..…CHAPTER 34…..
November 19th
Oscar pulled the sedan into the parking lot and had his choice of spot, it was so late. After hours working yet another missing witch report, they’d come near closing time for a reason.
Isaac was at the door as they approached. He cracked the door open. “Sorry, we’re closing,” he said, eyes laughing at them even as tension tightened the corners.
“Hah, hah,” Oliver said, yanking it out of his grasp. Isaac backed enough to let them in, then locked the door behind them. It was the logical thing to do, since they didn’t want further customers coming in, nor anyone to interrupt their discussions. But Oliver tensed and shot the man a look. Isaac smiled back, clearly watching him for that very reaction.
“I swear to god, you two. Cool it,” Oscar gritted out.
Dillon chuckled from behind the counter…and behind him Nathaniel openly laughed.
Oliver stared at the old man, somehow not surprised to find him here, then turned his attention back to his agenda before they got into the meat of this conference, meeting Dillon’s eyes. “You’re Air.”
“Yes.”
So was Nathaniel. So was Reuben. It was the most common Element.
And Phoebe was going to need some serious help with her training. Oliver wanted to introduce her to them. He could only teach so much before someone native to Air would have to take over, and she was nearing his limit already. Anyone of these men could teach her, but he would prefer it was Nathaniel. The old man’s ability to leave his retirement village to teach was questionable, though, so it might be Dillon.
Oliver walked over to the counter, leaning against it to stare Nathaniel in the eye. “I want you to train Phoebe.”
The old man smiled. “I’d love to, Oliver. But I’m retired.”
“I don’t care. She needs help. She’s already nearly done with what I can teach, and…” Nathaniel was shaking his head, and he nodded without a word toward Dillon.
Oliver looked Dillon, wary, then back to Nathaniel. “Are you sure?”
He smiled. “You’re worried for your student?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Good teacher.”
Oliver grimaced. He wasn’t about to admit to more than that, because he could barely admit it to himself. He just couldn’t bring himself to hope for that. Focusing on Dillon, he weighed his words. “I’m teaching a new Air witch. She’s an adult, she’s never had access to her magic.”
“The other Prime?” Dillon asked.
Oliver scowled. “Yeah.” He hadn’t wanted to include that information in the files they’d put on the computer.
“Don’t worry. I wiped the files,” he said.
Relaxing a fraction, he gave a nod. “Thank you. We don’t want the Academy to know.”
“I can guess your reasons. You don’t have to explain.” Dillon searched his eyes for a moment. “Bring her here tomorrow night at seven. We close later on Saturdays.”
Oliver frowned. “Here? This probably isn’t a great place to train.”
“It will be fine for a start. I’ll be gauging her power, her skills. We can also see where she leans as to Aspect.”
Oliver shrugged. “Gauging is less important. Foundations, basics, knowledge, practice, gauging.”
Dillon lifted a questioning brow.
“There are reasons why we Tame Ones regularly kick Wild Ones’ asses.”
Oscar burst out laughing, Isaac glared, fists clenching, Nathaniel chuckled, and Dillon grinned.
“Alright, when you bring her tomorrow, we’ll discuss together how to help the lady,” Dillon said, waving at Isaac to cool it. The younger man whirled and stalked away, vibrating with rage.
Oliver tried not to be smug, but damn it was hard. The young man just pissed him off.
“Now, about our computer,” Oscar murmured.
Dillon lifted it from a place behind the counter. “Pretty basic laptop, nothing special. Nice info dump though.”
“Hmmm.”
Isaac whirled, came back, face set, jaw clenched. He didn’t say a word, which Oliver found interesting. The Fire witch wasn’t bashful, and wasn’t weak. Indeed, he had to be a level nine. It was his temper that was his weakness. And it was clearly a work-in-progress.
“I called Nathaniel for advice. He wasn’t surprised to find two cells discovering each other. It’s happened before, he said.”
Oliver snorted. “You could say that,” he said, shooting Nathaniel a grin. Oliver’s initiation into the FBW&R had been…interesting.
Dillon made a soft noise of discontent. “Enough reminiscing. Our separate cells have discovered each other. That usually means we join. The head of our cell and the leader of your cell pick which of the two will continue to lead, while the other becomes second-in-command. But in this case, I’m not sure how to work it.”
“Why not?” Oscar asked. He had a knowing look on his face that Oliver found suspect.
“Because your connection and our connection are the same. Which means…”
“He’s the head of the Fray,” Oliver finished.
They all looked at Nathaniel, who smiled back at them and didn’t say a word.
“Did you found the Fray?” Oscar asked.
Nathaniel ignored the question. “Now, I want Phoebe trained, but I don’t want to risk her anonymity. Keep it quiet, guys. And Oliver?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Get your ass trained. All of your magics. How are far are you?”
