
the lantern and backpack. He pulled a thin blanket out of the bag and spread it
carefully on the grass.

“Come, sit.” He waved his hand invitingly.

I collapsed onto the blanket and stretched my arms
to the sky. The hypnotic glow of the moonlight rippling across the sea
enchanted me.

“I can’t believe that a place this beautiful is
just a few minutes from my house and I never knew about it.” I said with a hint
of sadness.

Ren lay stretched out on the blanket, his head
rested casually on his pack. His gaze turned toward the sea, the angles of his
square jaw and cheekbones accentuated by the flickering lantern light.

“You just have to know where to look. One night I
was sitting on my roof and caught a view of this rocky face in the distance.”
He said gesturing toward the ocean and the plunging coast ahead of us.

“I decided I wanted to see the ocean from this
peak. So, the next day, I looked at a map and found my way here. The day I found
it, I immediately thought of you. I knew I would bring you here.” His voice
dropped.

“I’m glad you did.” I mumbled shyly.

We sat in silence listening to the waves slapping
against the rocks in the distance. The air grew still, allowing the coastal
sounds to drift undisturbed across the field. My heart fluttered at the sound
of a large wave thundering into the coast. I imagined its spray splattering the
rocks and showering the air with a frothy mist. The salty brine of the ocean
tickled my nose.

Ren had surprised me by bringing me to this place,
for caring to show me something that he found moving and thought I’d like too.
I found myself watching him, rather staring, wondering about all the things I
didn’t know about him and wanting to know more. The tips of his thick eyelashes
and lower lip glistened in the lantern light.

He blinked and suddenly shifted position. Startled
back to reality, I forced myself to ask the question I’d been waiting to
explore all evening.

“How do you know I’m safe from the Shadow right
now?” I asked quietly.

He turned his gaze slowly from the sea to my face.

“Oh that, well, it’s an odd talent.” He said,
bemused.

“Sometimes, I can detect pieces of the future.”
His eyes narrowed carefully waiting for my reaction.

“Are you telling me that you can see the future?”
I asked suspiciously.

Ren cocked his head before speaking. He toyed with
a twig as his eyes danced between my face and the sea.

“It’s probably not what you are imagining. My
sight is very narrow and it usually only works for people I know well. In order
to see anything, I have to relate the person to a specific object, a place or
an emotion.” He explained.

“Whatever, that’s amazing.” I said incredulously.

Considering his explanation further, I asked.
“But… how did that help you in my case?”

He sat up, thoughtfully choosing his words.

“How to explain it? In your case, for lack of an
object or place, I used your emotion. I focused on the feeling you emitted when
you recounted the event at the concert. I used that feeling as a marker, then
searched your future for the marker.” Ren pursed his lips and rolled his eyes
to the sky searchingly.

“I guess you could compare what I do to shuffling
through a deck of cards.” He added.

“For example, say I identified your initial
emotion as the queen of hearts and when I shuffled through your deck of cards,
I didn’t find it. That would mean you should be free of any event that would
cause that type of emotional response. Of course, my sight when it comes to
emotional markers is not excellent, only a couple of days.” He explained.

“Hmm, and you can’t see just anyone’s future,
right? Why were you able to see mine?” I asked.

Lying back on the blanket, I gazed at the stars in
an attempt to avoid looking into Ren’s face. His analytical tone sounded odd
when discussing such an intimate activity.

“I really don’t know why I was able to see your
future so clearly. It wasn’t a challenge at all. It was as if I walked through
an open door. I was surprised. Until now, I’ve only been able to see for my
family.” He said.

An open door.
I continued to stare at the sky fighting to dampen
the searing flames that threatened to burn my cheeks.

“Did you see anything else interesting while you were
shuffling through my deck of cards?” I demanded with unintended sharpness.

My gaze firmly planted on the stars, I heard Ren
shift and sharply suck in a breath before responding.

“No. I can’t interpret everything I see. I suppose
this ‘gift’ would be more useful if I could but that’s not how it works. And,
of course, I wouldn’t inspect anything other than the marker without your
permission.” He said defensively.

My shoulders slumped with shame for accusing him
of violating my privacy but nonetheless I sighed with relief. The thought of
his ability to see into me so clearly was embarrassing.

“What is the easiest to predict, an object or a
place?” I asked quickly attempting to change the subject.

“I guess objects, as long as I can touch them.” He
mused.

My curiosity peaked. I rolled to my side and
locked eyes with him. He sat cross-legged, his head tilted slightly to the
side, studying me.

“Can you do a prediction right now?” I challenged
playfully.

“I suppose, but I need an object.” He shrugged.

I thrust my left arm into his hands. “The
bracelet. How will it end?” I asked dramatically and nodded toward my wrist. A
leather bracelet Jane had given me fastened to my wrist, the knot sealed by
wear. The only way it could be removed was obviously wear or force.

Ren grinned pulling my hand gently to rest in his
lap. “Alright then. This should be easy.”

He clasped my wrist between his fingers and
touched the bracelet lightly. His expression darkened.

My eyes traced the contours of his face.

“I see the bracelet slipping from your wrist and
landing on a bed of thick underbrush, probably a forest. You’re moving quickly.
Likely you won’t even notice it’s gone until you’re far away. Your hand is tan
and slightly more lined. It’ll be quite a while before it breaks.” His lips
curved forming a slight smirk as if he had seen something else that intrigued
him.

“That’s all?” I asked.

“That’s all.” He shrugged again and sat up
straight.

“Not much detail to your prediction.” I mumbled
with disappointment.

