Eyes closed, I sit cross-legged at the highest part of the sloping meadow, allowing the strength of nature to flow through my body. The earth vibrates under my palms as the vitality of night under the guardianship of the Moon Goddess slowly gives way to the warmth of the sun. Water droplets rise from the roots of the moist grass to blend into thin sheets of morning mist. Like cool fingers, they reach out for me, surround me, settle on my skin. Seeping into my pores, the water elements of my powers brim in my blood.

I pull them to the surface and allow them dance on my open hand. The steam tickles in my nose. I soak the energy into my lungs, indulge in the explosions, nurture the forces melting with the tiny particles of magnetic steel that are the core of my existence. My muscles harden as I release a lethal breath. The salts of life sting on my lips—joined by the sweetness of death. I'm their master.

Invincible.

Powerful.

Inexorable.

Exhaling through pursed lips, I guide the toxic haze through the air, letting it flow through my fingers, fueling it with every new breath. From here, the possibilities are endless. One stroke of my hand will send a sharp-pointed spear flying through the air to pierce a traitorous heart. I could wrap a razor-sharp wire around a neck to sever off an enemy's head. Smoother a foe under an impenetrable metal blanket hugging his body like a second skin.

Unforgiving.

Pitiless.

Unyielding.

Mercy is for fools.

Approaching footsteps cut through my mind like stomping hoofs. A light scent of animalistic stench is carried by the soft breeze. This can only be the hybrid. I ball my powers in my fist, opening my eyes with the next beat of my heart. One more breath releases the captured energies. Squinting against the bright light of the rising sun, I make out Andrenior in the lead with Raelyn close behind him.

I greet them with an ever so slight tilt of my head. "Good morning. I hope you slept well."

"Yes, thank you." Just like last night, the smile doesn't reach her eyes. Deception—or maybe I'm just reading too much into this. I should've kept Rikka around for a few days. I'd kill to read the hybrid's thoughts.

"Then we should get started." I get to my feet and dissolve the few dirt particles that are stuck to my pants with a snip of my fingers.

The hybrid's gaze flicks to the forest. I smell her hunger, the displeasure of her wolf to be locked away in her skins. The animalistic side of her wants to run, hunt, and kill. Her skins show formidable constraint. It will be fun to watch what part of her will prevail in the end. My money is on the wild beast. The inability to keep their crude nature in check is one of the werewolf's greatest flaws. How the Moon Goddess could ever bother with such basic creatures is a mystery in itself, even if they are undoubtedly meant to be toys.

"What should I do first?" The hybrid licks her lips. Her fangs are exposed. A sign of nervousness?

"Will you be able to control yourself?"

"Of course." When she smiles at me, her gums are smooth. Impressive.

"Not sure if Andrenior told you, but our powers are driven by the five forces of the pentagram: earth, fire, metal, water, and wood. Every warlock has a dominant force that drives them, however, they also leverage other energies. To be a Sentinel, you must be gifted with four of the elements. In comparison, the average warlock only possesses the ability to control two or three powers.

"Has there ever been a Sentinel who controlled all five forces?"

I snort. She doesn't even know the basics. "No, that's impossible. Fire is only granted to warlocks under the protection of the Sun God. Wood, on the other hand, is the prerogative gift of the Moon Goddess. They are mutually exclusive."

"So you can't control fire?"

"That's right." I smile. At least she seems to catch on rather quickly.

"And how will I know what my powers are?"

"That's what we are about to find out." I squat down. "Touch the ground and see if you can feel any energy."

She gets on her knees and places her hand next to mine.

"Now stretch out your fingers." When the particles of the earth quiver under my skin, I close my eyes. The energy is building, warming my insides, yet the freshness of the morning dew is cooling at the same time. The scent of wildflowers hidden by the tall grass is carried by the early breeze.

"Do you feel anything?"

"No, I don't think so."

I open my eyes and give her an arched brow. "Nothing?"

"It's kind of hard if you don't know what it's supposed to feel like."

"Trust me, if you are gifted with a certain energy, you'll know when you purposefully come in contact with it."

I get to my feet and glare at my cousin. He had been certain she'd possess at least some earth powers.

He shrugs. "Let's try water by the creek."

"Yes, let's do that."