“I’ve got a solid understanding of Air, but I’m nowhere near proficient. Water, the same. I’m not good with Fire at all. In fact, I haven’t touched it, as far as trying to train it, since it’s so unpredictable.”
“Isaac will train you.”
“What?” he and Isaac both squawked.
Nathaniel’s face became stern. “Shut it, boys. Deal with it. You’re both adults, and you’re both witches, and you’re both part of the Fray. Work your shit out and work together, or so help me, I’ll knock your fuckin’ heads together like the little boys you’re actin’ like.”
Oliver blinked. Mild-mannered Nathaniel never cussed.
“Yes, sir,” he muttered, and was annoyed as hell when Isaac uttered the exact same words at the exact same time.
Oscar chuckled and he shot his Handler a wounded look. Seriously? Traitor.
“You two go in back and get started on those foundations Oliver mentioned. And Isaac. Listen to him. He’s trained and you’re not. At least he’s more thoroughly trained than you. Believe me, he’ll hand you your ass if you’re not careful. I’ve seen you both in action, so don’t mouth off. Just teach him and try to be nice. Oliver? He’s a good guy, cut him some slack. He may not have had the hard start you did, but his path hasn’t been easy either. Listen to him.”
Oliver followed the younger man to the back of the shop.
They entered what looked like a lunch room and Isaac shut the door, crossed his arms and leaned against it, staring at him. Oliver stared back, impassive.
“So, you know some Air? And Water?”
Oliver nodded. “Yes. Not very good at them, but I can use them.”
Isaac lifted a mocking eyebrow. “Show me?”
Oliver scowled. “You’re supposed to show me Fire, not me show you Air and Water.”
Isaac held out a hand, lit a little flame, then snuffed it and recrossed his arms, all with a smirk.
Oliver smiled reluctantly. “God, you’re an ass.”
“Show me some Air,” he said, voice neutral.
Oliver considered the younger man. For once, the Wild One was being—if not nice, at least not confrontational.
Restraining a sigh, he held his own hand out, whirling air around his hand, then flicked it at Isaac, stirring his black hair.
Isaac frowned. “Do that again. I saw something.”
“You have the sight?”
Isaac nodded, motioning to him. Oliver repeated it, and again he frowned. “Huh. I could swear I saw…”
Oliver frowned this time. “Saw what?”
He gave his head a shake. “Never mind.” Isaac glanced around the room. “Water?”
Oliver gave and exasperated sigh. “You want to confirm, I assume.”
He smiled tightly. “Maybe. Dillon might have asked me to.”
“Giving away your secrets already?”
“Why would our need for confirmation be a secret?”
“Beats me. Fine. Water…” Oliver’s gaze went to the sink. Letting his mind focus on the rather muddy water in one of the mugs in the sink, he motioned to it.
Water required such a different mindset than Earth. And Air. Christ. Each Element had its own necessary mental ‘mood’ that he had to accept, wrap himself in, and employ, before he could really use it well.
He’d already come to the realization that there was a purpose behind his ‘difference’ in magic, that he’d learned in school. His magic was…like filigree that bound his Earth to the other Elements, and between them, too. It wasn’t obvious, wasn’t visible. It was…magical. Wow, that’s lame.
Shaking the thoughts from his head, Oliver lifted the water from the mug, noting without surprise that even his hand motions differed, more—ironic—fluid, but also more horizontal. Yet Air, which for all intents and purposes to science was a fluid, needed vertical motions and swirls.
Oliver frowned. Huh. If I want to use Air and say, Earth, one hand higher to implement an Air working, while my other hand is low to move the Earth…
“Hey. Focus.”
Oliver blinked at Isaac, saw that the water had fallen to the floor, and his hands were working…
“Good grief,” he muttered, his face getting hot.
Isaac laughed softly, a hard edge to it. “Experiment on your own time.”
Oliver looked down at the mess, motioning to the water. Sending it back to the cup, he faced the younger man again.
“You know how to ground and center, I assume,” Isaac said mockingly, his antagonism back.
“Faster than you can blink. Get to the next stage.”
Isaac snorted in disbelief.
“God, am I gonna have to level you? Just fuckin’ show me.”
Isaac looked like he was about to take him up on the challenge, but Nathaniel’s voice came from the other side of the closed door. “So help me, boys…” he roared.
Oliver grinned at where he supposed Nathaniel to be, on the other side of the wall. Isaac sighed in exasperation.
“Fine. Ground, center, and focus on your energy.”
Oliver obeyed.
“Next, listen to the feel of said energy. Heat and waves are most common because they’re in everyday life. Light is, too, but it’s external. Plasma is another word for electricity or lightning. It’s less common in nature. Inside you, heat presents as waves. You have to be able to harness that movements to your will.”
“Motion.”
