Deathless Page 23

  Leesa was suddenly struck by how similar Rave and Dominic spoke. Not in the way they sounded—Dominic had a bit of an accent, similar in some ways to Stefan’s—but in their cadence and the way they put words together. Rave and Dominic both spoke in a slightly stilted manner, a bit formal almost, using few contractions. She wondered if it had to do with growing up so long ago. Perhaps people spoke more formally back then.

  “Yes, the waziri have always been men,” Dominic replied to Rave’s question. “But that was part of my plan.”

  “What plan?” Leesa asked.

  “My plan to stop the Necromancer and his renegade waziri underlings.”

  Leesa tried to make sense of what Dominic was saying, but her tired brain was making it difficult. Was he telling her that she was part of some grand scheme to stop the evil wizards? She sure hoped not. She’d had enough of this magic stuff and supernatural creatures to last a lifetime—enough of all of them except Rave, of course.

  Dominic had been watching Leesa’s face closely. “I think you are beginning to understand,” he said. “I chose to impart my magic to you.”

  Leesa’s head felt like it was spinning. Dominic had imparted magic to her? Rave sat down beside her and put his arm around her back. His touch was comforting, as always.

  “How…when?” she managed to ask.

  “Before you were born,” Dominic said. “Before you mother even knew she was pregnant with you.”

  Leesa shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

  “I was afraid that if I tried to pass my magic along in the traditional way, my foes would detect it,” Dominic explained. “That would have been dangerous for the child, as well as for me. And remember, I only had one chance to do this. So I decided to take a chance, to pursue a different route by choosing an unborn child—a female child. By doing something that had never been done, I hoped for her to elude detection. So far, that part of my plan seems to have worked.” He studied Leesa’s face for a long moment. “Are you with me so far?”

  “Sort of. I think it’ll take me awhile to understand completely.” Leesa yawned again. She really was exhausted.

  Rave kissed her hair. “I told you there was more to you than either of us knew.”

  “There is much you still need to hear,” Dominic said, “but I think I have given you enough to digest for now. Besides, you need some rest.”

  Leesa smiled. “I can’t argue with that. Rave, will you stay with me tonight?”

  “Of course,” Rave replied. “Nothing could make me leave you right now.”

  Leesa leaned her head against his shoulder. She had a lot to think about, but with Rave beside her, she hoped she would sleep peacefully.

  “I will be nearby, keeping watch.” Dominic said. He stood up and moved to the door. “I will see you tomorrow.”

  With Dominic gone, Leesa gave in to her exhaustion.

  “I really am tired,” she said. “I want to talk with you about all this, but I hope you don’t mind waiting until tomorrow.”

  Rave kissed her hair. “Not at all. Go to sleep, my love.”

  Leesa stretched out atop the bed, and Rave lay down beside her. She nestled her head into the crook of his arm. Within moments, she was fast asleep.

  46. CHOICES

  When Leesa opened her eyes the next morning, Rave was still beside her, smiling. She could not think of any better sight to be greeted by.

  “Good morning, beautiful,” he said.

  Leesa smiled. “Good morning to you, too.”

  Thin strips of pale daylight outlined her curtains, telling her it was at least eight o’clock. She stretched her arms out over her head, feeling deliciously refreshed. She always slept well with Rave beside her.

  “You slept very peacefully,” Rave said. “It was good to see.”

  Leesa ran her fingers through her hair, moving some tangled strands away from her face.

  “Don’t tell me you were staring at me the whole night,” she said, hoping she hadn’t done anything gross, like drooling in her sleep.

  “No, of course not.” Rave kissed her forehead and grinned. “Just most of it.”

  “Ugghh!” Leesa hid her eyes behind her forearm.

  “Don’t worry, you’re beautiful when you sleep.”

  Leesa smiled. “Thank you. You look pretty good yourself, considering you spent most of the night watching me.”

  “I told you, volkaanes don’t need much sleep. Did you have any dreams?”

  Leesa thought for a moment. Pieces of a dream began to come to her.

