A polite but firm knocking on the hallway door interrupted their embrace. Power rolled through Natalia's bond with Raja like thunder, making it difficult for her to breathe. When his power wildly reached outside their bond, the tangy sweetness of excitement faded into the bitter taste of fear, and the knocking intensified. Unable to ignore it any longer, she slipped out from Raja's arms and rushed to the door, her heart leaping wildly when it opened of its own accord. Paulo walked in, and a calm washed over her. He would know what to do.

"Sorry about that, I can open any door in my home, but I do usually wait," he apologized breezily as he walked past Natalia to Raja, who had followed her into the sitting room.

Raja looked at the Master with awe, then reached out to touch the air around Paulo, trying to grab something Natalia couldn't see. Paulo stepped closer to Raja and put his hands on the younger man's shoulders.

"I felt the barrier crack wide open just as I arrived. I understand why the Mother called me home. This was no kindness to you, Raja, though it does make things easier for me," Paulo explained before bending over to Raja's ear and murmuring something Natalia couldn't hear over the blood that still rushed through her ears. With a start, Raja looked at the Master and nodded. Paulo then closed his eyes, and Natalia felt the power ebb. With its departure, the pounding in her chest and head lessened. It still flowed through Raja, but an outside force tempered it. The Master had constrained the power, but Natalia could not see how.

"You will learn to do this yourself, Raja," the Master promised as he released Raja and looked back at Natalia. "You have already started this, Natalia. You have a natural restraint that your bondmate does not share. The Tribe was right to fear Raja's power. It is very raw." He shook his head slightly, then frowned

"The testing will not go easily, I fear. I will need to call in another Master to help. I had already prepared for this. I will talk with Mara tonight. She is strong in Fire and Air, which we will need." He looked with contemplation at both of them. "I will also talk with your Aunt, Raja, and ask her to come. I fear you may have an affinity to Air that even Mara will find challenging. And I must think about Earth. I may have to call in an almost ancient favor."

Natalia put a hand on Raja's arm, and he smiled reassuringly at her. "I am all right."

"Should we call Destan?" Natalia asked hesitantly and grasped Raja's arm.

"I am here, but his need was not the one that called to me." Destan's voice floated around Paulo, who looked at the smaller man and smiled widely.

"Ah, Destan, my young Priest healer, it is wonderful to meet you in person."

"Yes, it is good to meet you, Master." Destan accepted the offered hand, and Natalia suppressed an amused giggle when Paulo swept the surprised Priest into a brotherly hug.

"I feel that we are friends," Paulo said. "I have never met another with such a strong relationship with our Lady. It is why I let you see what you saw." Destan stared at him in silence, and tears fell from his eyes.

Natalia let go of Raja's arm and rushed to Destan, who put out a hand for her to grab but shook his head. "I am not sad, Natalia. I have not been claimed as a friend before. It was a shock."

"But we are friends," Paulo insisted. Not at all worried about the response or distressed by the young man's tears. He instead walked to Raja and pulled him to the table. "And you, Raja, should eat something now." He patted his significant belly. "And I think I will join you." He glanced at Destan. "Take her now. Lukas will be here soon to speak with his mate; it is a good time."

Natalia froze and felt the hand nestled in Destan's grasp tighten.

"Lukas?" Raja said the name Natalia's now parched tongue could not voice. "How do you know he is coming?"

"I'm sure the only reason he is not here now is that the power flowing through your bond has stunned him a little, and he is trying to recuperate. He knows you are safe and well and will come when he feels ready." Paulo sat beside Raja at the table and waved Destan to leave. "But I do not think it will be long, so take her quickly."

"Will you be here when we are done?" Destan inquired as his healing power flowed through their clasped hands and attempted to calm her fears.

"Yes, we will need to begin the testing soon." Destan nodded at Paulo's reassurance and gently pulled Natalia into the hallway.

"I hope you do not mind. I know you feel you should be with Raja now," Destan apologized. "He is safe with the Master, and you are safer away from him until his magic calms. In any case, it would be better to do this work while your bondmate is distracted. Otherwise, he may get distressed or try to join us."

"Can you not have them shield the bond?" She asked as she walked with him. He had not released her hand, and she began to open her mind to him, though she could maintain the shield she had created that afternoon.

"I could, but this is unpredictable work, and I have never done this on someone with a bond to another person."

"Ah," she looked around her. "Where are we going?"

"Oh." Destan stopped. His hand dampened slightly in hers, not enough to withdraw the touch, but it aroused her curiosity. "My chambers. I didn't think how that might look to you." His face flushed, and Natalia suppressed a smile. The young Priest had likely never brought a woman to his room before. "If you would rather-"

"It's fine, Destan. I was just curious," Natalia reassured and sent feelings of trust and safety through their physical connection.

"Astonishing!" Destan pulled her hand up towards his face and looked at it. "I can feel you are soothing me. It is similar but different than what the Lady does."