I lead them down the winding path at the edge of the meadow down to the creek. The water gurgles innocently in its bed, the water is shallow and clear enough for the small pebbles to sparkle just under the rushing surface. It's deceiving. In the hands of a Sentinel like Delsandra, this element can turn into a lethal weapon in the blink of an eye.

The hybrid hugs her arms around her chest. Goosebumps cover her bare skin; her gaze is fixed on the small cabin fifty yards away. "Who lives there?"

"Sazith. He is our Caomhnóir."

The breath mists from her mouth. "It's so cold. And what are those shadows?"

I can neither see shadows nor do I find the temperature unpleasant—which only leaves one explanation for her sudden discomfort: she must have tapped into the spirit world. So far, her connection with the dead is the only clue that a part of her stems from a warlock bloodline.

"Sazith can explain once you start your training with him. For now, let's focus on the creek."

When I bend over the water, she drops her arms reluctantly and squats next to the stream. I caress the surface with my fingertips, pulling up a sheet of water as my powers connect. The water cascades down like a waterfall.

"I feel the droplets vibrate on my skin." The water glows under the hybrid's palm.

"Try to pull it up."

The glimmer spreads to her arm; water bubbles on the surface. As she lifts her hand from the stream, some droplets attach. She doesn't get very far, but it's a start.

"There are definitely some natural energies. We'll practice some more soon." When the door to Sazith's cabin opens, I hurry her away from the creek. I don't need his meddling right now; he'll get to meet the hybrid soon enough. Andrenior toddles behind us. Water isn't his strongest element and he tends to stay away from it.

Heading along the path, we enter the forest. The thick web of branches shields us from the sun. The smell of foliage mixes with the scent of freshly cut wood. We pass a group of students under the guidance of a wood warlock. They practice their skills by building a tree house. I pause for a moment to watch Tessa lift the wall up to the highest branch of a tall willow. The ease with which she's performing the task is astonishing; releasing a breath is all she needs. A rare skill. Other than Gideon who could build a cabin with nothing but a whistle from his lips, I haven't seen a warlock as confident as Tessa in over a thousand years. She'll make a fine Sentinel.

"When will she be ready to replace Ashter?" Andrenior asks.

"Less than a millennium, that's for sure."

"Ashter is still so young."

"She took Gideon's place way too early, don't think she even completed her full training. That will eventually come back to bite her."

The hybrid stiffens next to me.

"I don't get how Ashter was even able to beat him," Andrenior babbles on. "No offense, for a Sentinel, she's kind of mediocre, and with Gideon being one of the strongest—"

"You worry about things that don't concern you." I toss my cousin a curt smile, together with my you-better-shut-up glare. That type of discussion is not destined for the hybrid's ears. "Let's move on."

At the next clearing, a set of trees marches across the grass. I roll my eyes—not again. The sacred oaks are no toys; something Asther keeps forgetting. She sits with her legs folded underneath her in the grass, guiding the trees with her fingers as if she were playing a piano. The branches whip in twirling motions. Asther's giggles roll across the field. Time to put a stop to this.

"Asther, meet our guest, Raelyn."

With enthusiasm, she jumps up, just to throw her arms around the hybrid's neck. "Welcome, and it's so nice to meet you."

Considering that she and the others were ready to toss Raelyn under a bus if she developed Sentinel powers, her greeting is over the top. How fake can one get?

The hybrid offers her a thin smile. The angry sparkle in her eyes reveals that she despises the Wood Sentinel.

Andrenior leans so close that his lips touch my ear. "Hate at first sight."

"Don't say." I snort, keeping my voice no louder than a breath. "I told the hybrid that her father died through natural warlock succession. After you opened your big mouth earlier, she knows that Asther replaced him. I'm sure she can figure out the rest."

"I'm still not convinced that Asther was the one who killed Gideon."

One day, he'll choke on his own curiosity. Choosing to ignore his statement, I turn to Asther. "We are here to test Raelyn's powers on the oaks." I jut my chin at the sacred trees. "You want to show her or should I?"

Asther claps her hands in utter excitement. "Oh, I'll do it." Grabbing the hybrid by her arm, she pulls her behind her.

For a breath, Raelyn locks eyes with me. They hold a plea for rescue; nothing I can help her with. If she wants to be trained as a warlock, she will have to accept our natural laws, even if that means she'll have to pretend to get along with Gideon's presumed killer. And as I recall, it's not that different from her own culture. Werewolf Alphas are required to kill their fathers and siblings during Trials, something we luckily don't have to worry about thanks to the malediction. No Sentinel will ever have to fear that their offspring will kill them.

