“That sounds really great in theory, but I don’t know how it works,” said Shayna. “I was bouncing around like a rubber ball and had no choice of where I ended up. I had no control at all.”
“Controlling this gift is vital. Mastering your reflectoire is a top priority,” said Rileau. “You will begin training with me upon first daylight. Conner and Jake, you will join us. They must understand how it works and how their powers shall complement it.”
“What about me?” Seneca asked nervously. “Don’t I need to get involved in this too?”
“No. You are a druid, and as such, all magic is inherited within you to utilize at will. Linking to the others is natural,” said Rileau. “Has this not been explained to you?” He turned to Wren, who remained silent and only a raised an eyebrow to indicate she was listening.
“I haven’t been told much of anything about being a druid. My parents never taught me,” she said softly.
“They were fools to leave you ill prepared and leave so much unsaid,” Rileau grumbled. “Then that must be remedied. I shall attempt to remember that you are all ignorant to our way of life and our Otherworld.”
Seneca knew Rileau was insulting them, but she agreed. Her parents should have trusted her enough to tell her about where they were from. In her heart, she knew they’d done what they believed to be best. The Elder Druid Council had selflessly given up their elemental gifts to form the dominion. Her mother had even shaved her wings for the cause.
“We all know I’m behind, so how do I learn the Druid 101 thing at this point?” Seneca’s fiery spirit was sparked, and while she wasn’t up to speed on all things druid, she was not a slacker.
“I will lead Seneca through her training,” said Wren. “I will show you the ways of the druid.”
“Thanks.”
Seneca tried to force a smile in acknowledgment, but she’d hoped Rileau would help her with the druid aspects. After all, Wren was an elf, so what did she know about being a druid? Admittedly, Seneca didn’t know what being an elf meant either. For all she knew, elves might be experts on druids, fairies, and other elementals. Seneca began to think that being trained by Wren might not be so bad. She didn’t care much for her, but Rileau appeared to trust her.
“Okay, so it’s Wren and me tomorrow,” she said with a forced smile.
“We shall meet in the interior garden at first light of morning,” said Wren.
“It is settled. Please finish your meal, and turn in early. We have much to do upon your awakening,” said Rileau. He turned and exited the dining room. Wren trailed closely behind him.
The room was silent for quite some time. They were lost in their own thoughts. Seneca gazed across the table at Jake, who was distracted with crumbling a blueberry scone onto his plate. Shayna had resumed admiring her perplex in the mirror, and Conner had returned to assembling another sandwich.
“Jake, you didn’t tell them about the Glactra or that you were able to see them,” said Seneca. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t know how to bring it up. Besides, it was the Shayna show. I didn’t want to interrupt. I’m sure Wren told him about it,” said Jake. “It’s probably not that important, or he would have said something.”
“I don’t know about that, Jake,” said Seneca.
“What about what it said to you?” Conner asked. “That sounded important to me, dude.”
“Yeah, maybe. I’ll tell him tomorrow. I just don’t think it’s that big of a deal right now. Shayna and Seneca are the priority anyway. Didn’t you see how the plans got shuffled once they realized what Shayna’s reflectoire can do?”
“It does seem like the strategy changed—not that we knew what it was anyway, so I wouldn’t even know the difference,” replied Seneca. “And after all the talk about sticking together like glue, I get stuck with Wren.”
“I wouldn’t mind sticking to her a bit,” Conner hooted.
“Ew, gross!” Shayna said.
“Just ignore him,” said Seneca. “He can’t focus when Wren’s around.”
“Speaking of focus, why aren’t we focused on how we’re going to stop Brigara?” asked Jake. “Her minions have already attacked all of us, and we haven’t learned anything yet.”
“Maybe it’s because our powers keep changing and evolving, and they don’t know what to do with us,” said Conner. His new sandwich was complete, and he took a large bite. He smiled, bobbed his head in satisfaction, and gave a thumbs-up.
“I can’t believe you’re still eating,” Shayna said. She had lost her appetite. All she could think about was Brigara. “Can you believe what she did to our school?”
“She’s a maniac!” Seneca snapped.
“What do you think is in the box she was carrying? Did you notice that Rileau and Wren said nothing about it?” Jake said.
“Yes, I did, and I also noticed they were holding back on telling us more,” said Shayna.
“Maybe they don’t want us freaking out,” said Seneca.
“Too late!” Conner sputtered and spewed food across his plate. “Sorry.” He gulped down what remained of his sandwich. “I think they’re freaking out for sure and are just not letting us know. They probably think it’s best.”
“You might be right. I can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow,” said Jake.
“Hey, Seneca, you could do your mojo and read their minds,” Conner said before loudly slurping what little remained in his mug.
“What?” Seneca squeaked, her nose wrinkling.
“You know, that mojo, funny woojoo mind-meld stuff you do. Find out what’s going on by reading Rileau’s mind.”
“Maybe you could find out what’s in the box,” Shayna added.
“No, that’s probably not a good idea,” said Jake.
“It could backfire,” Seneca said, “like with Brigara. He would totally catch me.”
