Tamryn's Promise

Chapter 9

We started to explore my powers the next day. Lucien started to systematically run through different magical exercises trying to find my natural ability. It didn't take long to work out my powers came from elemental magic. Once we worked this out it was easy to find targeted exercises for me to do. Before long I was able to call on my powers, albeit weakly. I would also spend time in the library learning as much as I can. However, neither of us could work out where my ability to heal came from.

I would also regularly read the history of the Fae, especially the Seelie and Unseelie courts, hoping to spark a memory or find something that felt familiar. Neither had happened, and as the days went by, I felt more and more frustrated.

I also studied the different realms to learn everything I could and to try to match one to my dreams. I never knew there were so many, I found it fascinating. I would get lost in a book about one realm and not notice the time until Lucien would come and tell me. There was more than one time I had fallen asleep on one of the library couches and had woken to Lucien carrying me to bed. I felt like a sponge, trying to absorb anything and everything I could. The more I learnt the more I wanted to know.

We found that, although I could call on and control all elements, water was my strongest. Lucien had thought it had something to do with my lineage. I enjoyed pulling water out of the air and manipulating it to dance around in patterns. Unfortunately, due to the cold weather it wouldn't take long for the water to freeze into ice when we practiced outside. As the coldness grew, we moved into the manors conservatory to continue practicing, Lucien still being concerned with my adjustment to the snowy climate.

It was one afternoon as I was walking through the plants growing through the conservatory that discovered my ability to help plants. I found a small peach tree in the rear of the room, and I could see it was struggling to survive. I felt drawn to it and gently patted the dropping leaves. Some had started to curl and die. I remember what had happened with the flower all that time ago in the human realm and attempted to recreate the feeling with this tree, not holding out much hope as it was a lot larger than the small flower. I closed my eyes and focused my power, sending it into the plant and the soil underneath. I open my eyes to see the plant become lush and green again, but not only that. Before my eyes it started to flower and grow fruit. I pulled my hand back and watched as the fruit matured before my very eyes. I heard a gasp from behind me. I turn to find Mary standing behind me.

"Did that just happen? I mean I know it did, but..." Mary exclaims. She reaches out and takes a peach, biting into it. "So juicy! You are amazing Tamryn! I am going to make a peach cobbler for desert tonight with some of these."

She goes about collecting a large bushel of peaches and disappears into the manor happily laughing and humming a soft tune.

That night as we sat down to dinner Lucien filled me in on some information James had given him. He told me that James had found a link between a tavern in a village a distance away from the manor and the adoption ring. He went on to suggest that we should plan a trip to investigate and that we should prepare for a few days journey early next week. We were discussing the finer details when Mary came in and placed a warm peach cobbler on the table with a proud smile.

"That smells divine," Lucien commented taking a deep breath and closing his eyes with pleasure, "but where on earth did you get peaches at this time of year? Are they foreign or were they frozen?"

"Oh, they are fresh off the tree today," Mary smiled at Lucien's confused expression. "Grown right here in the conservatory."

"Okay, I feel like I am missing something here." Lucien looks between Mary and me looking totally confused. I can't help but chuckle at his expression.