  “I did, yeah,” she said, remembering. “I dreamed of wizards battling an army of monsters. The wizards were shooting lightning bolts and fireballs from their staffs and wands. The fireballs were blue, of course.”

  “Naturally,” Rave said, grinning again. “We’ll make a volkaane out of you yet.”

  Leesa returned his grin. “Ha! Don’t I wish.” She thought back to last night’s dream. “The dream didn’t feel real, though, and it definitely wasn’t scary like the other ones. It was more like watching a movie. A couple of the wizards even resembled Gandalf and Harry Potter.”

  Rave laughed. “I guess we’ll have to ask Dominic about getting you a wand, then,” he joked.

  “Ha! I think not.” Leesa pushed herself up to a sitting position. “Has he been around at all yet?”

  “I sensed his presence briefly a couple of times during the night. Never for long, though. I get the feeling he does not remain still very much.”

  “I hope he comes back soon. I’ve got so many questions.”

  “I’m sure he will. He seemed so relieved to find you, I doubt he’ll waste much time now.”

  “You’re right.” She gave Rave a peck on the cheek and got up from the bed. “I’d better get cleaned up and grab something to eat while I’ve got the chance.”

  Dominic returned shortly before ten o’clock, giving Leesa time to shower and wolf down a breakfast of vanilla yogurt and a banana. It was not much of a meal, but she wasn’t sure her stomach could handle much more, as keyed up as she was about getting more answers from Dominic.

  He was wearing the same black jacket and khaki pants as yesterday, though they didn’t appear to be slept in. As a matter of fact, they looked to Leesa as if they had come freshly out of the closet this morning. She wondered if maybe there was magic involved.

  “Are you ready to hear more about the magic?” Dominic asked her.

  “Definitely. I need to understand what’s been happening to me.”

  Dominic flashed a small smile. “Good. I believe I can give you a pretty good start in the next hour or two.” He paused for a moment, before adding, “And then you will have a decision to make.”

  Leesa wondered what kind of decision he meant, but quickly pushed it from her thoughts. She figured she would learn soon enough.

  “Rave doesn’t think you like to stay still very long,” she said. “Is that true?”

  Dominic’s smile was wider this time.

  He has a friendly smile, Leesa thought, but then remembered Edwina also had a friendly smile. Still, she detected nothing threatening from the wizard.

  “Rave is right,” Dominic said. “It’s an old habit, built from so many years trying to remain hidden.”

  “Let’s go for a walk,” Leesa suggested, thinking a walk would make Dominic feel more comfortable and might also make it easier for her to deal with whatever he was going to tell her.

  Dominic’s eyes strayed involuntarily to Leesa’s leg, but he quickly pulled them away. He wondered once again whether his actions had played any role in Leesa’s affliction.

  Leesa recognized the look. “I told you, my leg doesn’t hurt at all.” She held her foot out and grinned. “I can’t run very fast and I suck at dancing, but I can walk with just about anybody.”

  “A walk sounds great,” Dominic said.

  Leesa grabbed her parka and her knit cap. “Let’s go.”

  Outside, the morning was cold and blustery, with a
chill wind blowing out of the northeast. Thick, dark clouds covered the eastern half of the sky like a shroud. Leesa wondered if they were finally about to get their first real snow. She had been looking forward to some snow all winter, but wasn’t sure now would be the best time for it, with all that was happening.

  Though the wind stung her cheeks a bit, the cold did not bother her, not with her arm linked inside Rave’s. Dominic also did not seem overly affected by the cold, at least not that she could see. He didn’t seem as oblivious to the temperature as Rave was, but he didn’t look uncomfortable, either.

  “You do walk well, Leesa,” Dominic said as they strode at a brisk pace down the sidewalk toward the main gate.

  “Told ya,” Leesa said, smiling.

  “Yes, that you did,” Dominic acknowledged. “I’m very glad to see it. I was concerned your leg might somehow be the result of what I did, passing my magic to you before you were born.”

  “You’ll have to get in line if you want to take credit for my leg.”