“Well, I’m just saying you could probably at least snag something before you get caught,” said Conner. “Come on!”
“Nope, no way. I’m not doing it.”
“Leave her alone. Just drop it, Conner!” Jake snapped.
“Whatever! What good is a power like that if you can’t even use it?” Conner grumbled.
“Change of subject,” Shayna said. She cleared her throat. “You get to learn about being a druid tomorrow. How exciting!”
“Yippee. Learning all things druid. Can’t wait,” said Seneca sarcastically. “I’m heading to bed. I hate cold soup.”
“Wait for me. I’m coming too,” said Shayna. “This knot forming in my stomach tells me that I need to be well rested to face whatever is happening tomorrow.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Mastering the Gift
“This thingamajig isn’t working right,” said Shayna. She was as frustrated as she was disappointed. When she’d awakened that morning, she’d been excited about mastering her new ability, but now she wasn’t so sure.
“Your reflectoire will respond to you once it calibrates and clears,” said Rileau. “Typically, this happens over time. However, that is not a luxury we possess. We must continue to accelerate the alignment.”
“Accelerate, you say? Didn’t you see how fast I was running? Those sheep weren’t exactly thrilled with me interrupting their lunch!” Shayna snapped.
“The need to move this along expeditiously should not be made light of,” Rileau sneered.
“Fine, but I need some better direction here. You told me to go to the room with the wool tapestry, and all I could think about was how itchy it would be, and the next thing you know, I’m face-to-face with Mary’s flock,” said Shayna.
She was distraught and took a whiff of her sleeve while turning up her nose in protest. Conner resisted the urge to chime in with a timely quip as he exchanged a smirk with Jake.
“They could use a bath too!” she said
, adding to her protest.
Rileau ignored her complaints and elected to forge ahead with the lesson.
“And they’re mean little snots.”
He rubbed his chin in contemplation. “We must take a different approach. What room in the castle are you most familiar with and comfortable in? Perhaps being inside will be easier for mastery.”
“I agree with that. Let’s see. As I’m sure you’re aware, most of this place is a bit drab and not really my taste, but there’s the library,” Shayna said as her face lit up. “It reminds me of my dad’s study. It has lots of books, and there are really comfy places to flop down.”
“Flop down?” Rileau asked dryly.
“Yeah, you know, just chill and snooze. Anyway, that’s my favorite room.”
“It is a pretty awesome room,” said Jake, nodding in agreement.
“Very well. Then you must use your mind’s eye and imagine the room. All elements within must be seen in the utmost detail. Do you comprehend this, Shayna?” Rileau asked. He leaned in close, and she could feel his hot breath on her forehead.
“I’m all about details, and I know that room like the back of my hand,” she said.
“Then proceed. Do not move your hand across the reflectoire until you have the room clearly in your mind.”
“I’ve got it this time. Don’t worry,” she said. Her confidence was anything but solid. Shayna closed her eyes and shook out her legs and arms. She followed those movements with a slow head roll. “I’m ready.”
“Wait!” Jake said. “How about if Conner, Rileau, and I head to the library first? That way, we’re there to congratulate you when you pop in.”
“Oh, I like that idea!” Shayna beamed. “I don’t think I pop, though.”
She welcomed the support. The tension was thickening and becoming overwhelming with the multiple failures. The situation with the sheep was just one of many unsuccessful attempts, and she knew Rileau was growing impatient.
“That’s fine. We will leave you here and will await your arrival in the library,” replied Rileau.
He turned to exit the corral, and the sheep parted to allow him to ease by. Jake and Conner shuffled close behind. Shayna attempted to follow but had to dodge a rogue sheep charging at her. She hurdled over the gate to avoid being struck and landed gracefully. She turned and shook her fist at the dismayed sheep. “Better luck next time!” she sneered before jogging ahead to join the others. She caught up with them as they entered the castle.
“We shall try a more simplistic approach,” said Rileau. “Think about the elements of your destination in layers. Focus on the foundation of it, and then build the details upon it. Imagine the colors and smells. Your reflectoire is tuned to your emotions as well as thoughts, but it is literal and will obey as such. The slightest alteration will shift your teleportation.”
“I will try,” she said softly.
Shayna was beginning to understand that the key to teleportation was in the minute details. The more she thought about it, selecting the library was the best solution. She closed her eyes, and she could see the room. The elaborate draperies were pulled back with a braided velveteen sash that surrounded the large window, which provided the only natural light in that part of the castle. Beyond that window was a lush garden filled with marigolds and rainbows of tulips and lilies in full bloom. She shook her head to clear the image.
“Not the garden, Shayna! Come on. Focus!” she said, chastising herself.
“Focus, Shayna!” Jake said. “You can do this. We will meet you in the library.”
“Okay, I’ve got it,” she said.
“Just be careful,” Conner added. He followed Jake out of the room and headed down the corridor.
Rileau placed his hand on Shayna’s shoulder. She looked into his serious eyes. She didn’t want to disappoint him.
“You have the gift, so use it,” he said sternly.
“Okay, I can do this. I know I can. The library is the answer.”
“Then we shall await your arrival.” He turned and left her standing alone.