“Yes. Fire is all about movement. Fire and Air are buddies, because Air is all about space, and Fire needs space to move. Mind and hands control Fire through fast and choppy motions, but not graceless. You’ll need practice to make the motions of both work with your Fire. Motion, yes. Chaotic, no. Many people think Fire is chaotic, and it can be. But even in the chaos, there’s reason and order.”
Oliver lifted an eyebrow. He could see that. Huh.
Oliver waited as he observed the energy around and through Isaac. God this kid was powerful. Because Fire was so rare, because power was so rare, having a powerful Fire witch was…well, Isaac was not someone he wanted to fuck around with. He wanted this man as his ally, not his enemy.
Good thing they both wanted the same thing. It was the methods that might bring them to blows.
Oliver gave a curt nod, lifting his hands. He hesitated a moment as he considered how he needed to move.
“Don’t do that,” Isaac growled.
Oliver refocused on him. “What?”
“Earth might wait for you. Fire won’t. Don’t make the motions unless your fuckin’ ready to use it.”
Oliver nodded and lowered his hands. “Understood.” Giving him a nod, he motioned to him. “How do you move, for a simple flame?”
Isaac smirked. “I don’t.”
Oliver stared with narrow eyes. After a moment he smiled back. “Got it.” Fire was movement all by itself. It didn’t need hand motions to set it into motion.
Isaac actually laughed. “It’s interesting, seeing how your mind works.”
“Federal training has its benefits. Among them, an understanding of science and how the Elements and Aspects function.”
Isaac’s eyes flashed anger, but he didn’t say anything as he continued to lounge against that door.
Oliver gave an uncomfortable shrug. “I’m willing to admit that Fire intimidates me.”
Isaac’s surprise was snuffed quickly. “You should be. It’s the most immediately dangerous, outside of Air.”
“Yes, it is. Alright Fire witch. Any suggestions?”
“Never use it until you’re damn sure you know exactly what you want to do. Once in motion, the only way to stop it is to deflect. Fire won’t be contained. Also, waves don’t like to change direction or go through differing substances. Deflection is difficult, and passing through is slow. It will change frequency and come out different. Fire is about inconstancy. It’s about change and rapid motion. You’d better have your mind well-rested and ready to jam, when you use Fire. Oh, also, it uses more energy to control than the other Elements, so be ready to face-plant in your plate when you’re done, and have a napkin at hand.”
Oliver snorted.
Isaac actually grinned at him. “Not even kidding.”
Oliver considered for a moment what he wanted to do. It wasn’t like he was completely unaware of his Fire magic. It was simply the one that he’d learned to be wary of, fast. It was his least used Element, too. Partly because of that fear, but also because Fire was flashy, and he had a secret to keep.
Okay. Decide and implement, make it fast, and keep it contained.
When he made his own flame, it was mid-air in front of Isaac, and it wasn’t small.
Isaac yelped and pressed himself against the door.
Oliver dismissed the fire immediately, staring wide-eyed at Isaac. And then Oliver burst out laughing. “Sorry! Sorry!” he snort/laughed.
Isaac glared for a long moment before grumbling. “Lucky fuck. Lucky you didn’t singe me. I’d burn your ass. Try again. With more control, you asshole.”
Oliver obeyed, and managed to keep it small, at first. It got out-of-hand fast. “Shit,” he whispered harshly, tried to rein it in, but Isaac did it for him.
“That’s what I was talking about.”
“Yeah. I’ve experienced it with Air,” he muttered, swiping his hair from his eyes. “Dammit.”
“Well, now I know.”
“Know what?” Oliver growled, amusement gone, because this really wasn’t an Element he could be careless with.
“You’re a Prime.”
Oliver met those blue eyes. Wariness reflected back, as well as something else that Oliver couldn’t place. “Yeah.”
He nodded. Oliver hesitated. That sense of difference in Isaac puzzled him. He’d seen it again as he banished Oliver’s Fire.
Oliver stiffened and sharpened his gaze. “No fuckin’ way,” he blurted, magical sight shifting.
“What?”
Oliver ignored him.
Finally he groaned and collapsed into a chair.
“What is it?” Isaac asked sharply, leaving the door to stand over him, gaze sharp.
Oliver looked helplessly up at him where he stood, worried, wary. He couldn’t help but smile. “What’re the odds?” he asked, literally wanting to know.
“What are you talking about, Tame?” he demanded.
He held his hand out for a fist bump. “Welcome to the world…Prime.”
Isaac stared back in confusion, absently bumping fists. “What?” He clearly hadn’t grasped what Oliver was saying.
“Your magic is inherently different than other Fire witches. Mine is different from normal Earth witches. Phoebe’s is different than other Air witches.”
Isaac’s face went blank, then pale as his jaw sagged. “No fuckin’ way,” he breathed the exact words Oliver had already said.
