because I haven't shown any true signs of
threat, then wound me, but realize that I won't be letting you out
of this conservatory unless you take action."
"But-" I held the weapon
shakily. If I disabled her, I could make a run for it. There was
logic in her suggestion all around where it concerned my survival
instincts; yet, there was just something that made it impossible
for me to wrap my head around the idea of lifting the gun and
shooting a bullet at her. I wasn't a killer. I didn't kill unless
the person in front of me threatened to kill me in return. But
then, she said I didn't need to, that I could wound her and run.
"But!" I shouted, my head spinning a mile a minute as I tried to
figure out what it was that I had to do.
"Do it!" She told me
frantically. With my eyes wide, I gulped and gripped the gun and
tried pointing it at her.
"I can't!" I shouted in
shock. While pulling the trigger was another matter, simply lifting
the gun and pointing it at her... "It's impossible, something won't
let me!"
"Exactly." Her voice was
gentle again as she carefully took the weapon out of my hands
before I could let it clatter to the ground.
"You, Solenum, can kill
when there is no other option. You haven't known me long enough to
care more about my wellbeing than your own. Even if I am blood
related to Calycanthus, you know that your life trumps that of mine
in his eyes. I may not pose an obvious threat, but you are in a
dire situation where collateral damage wouldn't be considered wrong
on your account. You are surrounded. What if I'd been your only way
out and that gun had been your answer to make your way past me?"
She took my shaking hands in hers, enclosing them and shushing me
softly when I couldn't control my breathing. "As you said, it's
impossible. Why?"
"Because Seers..." She
nodded, encouraging me to continue. "Can't harm other Seers." I
breathed in awe, looking up into her golden gaze. "We literally can't hurt one
another?"
"There must always be four
Seers of the same generation until a new one is created and can
take over. Once the new generation is born, the one before it may
die." Mallow said. "If it had been possible for a Seer to kill
another, my mother would have long since taken my life."
"Your powers would go to
her." I realized. Sage couldn't see. "Why can't I see?"
"A wrong was committed in
the history of the Seers."
I frowned. "What
wrong?"
Mallow seemed lost all of
a sudden. "I do not know. I cannot see that part of Zinc's history.
Certain things are locked away, out of my power's reach. The answer
to why you and Calycanthus can't see, is one of those things. What I do know
is that the gift seems to skip one generation in a bloodline. Your
father and Cali's mother both had the gift, but you
don't."
"And Sage can't see. How is
it she birthed two children who can see?"
"My mother is an only
child." Before I could point out being an only child meant there
had only been three in their generation, Mallow continued. "Linn
and Leann had a younger brother whom they fell out of contact with,
as they did with each other, when they were forced to separate for
their own protection against Sage's tyranny. Lorne was the first my
mother found and the first she had killed. When he died, I had
already been born."
"You were never supposed to
have received the gift."
"If Lorne had not died, he
would have fathered a child with the gift as he didn't have the
power to see like his brother and sister." Mallow sighed. "Sage
created more balance issues. Up until Lorne's death, the two clans
in the Seer race, one siding with the Regius and the other siding
with the Altors, always had one with the gift on both sides. But by
killing Lorne before he could father the child who could see, Sage
effectively forced that power into me."
"Are you saying you weren't
an accident? She planned you? Timing it with Lorne's death and
making sure you'd receive the gift of foresight?" I
asked.
"Yes. When she lost
Vervaine, her only hope
threat, then wound me, but realize that I won't be letting you out
of this conservatory unless you take action."
"But-" I held the weapon
shakily. If I disabled her, I could make a run for it. There was
logic in her suggestion all around where it concerned my survival
instincts; yet, there was just something that made it impossible
for me to wrap my head around the idea of lifting the gun and
shooting a bullet at her. I wasn't a killer. I didn't kill unless
the person in front of me threatened to kill me in return. But
then, she said I didn't need to, that I could wound her and run.
"But!" I shouted, my head spinning a mile a minute as I tried to
figure out what it was that I had to do.
"Do it!" She told me
frantically. With my eyes wide, I gulped and gripped the gun and
tried pointing it at her.
"I can't!" I shouted in
shock. While pulling the trigger was another matter, simply lifting
the gun and pointing it at her... "It's impossible, something won't
let me!"
"Exactly." Her voice was
gentle again as she carefully took the weapon out of my hands
before I could let it clatter to the ground.
"You, Solenum, can kill
when there is no other option. You haven't known me long enough to
care more about my wellbeing than your own. Even if I am blood
related to Calycanthus, you know that your life trumps that of mine
in his eyes. I may not pose an obvious threat, but you are in a
dire situation where collateral damage wouldn't be considered wrong
on your account. You are surrounded. What if I'd been your only way
out and that gun had been your answer to make your way past me?"
She took my shaking hands in hers, enclosing them and shushing me
softly when I couldn't control my breathing. "As you said, it's
impossible. Why?"
"Because Seers..." She
nodded, encouraging me to continue. "Can't harm other Seers." I
breathed in awe, looking up into her golden gaze. "We literally can't hurt one
another?"
"There must always be four
Seers of the same generation until a new one is created and can
take over. Once the new generation is born, the one before it may
die." Mallow said. "If it had been possible for a Seer to kill
another, my mother would have long since taken my life."
"Your powers would go to
her." I realized. Sage couldn't see. "Why can't I see?"
"A wrong was committed in
the history of the Seers."
I frowned. "What
wrong?"
Mallow seemed lost all of
a sudden. "I do not know. I cannot see that part of Zinc's history.
Certain things are locked away, out of my power's reach. The answer
to why you and Calycanthus can't see, is one of those things. What I do know
is that the gift seems to skip one generation in a bloodline. Your
father and Cali's mother both had the gift, but you
don't."
"And Sage can't see. How is
it she birthed two children who can see?"
"My mother is an only
child." Before I could point out being an only child meant there
had only been three in their generation, Mallow continued. "Linn
and Leann had a younger brother whom they fell out of contact with,
as they did with each other, when they were forced to separate for
their own protection against Sage's tyranny. Lorne was the first my
mother found and the first she had killed. When he died, I had
already been born."
"You were never supposed to
have received the gift."
"If Lorne had not died, he
would have fathered a child with the gift as he didn't have the
power to see like his brother and sister." Mallow sighed. "Sage
created more balance issues. Up until Lorne's death, the two clans
in the Seer race, one siding with the Regius and the other siding
with the Altors, always had one with the gift on both sides. But by
killing Lorne before he could father the child who could see, Sage
effectively forced that power into me."
"Are you saying you weren't
an accident? She planned you? Timing it with Lorne's death and
making sure you'd receive the gift of foresight?" I
asked.
"Yes. When she lost
Vervaine, her only hope
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