  Dominic looked perplexed. “What do you mean?”

  Leesa told him about her mom being bitten by the grafhym while she was pregnant.

  “I’ve kinda been chalking up most of the stuff that’s happened to me to my grafhym blood.”

  Dominic considered that for a few moments.

  “That might explain something that has been troubling me,” he said, stroking his goatee. “Yes, that might definitely explain it.”

  “Explain what?” Leesa asked.

  “Why I had so much trouble finding you. The magical bond between us should have enabled me to sense your location from a hundred miles away. When I left eighteen years ago to insure your safety, I was counting on being able to find you easily when the time came. Instead, I need to be within a few hundred feet to feel your presence. I think the grafhym blood may have altered your vibrations slightly, hiding them from me until I get close.”

  They crossed through the college’s stone gateway and turned west on Washington Street toward downtown. The wind blew almost directly in their faces now, rushing unchecked up the wide road from the river. Leesa’s cheeks stung with the cold. She reached a gloved hand up to cover her face from the wind, but before she could do it, Rave’s hand was there, gently caressing her cheeks and infusing them with his magical warmth. He has to be the most thoughtful boyfriend ever, she thought. The warm glow she felt blossoming in her chest had nothing to do with his inner fire.

  She kissed Rave’s fingers and smiled, then turned back to Dominic.

  “How long have you been looking for me?”

  “Almost a year now, since a few months before you turned eighteen. I wanted time to prepare you for the appearance of your powers. I’m very sorry I was not here. Believe me, you do not want to hear what I have gone through this last year trying to find you.”

  “If I hadn’t dropped my stupid phone, you would have found me sooner,” Leesa said, recalling Dominic’s phone call, way back on Thanksgiving weekend.

  “And you are here now,” Rave added. “That’s what matters.”

  “Let me start by telling you a bit about my magic—your magic, Leesa. Waziri possess two kinds of magic—active and passive. Passive magic is what allows me to sense your presence and what keeps me warm in the cold. Your dreams are also passive magic. Passive magic is safe—our enemies cannot detect it and use it to find us.”

  “So when I learn to control this, I won’t feel the cold anymore?” Leesa asked.

  “You won’t be like Rave,” Dominic replied, “but with time, you’ll notice the chill far less.”

  Leesa looked at Rave and grinned. “I guess I’ll still have to keep you around,” she teased, squeezing his arm affectionately.

  Rave smiled back. “I’m very glad to hear that. I was beginning to worry.”

  Leesa returned her attention to Dominic. “You haven’t mentioned my moving things with my thoughts,” she said. “I take it that’s active magic?”

  Dominic nodded. “Yes. Which is why I was able to sense it from the highway.”

  Rave suddenly stopped walking, so Leesa and Dominic halted as well. Leesa could tell Rave had ratcheted his ever present alertness up a notch.

  “If you could sense it,” Rave asked Dominic, “could your enemies not also detect it?”

  Dominic pursed his lips in thought. “Perhaps, if they were close enough. But I see no reason they should be anywhere near here. Even if they were, I think the alteration in Leesa’s vibrations would make it difficult for them to detect her. Her bond with me is direct, like a father to his daughter. Their connection to her is diluted, just waziri to waziri. I also believe Leesa is shielded somewhat by being female. The grafhym blood probably lends another layer of protection.”

  “So you are certain she is safe?” Rave persisted.

  “As certain as I can be,” Dominic replied. “Remember, my reason for choosing an unborn female was to create something beyond my enemies’ ken. With the grafhym influence added in, I feel even more confident.”

  Leesa thought how ironic it was that a story she had never believed, about a one-fanged vampire biting her mom, would be working to protect her once again. Thinking about the grafhym blood prompted a second thought.

  “What would happen if a vampire tried to turn me?” she asked Dominic.

  Dominic was clearly surprised by her question. “I doubt it could do it,” he said after a moment. “Your waziri nature would probably prevent it. Why do ask? This is the second time you have mentioned vampires.”

