The Crystal Trials

51

I knocked on the door of Lambert's classroom on Terrus evening. I was nervous after talking to Ameer in my mind during Ahren's class. I adjusted my bag and he called for me to join him. I walked in to find him standing near his back door that led to the training grounds. Dath was there thrusting his sword at an invisible enemy.

Lambert pointed his chin at my friend and murmured, "He has a darkness inside him. I can feel it." I looked at him curiously. He was probably sensing his recent loss.

"Yeah, he lost his grandma recently."

The old man shook his head, clearing it. Dath noticed us but didn't stop his formations. I waved at him, and he made direct eye contact while thrusting his sword. Not being able to handle the intensity of his gaze, I followed Lambert inside. I sat at my usual spot at the tall tables and when I would usually wait, I was eager to know about blocking thoughts out like Ameer had suggested.

I sat my bag down and asked, "Ameer told me yesterday he spoke to you about suspecting I could do mind magic. How do you two know each other?"

Lambert chewed on his back teeth. "I know his parent's very well. And Ameer was right to have me test you."

"What about blocking people out?" His head whipped up at that, a question in his eyes. "He was able to enter my mind space and speak to me."

"That is very advanced. Not many can do that. But," he shrugged, "that does not surprise me."

"Can you teach me how? Ameer said it was a good idea."

Lambert agreed that it was necessary since not many Fae could do it. And those that could, seemed to be very powerful. He had me close my eyes and follow the strands of light like last time. I could not see the mass of webbed lights. What lay in front of me instead, was the granite wall he had shut me out with at the end of the previous session.

"Good my girl. That is the wall I put up to make sure no one can enter my mind without my permission. You may use whichever imagery you want but it must be strong. For tonight, I want you to attempt putting a wall up, and I will try to break through."

"Ok."

I threw a wall of stone up and held it there. Concentrating on the strength and thickness of it, I built it up. I cold feel Lambert pushing on the other side with his mind. It wasn't long before he tore it down. Frustrated, I threw up a wall of brick, which he tore down easier than the stone. I verbally groaned. I paused and thought for a moment. I needed a harder material. Remembering the lightning trial, I went with a metal wall. Thinking of a large steel plate, I rose the wall in front of me. Lambert tried to get in again. He even tried melting it. There was a hole in my wall that he could slip through, and I was determined to be successful. I shoved the wall forward and tumbled straight into his mind.

Somehow, I had broken through both mine and his walls and into a memory. He hadn't kicked me out, so it seemed as though he was not yet aware of what I had done. In the memory, there was a man who I could only assume was a younger Lambert and a most beautiful woman. We were all standing in a forest with plants and living things I had never seen before. The woman was arguing with Lambert about the demons chasing them. They were swarmed. From every direction, demons wove through the trees and blocked their path.

Lambert screamed her name, Atiweh, as a demon dove at her from above. The woman shot a glittering purple light from her hands and the demon disintegrated. He lunged for her as the attack continued and they stood back-to-back. Lambert had his sword drawn and lit it with light magic. My heart pounded at the scene. Atiweh turned many to dust with her purple light and he attacked as many as he could behind her. The woman flung her head back and forth trying to see Lambert's condition. The motion revealed the pointiest ears I had ever seen. She must have been very old no matter how she looked. There was no way she could be alive during my time. The cloud of demons around them was so dense, that I couldn't see much of them anymore. Atiweh screamed and the forest erupted in the purple light. A dome of the strange magic engulfed them and their enemies. The demons had been eviscerated completely. I watched in stunned silence. Lambert ran to her, and she whispered to him to hide her. Then, I was shoved out of the memory and back into my reality.

Lambert had his hands on his knees panting. "You must never in your life speak of that memory to any living thing. You will master that shield or so help me gods girl, we will all be in danger. Protect it with your life."

Gods above. What had I just seen? I was breathing hard, and my heart pounded in a panic at the seriousness and sternness he took. Lambert never spoke to anyone that way.

"You will practice with Ameer, every waking moment that you can and protect what you have just seen. You were not meant to see that just yet."

"I will," I promised. Tears pooled in my eyes at the intensity of the situation, my ear ringing from the extra blood pumping in my veins.

"Good," he stood up straighter, "It would seem, that you have no problem getting past walls. You need to find a harder substance. Research some rocks, elements, or gems to base your wall off of. Find one that fits you and stick to it."

I immediately ran to find Ameer. When I couldn't find him in the library or the pod, I knocked on his door. A little more forcefully than I had planned Alden on the chairs watched me curiously, a smutty book in his hand. Ameer opened his door in a flash. He saw my face and asked mind to mind, "What happened?"

"I need you. Now."

He opened his door further and let me in. I didn't miss Aldan's amused face peering up over his book. I flipped him the bird and the door shut behind me and Ameer walked forward to his couch.

I had never been in his room before. It was immaculate. He had small knick-knacks from his home country of Aegran. Little painted figures wearing bright colored robes and beads. I picked one up, distracted. Foregoing the couch, Ameer walked up behind me, his chest brushing up against my shoulder.

"That is a representation of my grandmother. And this," he picked up another figure with no beads, "is a likeness of my brother."

I tiled my head to see him. "You have a brother?"

"I did. An older brother. He was murdered."

I faced him fully a hand covered my mouth. "What! Oh no. Ameer, I am so sorry."

"It was a long time ago. Though I do not understand why you would be sorry for something you didn't do."

"I'm just sorry that you and you family had to go through such a tragedy."

He flipped his locks to one side of his head and said, "Me too."

Then, he gestured to the couch. I joined him awkwardly. Though I had come there for a reason, I had never been alone with him before, and I wasn't sure what to make of it. I fidgeted with my sleeve. He looked down and smiled at my hands. Ugh. I folded them instead, embarrassment taking over. He reached forward and laid his hands atop mine.

"If I am true with you, you must be true with me. Do not be ashamed of how your body reacts under pressure."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. No one had ever spoken to me so directly before. He let go, my hands feeling cold without his engulfing them. When he sat back, Achar on my forearm stretched and flapped his wings. Ameer smiled sadly at the golden tattoo.

"Why is it that you came to me, Nik?"

So, I explained everything to him about what had just occurred with Lambert. Where I had held back my tears at his scrutiny I couldn't when speaking about it to Ameer. I didn't disclose the memory just as Lambert had demanded but I did tell him that I had accessed a personal memory that he didn't want an enemy of any kind being able to access.

"I will work with you ever night as requested. Would you like to practice in my room or yours?"

"Um." The question took me aback. It was truly a simple question. Clinical even. But my mind couldn't process it enough to give a clear answer.

Ameer smiled and spoke in my mind, "It shall be in my room then."

"Ok." I breathed out loud.

"Also, we will meet with Volar in two days' time."

Thatnight, I tossed and turned. My dreams consisted of flying lions, men in blackrobes, and a voice in my mind.