Oliver grinned, in sudden charity with the impetuous Fire witch. “Let’s check this shit out. Close your eyes. Because you didn’t have a breakthrough like Phoebe and I did, this might be hard to do, but I know you can.”
Isaac’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t trust you.”
Oliver scowled. “Shut up and do it, dude.”
Isaac screwed his eyes shut with a muttered “Tame One,” and tensed up.
“Relax. I’m not gonna do anything other than guide you. Fuck. It’s like pulling teeth.”
Isaac snorted, managed to relax some.
Oliver gave him another moment, and he relaxed further. “Good. Now…that cup of water. Still your instinct to touch it with Fire. Use your magical senses, but don’t try to touch it with Fire. Just your senses.”
“They’re the same thing,” he growled.
“No, they’re not. Trust me. Can you see distant things with your magic?”
“Sometimes.”
“That’s not your Fire doing it. That’s you.”
Isaac popped his eyes open to stare, though his brows wrinkled, and he looked like he was trying to solve a riddle. “Really?”
“Really. Did I say you could open your eyes? Shut them. Normally we don’t close our eyes to use magic, but in this instance, it’s necessary, because we need you to focus inward, instead of outward.”
The curtain over the doorway parted and Nathaniel slipped in. Isaac no doubt heard it, but he kept his eyes shut. Oliver met the man’s gaze, wondering if Nathaniel had known about this all along, or if he had no idea any more than Isaac. The puzzled look on his face made Oliver think he didn’t know…still didn’t know. He hadn’t been listening behind the curtain then.
Nathaniel lifted an eyebrow. Oliver held out his hand in a waiting gesture.
“Focused inward?” he asked softly.
With Isaac giving a tiny little nod, Oliver guessed he’d managed a bit of meditation. That was actually a great sign. “Good. Now. Turn your magical sight on that water.”
For a long moment, nothing happened. And then…his hands gleamed blue for a moment and the water lifted from the cup as if drawn to him.
Then it splashed to the floor in a mess.
Isaac gasped, eyes going wide. “What the fuck?” he breathed. “That was the weirdest shit…”
Oliver turned to Nathaniel. “What are the odds of three Primes around the same age appearing at the same time in the same area of the globe?”
“Millions to one, I’d sa…” He stopped, then shot a shocked look at Isaac. “No fuckin’ way.”
He and Isaac burst out laughing.
Oliver turned to the younger man, lifting an eyebrow. “You’re at least a Parallel. Dillon didn’t know?”
“No. No one knew.”
“Wanna check for the others?”
“Hell yes!”
Oliver grinned, rubbing his hands together and standing. “Oscar! Road trip, big brother!”
By the end of the day, it was confirmed.
Isaac was a Prime, too.
He might not be Oliver’s high level, but he was high enough to be terrifying. Oliver announced him a level nine, which caught the Wild One off-guard. Dillon looked surprised, too, though Nathaniel wasn’t.
At the cabin’s table, the five men sat, Oliver and Isaac eating some crackers he’d raided from the cabinets. And damn if Isaac hadn’t been right. He was starving, far more than usual after magic use, because he’d worked Fire with Isaac, and it had worn him the hell out.
“Well, now what?”
Nathaniel was staring off at the window. He didn’t say much during their discussion. Dillon wanted to get them—and Phoebe—trained as soon as possible. Oscar wanted the same thing, but he had legitimate worries about time, effort and location.
Oliver watched the old man, listening as he ate. When Nathaniel stirred and turned to them, he met Oliver’s gaze with unusually serious worry in his eyes.
“What?” he asked softly.
The others stopped talking, sensing the mood.
“Primes are rare, boy. In all of history, they come along every once in awhile. But even our histories don’t tell us for sure that they were witches. Merlin, Hecate, Circe, Morgan le Fey, Nostradamus, Zoroaster, Abe no Seimei, Cassandra of Troy, and Medea to name a handful, and to name ones that were known. Worldwide currently there are seven, and this due to sheer population growth. One is in Russia, three in China, one in Saudi Arabia, one in Canada, and one in Brazil. It stretches the imagination that we haven’t had one for ages, and then suddenly we have three.”
“You think something happened to cause this?” Oscar asked, voice skeptical.
“Possibly.”
“What else could it be?”
“Breeding.”
Oliver stiffened, saw Isaac do the same. “Uh, what?”
Nathaniel shook his head. “I don’t mean intentional. At least not forcibly. I need to look into this.”
The shock hadn’t worn off, so it was quiet for a few moments, and Nathaniel turned back to the darkening window.
“We should get back to town,” Dillon said, rising. “It’s going to be late by the time we arrive in Denver, and it’s going to be hard to get Nathaniel back home without getting him into trouble.”
Oliver and Oscar let the others leave first, locking up after cleaning off the table.
“He’s gonna hit a burger joint first town they get to,” Oliver said.
Oscar smiled. “I assume we are, too?”
“Duh.”