I step behind the hybrid as she runs her fingers over the bark of the oaks. Even without touching her, I can sense that there isn't a natural connection. It's puzzling. It's extremely rare for a moon warlock not to bond with this element—it's usually a part of their expected DNA.

"I can't feel anything," Raelyn confirms.

"Oh, dear." Asther bites her lip, though I don't miss the satisfied glow in her eyes. "Don't tell me you'll turn into a dud. That would be such a shame." The insincerity of the words is all to evident.

"What's a dud?"

Before Asther has a chance to gloat even more, I break up the conversation. "Those are warlocks who lose all their powers as soon as they cross the threshold to adulthood. Most of them are also born with the limited strength of only one element, which shows early on in their lives."

"Well, you said water isn't my primary power, but I still felt something, so wouldn't that give me at least two elements?"

I have to hand it to her—she is paying attention. "It would seem that way, unless your powers are so weak that they only appear to be secondary."

"How can we find out?"

"We have to keep going."

The meeting with Asther has changed her; she is more focused and aware as we continue our journey. A few times she stops and bends down to pick up a handful of dirt. As she lets the sand run through her fingers, her eyes are hopeful that the energy will start to flow. It doesn't.

When we get to the end of the path, she abruptly halts. "I set things on fire in the past. Should we try that next?"

That would be a waste of time. "That was a coincidence. You are part werewolf, which makes you a moon warlock by definition. It's impossible to have energies connected to a flame."

"Shouldn't we at least try?"

"Fine, if you insist."

It's not that I have anything else to do with my time. After Andrenior and Rikka raved about her powers, I cleared my schedule for a week to entertain her. In hindsight, I should've made sure myself before inviting her.

Izikey is out in the garden in the back of his cabin with a bunch of sun warlocks. When we approach, he smirks. "What an honor. Or should I say, what brings moon warlocks to my humble abode?"

"Raelyn wants to test if she has fire powers."

"Isn't she part werewolf?" He doesn't hide the mocking from his voice. "Honey, your kind can't control fire."

"I want to try."

Izikey nods at Nalco, the cheeky student from last night. The boy steps forward and rolls a fireball in his hand. Faster and faster. The flames grow until they engulf him. Like a stake in the middle of a pyre, he feeds the fire with his moving hands.

Izikey winks at Raelyn. "Touch it."

She hesitates. "What if I get burned?"

"I'm afraid it's the only way to test if you have a bond to my element." His intense stare challenges her to admit defeat. "And don't worry. Both Marush and Andrenior are excellent healers. They'll fix you up in no time if you fail."

Taking a deep breath, Raelyn steps closer to the fire. She stretches out her hand— right into the middle of the blazing inferno. What in the Moon Goddess's name is she thinking? That's some gutsy move.

I expect for her hand to snap back, covered in scorching blisters, but instead, she takes another step forward. I almost lunge to stop her. The flames lick at her face and hair, greedy and relentless. To my surprise, they don't catch. Almost effortless, she swoops up a handful of fire in her fist, making it dance on her palm, letting it move up her arm, soaking it up with a kiss. Her bubbling laughter is liberating.

"I can feel it. There's so much energy."

Izikey leans closer to me. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know."

"Have you ever seen anything like it?"

"Izikey, you are almost as old as I am. You know I haven't."

Arms stretched out by her side, the hybrid spins into the fire. It's as if the flames are calling her. Colors explode in millions of sparks. It's so blinding I shield my eyes with my hand. Nalco has stepped away, leaving the hybrid in full control. The flames hug around her—a mother's embrace of a long-lost child.

"Man, she's strong." Izikey's eyes are filled with awe. "Most students take a decade to get to that level."

A hum vibrates in the air; the flames sing a song to a new master. The hybrid spins and spins until her arms reach for the sky, shooting the flames at the sun. The fire is extinguished in the next breath.

Izikey rubs his chin. "Who could tell us why she has those powers?"

There is only one warlock alive who is older than me and who might have an explanation for this odd phenomenon. "I'll ask Sazith."

~~~~

© Sally Mason 2018

This work is protected by copyright and should not be copied, downloaded, translated or used in any way without my expressed consent. Please don't steal it. Thank you!