Shayna took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She was feeling the pressure but also the anticipation of getting the teleportation right, which steadied her.
“What’s in the library? The furniture. Yeah, that’s it. Gotta picture the chairs. Oh yeah, I’ve got this,” she whispered.
She closed her eyes and swiped her hand across the reflectoire. It glowed in response. Her eyes popped open just as she faded away from where she stood, leaving behind only slight impressions from her boot heels in the rug.
Shayna appeared suddenly with a flash of light. She crashed directly into a large bookcase filled with volumes of books. She hit the stone floor hard as nearly all the books crammed into the shelves tumbled down on top of her. She was nearly buried completely before Conner rushed over and pulled her out from under them. She barely escaped before an entire shelf of books crashed down in the spot where she’d landed.
“Are you kidding me? What happened?” she muttered as she checked her head, face, and arms for injuries.
“You did not follow my instructions is what happened,” Rileau said.
“Huh? I’m in the library, so I had to be close, right?” Her head was feeling the impact of her crash. She tried to steady herself in an attempt to look unfazed. She resisted the urge to sit down. “You did say the library, right?”
“The mind can be quite literal. If your image is of books, then you are likely to end up exactly where a book is located,” Rileau said dryly. “You obviously thought of cooking when you ended up in the kitchen. I can only presume that hay was on your mind when you frightened the mares. Should we review each of your less-than-stellar results?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary. I know I haven’t done it right,” replied Shayna.
“That is an understatement but at least accurate,” Rileau said.
“I did what you said. I focused on something I remembered from the room. At first, I was thinking of the really huge ottoman and how nice it is to sit there. Then my mind shifted to the bookcase and how it really needed dusting,” Shayna explained. “I think the dusting became my focus, but I had already swiped by then.”
“It looks like you took care of that problem!” Conner snorted.
“Shut up, Conner!” Shayna retorted. “I’m sure you’d end up much worse off.”
“Only if you think sinking in a pile of doughnuts is worse than dusting a bookcase with your face. Splat!” He laughed.
“Dude, that’s harsh,” said Jake, muffling a laugh.
“Yet you didn’t say I wasn’t right. I’d think about doughnuts all day long—chocolate glazed with sprinkles, powdered, jelly filled. Oh, that’d be the life indeed!”
“You have to imagine a real place!” Shayna shouted as she crossed her arms tightly. “You’re such a clown!”
“Who says it’s not real?” Conner said. “You didn’t think the Otherworld existed not too long ago—maybe there’s a doughnut realm nearby.”
“Oh, forget it!”
“Just sayin’,” Conner teased.
“That’s enough for today and perhaps permanently,” said Rileau as a ring of smoke escaped from his nostrils.
Conner’s eyes followed the smoke until it dissipated. He shifted his gaze after realizing the dragon was glaring with displeasure. “Oh, sorry.”
“Your banter seems to have captured more of your interest, as well as other matters of no relevance,” Rileau said gruffly.
“But I can try again. I will focus better,” pleaded Shayna. “I promise—I can do this!”
“Your progress is not at all impressive. We have devoted much of the day to this, and you are no better than when you began. You must devote time to your other gifts. There is little time remaining to master the skill of teleportation.”
Shayna d
idn’t reply. She knew it was useless to argue with him.
“Jake, your training begins at daylight in the center courtyard. Do not keep me waiting,” said Rileau.
“Okay,” Jake replied. He resisted the sudden urge to salute as he stood with his eyes forward and his arms plastered to his sides in a military stance.
“Conner, you will join us.”
“I’ll be there! I can’t wait to perfect my body-slam techniques.”
Rileau snapped his tail against the floor and sneered. Conner took the hint and followed Jake’s lead by mimicking his demeanor.
“I must check on Seneca’s progress. I suggest you work together and return this room to its previous state.” Rileau turned on his heel and left with a trail of smoke billowing behind him.
“I didn’t mean to make him mad,” Shayna whispered. Her head was pounding, and she could feel bruises making their presence known. She moaned in agony.
“Are you okay, Shayna?” Jake asked.
“Sure. Just banged up a bit,” she replied.
“You know I was just kidding, right?” Conner asked.
“Yup.” Shayna stopped short of adding anything else. She knew she would be reacting out of frustration, and she was the only one to blame for not mastering teleporting.
“At least you finally got into the targeted room this time. He could’ve given you credit for that,” said Conner. He was hoping to cheer her up. He felt bad that he had likely turned a bad situation into a disaster with his remarks.
“Close isn’t good enough in his eyes,” said Jake. “You can tell he’s losing confidence in us. We keep screwing things up. No offense, Shayna.”
“None taken,” she said flatly. “I agree with Conner, though. A little credit for not breaking my neck or getting stuck in the wall would have been nice.” She smirked.
“What does it feel like when you’re actually teleporting?” Jake asked.
“It’s like you’re floating for a second, and then boom!” Shayna shouted. “Realty sets in, and you’re buried beneath a pile of heavy, dusty books. It wasn’t as bad as knocking down the pots and pans in the kitchen or nearly being trampled by a herd of sheep, but it was definitely the most painful.”