Natalia laughed, and Destan smiled in return, then resumed their walk towards his room. When she was with Destan, she felt calm. He made no demands of her. In truth, he gave more than he requested. She could feel how much of himself he poured into the healing.

As they walked, Natalia wondered if she could push any of her new strength to Destan. Gauging the amount by his response to her attempts to soothe him, she experimented with a little trickle of power through his hand. Destan didn't seem to notice, his gait did not alter, and his mood did not change. Satisfied, Natalia continued the slow leak of power to him. She could repay Destan for what he had given her, even if she stole some from Raja. As long as she touched the young man, Natalia could feed him whatever strength she could spare; this was how she would repay her debt to the healer. If he continued to give so much of himself without any repayment, Natalia feared he would be unable to sustain his talents.

While in the Earth Temple, she saw what could happen when someone gave too much to the Elements. It had been the job of the novices to help tend to them, one of the few jobs they allowed Natalia to do. Some were weak, and the novices supported them for a while, while others never recovered their minds, and the Temple had to care for all their bodily needs until they finally succumbed. This had been the one part of the Earth Temple where she had seen compassion. The priests and priestesses who worked in this hospice were who she most respected. They made her understand that it was not the Temple that was twisted but the Superior and those who followed her blindly.

They stopped at the door with the symbol of Water on it. Destan looked at Natalia with none of his usual innocence. The look he gave her was grave and held the Priest's confidence.

"Are you ready?" he asked as he opened the door to his sitting room.

"I don't know," Natalia answered, her heart beating faster in response to the change in his demeanor. The Priest raised an eyebrow at her reaction. Silence separated them for a few breaths until her resolve solidified. "But I am willing to find out."

Destan smiled and pulled her into his room. Her heart tightened with anticipation, unsure what to expect next.

***

"What happened?" a new voice asked as Lukas' image appeared beside the table, causing Paulo to drop the bread roll he had just chosen.

"Ah, I did not expect you to project so clearly," Paulo admitted, surprise mingling with fear and excitement in his chest. Finally, he would meet the strongest mind master in a generation, or at least the one heralded to be so.

"Master Paulo," Lukas bowed deeply to the Master, who stood and returned it at the same depth.

"Master Lukas," he replied. Satisfied at the courtesies given, Paulo lazily fell back into his chair and grabbed the roll he had discarded. "I would offer you something to eat, but I do not believe you could."

"I could, but it would take more power than I choose to use," Lukas contradicted, the matter-of-fact statement tipping the scale in Paulo's chest toward excitement. Lukas' words indicated he could transition in space using just his mind. A skill the Council had doubted existed. Paulo had disagreed. If the Elements could aid transportation through the gates, why couldn't a Mind Master find their own path? Could Lukas teach Natalia this skill? Paulo let himself stay distracted until Lukas asked Raja his question again. "What has happened? Your Mindspace is wrapped in chaos. I was hesitant to enter it." The emphasis on 'I' tickled Paulo, but he did not let himself smile. Lukas' temperament remained a mystery and

annoying him with his humor was an unnecessary risk.

"It seems that Mother grew impatient with her friend and smashed the carefully constructed barrier that housed Raja's Elemental Magic," Paulo answered when Raja did not.

"Hmm." Lukas sat at the table near Raja and took his hand. "In the many times I have explored your mind, I have never seen a barrier."

"Would you have looked for one? Did you anticipate he was hiding Elemental magic from you?" Paulo again answered instead of Raja. Lukas looked at the Master with annoyance, then contemplation.

"No, I felt only Mind Magic in him. I did not feel the magic of the barrier."

"I should hope not. Gods, if you had Elemental Magic, too, it would be far too much." Paulo stood, slipping his roll into a convenient pocket, and wiped his mouth. "You looked for a mental barrier, one built of the magic of the Mind. Something that someone would have put in your lover's mind to trick or trap you. Instead, he had something far older that had been part of him since childhood, something purely Elemental in origin. You would only have felt it had you been looking for Elemental magic, but you were not."

"An oversight," Lukas admitted.

"One of many, I am afraid," Paulo did not color the truth as he talked to the mighty man. He was secure in his Vale, and though Lukas had entered of his own accord, the Master could prevent his projection from leaving should he choose.

"Yes, I am learning that." Lukas turned to Raja and put a comforting hand on his face. "Love, I am learning many things about me, you, and our new reality."

***

Paulo left the room more quietly than should have been possible for a man of his bulk.

"He is an interesting man," Lukas ventured, amused at the portly man. Theodore had mentioned the Master and alluded to his strength, but the man he just met used his personality to relax those around him. And it worked; Lukas did not need to puff his chest or show his strength to this Master who could be his equal. Instead, he enjoyed the lesson the man had graced him with. Paulo reminded him of his favorite instructor at the Academy, a man he hadn't thought of in a decade.

"Yes," Raja croaked, interrupting Lukas' thoughts. His rough voice sounded like he had been screaming and triggered a pang of concern in Lukas' chest, dispelling the amusement from moments before.

