The Light-Field by Traci Harding

stairs to the loft level was laborious, but Zeven figured that even if he didn’t find Aurora, he’d find a shower. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to find her or not. A flash of memory from another life, of Aurora’s sheet-swathed body curled up on his bed, made him smile. Then the notion of answering Rory’s zillions of questions in his current state put an end to his fancy. ‘ Not would be easier right now.’ He opened the bedroom door to find the bed had not been slept in. ‘ Not it is,’ he uttered, relieved in so far as he could continue straight through to the bathroom.
    After a shower, some fresh clothes and a couple of glasses of juice, Zeven felt ready to go yell at Mythric.
    He grabbed his keys and exited via the back door to see his new car safe and sound. This lifted Zeven’s spirits, as he did a walk around it to be sure it was unscathed, before knocking on the door next to his in the carport.
    â€˜There is a front door, you realise?’ Mythric complained. ‘And you promised I didn’t have to see you for —’
    â€˜ You promised you wouldn’t let me do anything stupid!’ Zeven stormed past him and inside to say his piece.
    â€˜I didn’t let you drive your car home?’ Mythric closed the garage door, playing ignorant, then followed Zeven up through the bedroom and down into the main house.
    â€˜ No , you let my ex drive me home! Who I am not supposed to meet for another five years!’ Zeven exclaimed. ‘And then you left me alone with her!’
    Mythric shrugged. ‘I suggested we get her a cab, but she was in no hurry and you wanted her to stay.’ He threw his hands up, absolving himself of all responsibility for the outcome.
    â€˜You wouldn’t let me fly into a black hole just because I wanted to,’ Zeven said. ‘The enigma that is Aurora is just as precarious.’
    Mythric shrugged again. ‘Then stay away from her.’
    â€˜I can’t,’ Zeven was quick to say, and when Mythric queried this with a glance, Zeven plucked a rational reason from the ethers. ‘I have to find out how much I told her about me.’
    â€˜Why? Who is she going to tell?’ Mythric argued.
    Mythric’s newly found carefree attitude was starting to annoy Zeven. ‘Since when did you not care about exposing ourselves?’
    â€˜I’m not indisposed,’ Mythric poured coffee, ‘you are.’
    â€˜But the boss sent you to protect me …’ Zeven began and then humbled himself, ‘… from myself. So what do you advise I do?’
    Mythric chuckled at this. ‘Since when do you listen to my advice?’
    â€˜Since I’m actually asking for it.’
    Mythric took up his coffee and headed out onto the balcony.
    Zeven followed him outside, where Mythric took a seat at the table to gaze out at the view. ‘Why do you really want to seek Aurora out?’
    Zeven sat across the table, facing Mythric, rather than the view. ‘It’s my Juju, it wants me to, when every other woman …’ He shrugged in conclusion.
    â€˜Then go, do that.’ Mythric nursed his sore head. ‘Maybe she is one of us?’
    â€˜But I know she doesn’t want to end up like us and if she’s exposed to the Juju …?’ Zeven’s mind boggled at the thought of how angry Aurora would be when he couldn’t go back in time and reverse what he’d done to her. ‘Besides, an insightful man once told me thatAurora was not the one I was meant to be with, as the woman I was looking for would encourage me to be all that I can be.’
    â€˜Well, Aurora didn’t seem that opposed to the subject of the Powers yesterday,’ Mythric commented, staring out at the desert. ‘Nor was she shy about driving your car as recklessly —’
    â€˜We spoke about Powers?’
    â€˜It’s okay, I slapped you about the head every time you nearly gave