“Details would take more time.” He said
dismissively though his smirk had settled into a wistful smile. Before I could
press him on the issue, he turned his face sharply from my view and reached for
his backpack, signaling a change of subject.

“Eliza, as I promised, I have something to give
you tonight.” He said slowly reaching into the bag. When he removed his hand,
it held a worn leather book.

At the sight of the book, my heart leapt with
unwarranted recognition. I sat up quickly, my senses sharpened with attention.
Ren inched closer to me on the blanket, his expression solemn. The flame from
the lantern reflected in his pupils as they flitted between the object in his
hands and my face.

“This is for you.” He said placing the book in my
hands.

A sharp spark stung my fingertips as the book
slipped into my grip. The leather cover was buttery soft and smooth. My fingers
caressed the cover searching for an embossed title, as no words were apparent
in the dim light.

“Open it.” He instructed.

The cover of the book was thick but malleable,
like a journal. As I lifted it, words on the page shimmered in the lantern
light.

Witchcraft:
A Primer

This book
belongs to Eliza Gowan

The ornate script of my name cast a light of its own
into the night. I stared at the page, speechless before managing to tear my
eyes away in search of answers.

“Where did this come from? Did you get it for me?
Who… wrote it?” The rush of questions spilled from my lips.

Ren’s eyes twinkled.

“I had it. It was mine. Before that it belonged to
my uncle. Before that it instructed another student. It was written a long time
ago but it is always rewriting itself…so to speak.” He stated cryptically.

“But my name?” I argued.

“Appeared when it was time for you to receive the
book. Eliza, I’m still learning too, that is certain. But I guess I’ve learned
all I can from the primer.” He said with a shrug.

“Well that’s good news.” I added jokingly.

He nodded and rolled his eyes playfully.

“This book has been with me most of my life. My
Uncle Albert claims he found my name inscribed in the book before I was born
and had to wait until I showed up to give it to me. I’ve had it as long as I
can remember.” Ren’s eyes shifted and he pressed his lips together looking
sheepish before continuing.

“I have a confession to make, Eliza. The truth is,
I found your name in the primer the night after I met you. It is the real
reason I knew I was meant to be your pharos. And… that I was responsible for
breaking the shrouding spell that protected you.” He said and gazed furtively
up at me.

“Why didn’t you just give it to me in the first
place?” I asked suspiciously.

Ren’s brow creased as he met my eyes seriously.

“Eliza, the book not only wrote your name. It
wrote what you need to know about witchcraft, at least for now. I couldn’t give
it to you until you were ready to begin your real studies.” He said.

I bristled at Ren’s response and eyed the book
warily. My heart raced as a million questions formed in my mind.

“But how did it know about me? You said it claimed
you before you were born. When did it find out about me?” I asked. My fingers
ached where the spark had stung the tips.

“I guess, always, or just now. This is an old
edition and the specifics of the spell that govern it were lost to us decades
ago. The newer editions are more straightforward, their task being to instruct
whoever possesses the book. This primer, rather, your primer chooses or at
least anticipates its students. It’s unique.” Ren said proudly.

“And you don’t need it anymore.” I said softly.

“The last lesson the primer gave me was about
Protection
,
specifically, protection of others of our kind. I think that lesson was meant
to prepare me… for meeting you.” He said shyly.

A blend of emotions swelled in my chest. My grip
tightened on the book in my hands. Salvation in a book, a small mercy in this
new topsy-turvy world I had fallen into. Of all things, books were something I
understood.

“Take a closer look.” Ren urged.

My hands trembled as I reached for the corner of the
page. The pages were a thick parchment that appeared delicate from age but felt
oddly firm to the touch. I barely lifted the corner of the title page before it
rolled back swiftly on its own, as if expressing impatience. My hand recoiled.
Ren stifled a laugh.

Introduction

Written and
Edited by Dr. Atticus Abernathy

If this book has
come into your possession and you are reading words on this page you are one of
a dwindling tribe of humans born with a current of magic flowing through your
veins. As you have hopefully deduced from the title of this book, the topic
discussed on the following pages will pertain to the uses and misuses of Heka
or magic. No matter how talented you might find yourself, this book will
undoubtedly prove a useful resource in your most hopefully long and charmed
life. It is the product of a laborious compilation of knowledge garnered and
gathered, written and dictated from witches and wizards across the annuals of
time and space.

Assuming you are
a new witch or wizard, which you most certainly are or you would not be reading
these words, you are woefully ignorant of the history of witchcraft and magic.
Therefore, this brief (very brief as this is not a history book) introduction
will begin at the beginning of things where magic began, which is at the point
where we begin.

Like other
species, humans were not always so prone to concrete explanation. In the
beginning, in what we call now, our ancient cultures, magic knit into the
fabric of human life as food, water, love, birth, illness, death, work, play,
violence and all of the obvious facets of life. More importantly, in the
beginning, the thread of magic, that which allows us to manipulate life’s
energy force, lived within many more humans than it does today. In fact, most
humans possessed some spark of talent allowing them to engage with the energy
force that connected them to each other and the world around them.

However, for
reasons we do not know, as time progressed just as physical traits are passed
or shed along a bloodline, the “gene” of magic began to disappear. Though we do
not know why the human race began to sever its ties with life’s energy force,
we do know approximately when it happened.

According to our
records, it seems the balance between humans with the magical gene and those
without tipped out of favor sometime after the demise of the Ancient Egyptians.
The Ancient Egyptian society was the last human culture to pair the existence
of magic with the natural powers of earth and human life. It is their term, the
last on record, that we use to describe magic, Heka, which is defined as “life
force in action.”