"Raja," Lukas said gently. "I am sorry that I was so angry with you. I have taken the time to read your memories and see your choices. I still can't entirely agree with them, but I understand why you made them." Lukas stroked Raja's cheek with his thumb. "I forgive you."

Raja pushed out of his chair and embraced the projection. Some of Raja's new power forced Lukas to solidify more than he had meant. This much power was frightening and intoxicating. Lukas stepped out of the embrace after leaving a soft kiss on his mate's lips needing to relieve his mind from the drunken desire it induced.

"Rest. I will protect your mind for now. I can keep you safe from yourself for a while." Lukas focused on the task he risked exhausting himself to achieve. He could not have Raja's strength distracting him. "Luckily, the Master has already started and given me a guide." Relief eased the tightness between his shoulders as he concentrated on strengthening the small barrier between Raja and his raw power. Paulo must have anticipated Lukas would desire a wall; he had built the base with a distinct and straightforward pattern. He could see Raja relax, which lulled him into the comfortable peace the two usually shared when working together.

A spike of distress from Raja shattered the moment.

"Natalia has closed our bond," Raja revealed as Lukas grabbed his lover's shoulders.

"Where is she?" Lukas asked, his nerves piercing into the calm of his voice.

"With Destan," Raja answered. Lukas took a deep breath, wondering why this distressed his partner.

"Do you trust him?" Lukas probed.

"Do you?" Raja returned. Lukas hated questions answered with questions, but this was Raja's way.

"I do, despite everything," Lukas answered honestly.

"Despite what?"

Lukas pulled the stray thought of Destan's parentage back. If Destan had not told Raja this, Lukas would have to trust the healer had his reasons. And Raja already showed some distrust for the Priest. Finding out who he was wouldn't help cure that.

"Despite who I am," Lukas responded with a laugh. It was an honest answer, if not the whole truth, and Raja would understand it the way Lukas intended him to.

"Ah. Then I will trust him. He is to heal her mind. Perhaps they work on that tonight."

"Hmm." Lukas faded. "We will have to watch out for her once she is healed of body and mind. We don't know what she will become. She will no longer be what she was."

"No," Raja started but shook his head, "That is a discussion for a later day. You are tiring, Lukas, go."

Lukas nodded. He wanted to kiss or embrace Raja again, but he could not. The prince protected his body, but Lukas had to keep some reserves. He was too tired and didn't dare borrow Raja's power again.

"Goodbye, Raja, I love you," he said finally, in place of a physical embrace.

"I love you too."

Lukas smiled at the passion in Raja's response, then reluctantly left his mate.

***

"It is closed, as much as I can without severing it. Raja knows I am alive, but nothing more." Natalia's sweet smile after mentioning Raja sent a flash of anger through Destan. He shook his head and smiled, hoping she hadn't noticed his momentary lapse. "You were right. He is with Lukas now."

"Of course, you would likely rush to his side if you had not been present for the opening. Even I felt the barrier open, his Water power called to me, as yours does. But I was already on my way to your room." Destan admired Natalia as she stood in front of him in the pool beside his bed. She had survived ordeals that made his seem almost laughable, yet her grace and compassion remained. Would he be as accepting of those who had betrayed him? Annoyed at his train of thought, Destan pulled his focus back on the present and his current task. "I felt your pain when the Earth pulled you from your memories."

When they first arrived, Natalia opened her mind to Destan and let him see what had transpired between her and Raja just because he had asked. The seeing had allowed Destan to understand why he had been called to her, and her trust made him want to heal her. Earth had interfered with the flow of her memories to bring them to a place where the Mother could use Natalia's power to break Raja's barrier. The Lady wanted Natalia healed, and the interference by her Elemental sister had delayed the process. The call the interruption induced had burned through Destan, causing him to cry in agony. He could not ignore the call from Natalia as he did from Raja. He felt a healer's call from him, but the Lady did not insist on him heeding it yet.

When he contemplated it, Destan was fascinated by how easily Natalia could show him her memories. Never had he entered a mind as nimble as hers, or perhaps he had, but hers was so different from Lukas's. Though, maybe they would be more similar once she was healed. This thought troubled Destan, but he suppressed it. He was a Priest and a healer. Natalia had her own destiny.

"What should I do?" Natalia asked as they progressed into the deepening pool at his room's heart.

"Follow your memories," he answered. "You can start where you stopped with your Raja. I believe we will find the first of the scars soon." Destan held out his hands again. He would not have to ask the Lady to bring him into Natalia's mind. Natalia would pull him in. She did not even understand how rare a gift she possessed, the ability to pull even those with no Mind Magic into the Mindspace. Never before had Destan entered that space without the help of the Lady. Perhaps Lukas could have done this too, had he thought to ask, but Destan had just learned it was possible when he met Natalia.

Natalia smiled as she grabbed his hands. Both her touch and her smile warmed him. He understood what she was to him; she was similar to the Lady in his heart. Natalia was someone he would worship and serve but not make demands of.

WC3125

Last Edit 4/29/2023