invention is constantly wearing out or breaking down, so we have other people who repair them and make new ones.”
“Oh.” He wore a mask of confusion. “So no one has gifts? No powers?”
“We call people who are really smart or talented, gifted. But it’s not magic. Everything has a scientific explanation.”
“Really? Then explain to me how this works.” He pointed to the microwave oven, which was cooking a noisily expanding bag of popcorn.
“I don’t know. Somehow it puts out microwaves that get all the molecules excited or something and they move around and get hot.”
“That sounds like magick to me.”
“Honestly, I agree, but I know it isn’t magic.”
“And would this work if we took it to Laegenshire?”
“I doubt it. Do you have electricity at all?”
“What’s electricity?”
“Never mind. No, it wouldn’t work in Laegenshire.”
“I just thought perhaps there might be something we could bring back with us to help defend ourselves against Water Clan.”
“Like maybe a shotgun or a rifle?” asked Alora, dragging Kaevin to her uncle’s gun cabinet. “These could help, for sure, especially if no one else has guns.”
Kaevin scrunched up his nose as he peered through the glass doors. “Are those long tubes made of iron?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I mean, they’re probably made of stainless steel or something like that. I’m pretty sure that’s iron. The barrels are metal, and the triggers, but the stocks are made of wood.”
“You won’t be able to move them with your gift. You can only transport tiny amounts of iron. When you brought me here, my knife slipped right out of its scabbard. But if we can find a way to get to Laegenshire without transporting...”
“Maybe you could figure out where it is if we looked at a map.”
“Yes,” said Kaevin eagerly. “I can read a map. I might be able to recognize Laegenshire. Do you have a map of Montana?”
“I can do even better. I’ll show you a map of the whole world.” Alora led Kaevin to the computer. “Okay,” she said, “this is one of those times I need to use both hands.”
“I understand,” said Kaevin, transferring his hand to the back of her neck. “We could probably go for a while without touching. I wish I knew how long it took to recover. If only I could ask Nordamen.”
“That’s okay,” said Alora. “I don’t mind. I figure we should stay in contact as much as possible so we can kind of re-charge. After that, you said we only have to touch once a day?”
“I believe that’s true, but in all honesty, I’m unsure.”
“I hope it’s true, for Uncle Charles’ sake. He’s not very happy about all this soulmate stuff.”
“I don’t believe he likes me very much.”
“It’s not your fault—I’m the one who brought you here.”
“He’s fortunate you didn’t come to me instead,” he remarked. “Think how upset he would be if you’d simply disappeared. At least my father knows where I am.” His face fell as he spoke. “Although he may believe I’m dead.”
“Why would he think that? I thought he understood all this stuff about me being a... a bearer.”
“He certainly understands. But when I got sick, our healer said I wouldn’t survive a transport. So they placed wards on me to prevent you from moving me. Since you managed to break the wards and transport me, they might conclude I’m no longer alive.”
“But why didn’t they understand about the soulmate thing and that you were ill from the separation?”
Kaevin gazed out the window as he replied. “They didn’t believe we could be soulmates because we’re too young. The earliest known age for soulmates to form is twenty-one years. And because soulmates are also extremely rare, no one truly considered the possibility—no one but me. I believed that was the reason you called me, when all the others thought it was accidental. I believed we were soulmates from the beginning, perhaps even the first time I saw you under
“Oh.” He wore a mask of confusion. “So no one has gifts? No powers?”
“We call people who are really smart or talented, gifted. But it’s not magic. Everything has a scientific explanation.”
“Really? Then explain to me how this works.” He pointed to the microwave oven, which was cooking a noisily expanding bag of popcorn.
“I don’t know. Somehow it puts out microwaves that get all the molecules excited or something and they move around and get hot.”
“That sounds like magick to me.”
“Honestly, I agree, but I know it isn’t magic.”
“And would this work if we took it to Laegenshire?”
“I doubt it. Do you have electricity at all?”
“What’s electricity?”
“Never mind. No, it wouldn’t work in Laegenshire.”
“I just thought perhaps there might be something we could bring back with us to help defend ourselves against Water Clan.”
“Like maybe a shotgun or a rifle?” asked Alora, dragging Kaevin to her uncle’s gun cabinet. “These could help, for sure, especially if no one else has guns.”
Kaevin scrunched up his nose as he peered through the glass doors. “Are those long tubes made of iron?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I mean, they’re probably made of stainless steel or something like that. I’m pretty sure that’s iron. The barrels are metal, and the triggers, but the stocks are made of wood.”
“You won’t be able to move them with your gift. You can only transport tiny amounts of iron. When you brought me here, my knife slipped right out of its scabbard. But if we can find a way to get to Laegenshire without transporting...”
“Maybe you could figure out where it is if we looked at a map.”
“Yes,” said Kaevin eagerly. “I can read a map. I might be able to recognize Laegenshire. Do you have a map of Montana?”
“I can do even better. I’ll show you a map of the whole world.” Alora led Kaevin to the computer. “Okay,” she said, “this is one of those times I need to use both hands.”
“I understand,” said Kaevin, transferring his hand to the back of her neck. “We could probably go for a while without touching. I wish I knew how long it took to recover. If only I could ask Nordamen.”
“That’s okay,” said Alora. “I don’t mind. I figure we should stay in contact as much as possible so we can kind of re-charge. After that, you said we only have to touch once a day?”
“I believe that’s true, but in all honesty, I’m unsure.”
“I hope it’s true, for Uncle Charles’ sake. He’s not very happy about all this soulmate stuff.”
“I don’t believe he likes me very much.”
“It’s not your fault—I’m the one who brought you here.”
“He’s fortunate you didn’t come to me instead,” he remarked. “Think how upset he would be if you’d simply disappeared. At least my father knows where I am.” His face fell as he spoke. “Although he may believe I’m dead.”
“Why would he think that? I thought he understood all this stuff about me being a... a bearer.”
“He certainly understands. But when I got sick, our healer said I wouldn’t survive a transport. So they placed wards on me to prevent you from moving me. Since you managed to break the wards and transport me, they might conclude I’m no longer alive.”
“But why didn’t they understand about the soulmate thing and that you were ill from the separation?”
Kaevin gazed out the window as he replied. “They didn’t believe we could be soulmates because we’re too young. The earliest known age for soulmates to form is twenty-one years. And because soulmates are also extremely rare, no one truly considered the possibility—no one but me. I believed that was the reason you called me, when all the others thought it was accidental. I believed we were soulmates from the beginning, perhaps even the first time I saw you under
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