A Dreadful Thing

6: BEYOND THE GATE

SIX: BEYOND THE GATE

Orla

A large black car waited at the end of the road.

Orla didn't know much about cars, but she knew it was old and probably expensive for its time. The wide headlights peered from the gleaming chrome grill, the bumper low to the asphalt with wheel wells like the scrolled arms of fancy filigree. A coat of arms covered the door, but the angle of the sun gleaming against the glossy paint made it too difficult to discern.

Mrs. Porter opened the back door and held it for Orla. The stunned teenager stumbled into the car, feeling too grimy for the cream-colored leather seats and embellished bronze finishes, but she managed to shrug her bag off onto the spot next to her and fumbled for the lapbelt.

"We have a few hours ahead of us," Mrs. Porter commented as she got behind the wheel and settled in her seat. "Nothing too strenuous, but do tell me if you need a break."

Orla watched as the woman reached into the inner pocket of her blazer and retrieved a small velvet bag. Inside was a collection of different coins—gold and silver and bronze, but nothing that looked like the quarters or dimes Orla would recognize. Mrs. Porter noticed Orla's interest and took a few coins out, gesturing for Orla to hold out her hand. She did so, and Mrs. Porter dropped the heavy currency onto her palm.

"It's a particular metal minted the Capital Depository," she explained. Orla brought the largest coin closer to her face and inspected it, rubbing the pad of her thumb over the crest pressed into the surface. "We call them Standards use them as currency in the Western Empire. The metal susceptible to Seraphium Talents, able to hold an imprint of them within the material. That means Seraphium who are skilled in particular areas license a certain number of coins a year and fill the metal with their area of Affinity. The better they are at wielding Talent, and the rarer their specific Affinity, the more exclusive the Standard they can license and earn a commission. These Standards can be used both as money, and for their utility. At the moment, we need one of these."

Mrs. Porter selected one of the many bronze coins she had, a little thing about the size of a nickel. Orla watched as she pressed the coin against the steering column—and only then did she realize there wasn't a place for a key to be inserted. Instead, the coin glowed orange and dissolved under Mrs. Porter's fingers, and the car's engine revved to life. Orla found another of the little bronze coins and turned it over in her hand, squinting. There was a tiny gear imprinted in the metal.

"Wouldn't—err, wouldn't it be easier to use a key?" she asked as she handed the coins back. Mrs. Porter accepted them, and the velvet purse returned to her blazer.

"Perhaps, if the vehicle were powered by gasoline and combustion. But this is not a normal car, Miss Tiernan."

The tires lurched into motion without Mrs. Porter having to touch the pedals or the wheel. Orla's eyes widened as they pulled onto the road and started driving. It didn't take long for Forestry Road, then Dirgemore, to fall behind them as their trek took them farther north along the highway, weaving upward on the coastal cliffs.

"Mrs. Porter?" Orla said after a time, getting the woman's attention. "When you talk about these—Talents, I guess I don't really understand. It's a lot to take in."

"Ah. Consider them in a new context, then. I imagine your friends in school, for instance, excelled in different areas from one another."

Orla didn't tell her she didn't have friends. She didn't need the pitying look. "Uh-huh."

"At their core, Talents are somewhat similar. Your Talent is your base ability to manipulate the world around you. Your Affinity is how your Talent naturally wishes to express itself. A child may excel at playing piano, or public speaking, or participating in football. For Talents, a Seraphium could be more adept with manipulating fire, or changing the nature of materials, or encouraging plant growth. That is Affinity. It's varied, and our academies work to help students thrive in their stronger Affinities while assisting them in becoming proficient with their Talent in areas they may not have a natural inclination for. We call the different areas where Talent is learned to be used Arts." She made a short, thoughtful noise. "For example, I told you I am an Aeromancer. The Affinity of my Talent—or the way it innately expresses itself—is with manipulations of air. I attended academy to hone my ability, and earned my certification as a Master Aeromancer—an Air Artist, you could say."