  “It’s a long story,” Leesa said, thinking this might be another reason Stefan had been unable to turn her. She wondered if he had sensed this magical part of her nature. “I’ll tell you about it later. Right now, I want to hear more about waziri magic.” She linked her arm back inside Rave’s. “Let’s keep walking.”

  The three of them headed back down the road. Leesa was glad to see Dominic was paying no more attention to her limp.

  “You were about to tell me about active magic,” Leesa said.

  “Yes,” Dominic replied. “Whereas passive magic remains within you—staying warm, sensing magic being used, your dreams—active magic affects external things. There are two forms of active magic. Spells, which must be learned, and innate powers, which are already inside you and must merely be unleashed and controlled. Blasting a vampire away from your friend was a power. Making someone fall asleep or making them forget something would require a spell.”

  Leesa remained silent while she tried to digest everything Dominic said. Active and passive, spells and powers, learn or unleash, internal or external—it was all pretty confusing, especially for someone who until yesterday had no inkling she actually had any magic inside her. On top of all that, there were renegade wizards and some guy called the Necromancer who would want to kill her if they ever learned she existed. Suddenly, dealing with plain old vampires did not seem quite so bad.

  “This is all pretty complicated,” she said finally.

  “More complicated than you know,” Dominic replied. “It is why I wanted to find you before you came of age, to help prepare you for it. Still, I would not have expected you to have experienced so much, so soon. I think Destiratu probably has had a hand in that.”

  “Rave told me how Destiratu affects vampires and volkaanes. Do you mean it affects wizards as well?”

  “Destiratu affects all things magical, most often by magnifying them. My renegade brethren attacked during the previous Destiratu. I’m certain its pull played a role.” Dominic shook his head regretfully. “I never planned for you to come of age during a time of Destiratu, Leesa. I never even considered it, I’m sorry to say. That was a mistake on my part, I’m afraid.”

  “You could not have known,” Rave said. “None of us knows when Destiratu will arise, not until it begins.”

  “No, I guess not,” Dominic agreed. “Still, it complicates things.”

  “Things with Leesa are always complicated,” Rave said, smiling. He lea
ned over and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “Ha! Don’t talk to me about complicated, Mister,” Leesa said, grinning. “I’m not the one with a kiss that could fry his girlfriend to ashes.” A new thought popped into her head, a very pleasant thought. “Dominic, could my magic make me immune to Rave’s fire? Could you teach me to safely kiss him as much as I wanted?”

  Dominic smiled. “I’m sorry, no. Nothing can withstand the full force of a volkaane’s heat—not even me.” He recognized the disappointment that darkened Leesa’s face. “But you should already have a bit of innate tolerance to it, and I can train you to be even more resistant.”

  Leesa remembered Balin’s surprise she was not more harmed when Rave lost control. She guessed her magic must have protected her at least a little. She turned to Rave and squeezed his arm.

  “You hear that? You’d better get yourself ready for some major making out.”

  “A guy can only dream,” Rave replied, grinning.

  Leesa turned back to Dominic. “All of a sudden this magic stuff isn’t sounding so bad,” she said. “Not bad at all.”

  “Yes, I can see that,” Dominic replied, smiling. “But do not be so hasty. Learning to control even a tiny bit of your power will take much effort.” He reached out and gently grabbed Leesa’s arm, pulling her to a halt. His voice turned very serious. “And you must understand, the more you learn, the greater the danger from our enemies.”

  Leesa swallowed hard. With visions of kissing Rave swirling in her head, she had kind of forgotten about the danger part for a moment.

  “Is that what you meant when you said I had a decision to make?” she asked. “That I could decide not to have you teach me and just keep dealing with this magic stuff when it pops up as best I can?” She didn’t really like the idea, but thought now that she knew where it was coming from, she might be able to handle things with less stress and worry. At least she would know she wasn’t going crazy—that was something all by itself.

  “That is one choice, certainly,” Dominic replied. “And I will go along with it if that is your wish. But leaving you like that is not one of the choices I wish to offer.”