Thorns of Fate: Serendipity Saga Book One

Chapter Twenty-Two

The room before us had me giddy with excitement. It was a huge room, twice the size of a standard gymnasium and decked completely out with modern training equipment.

Along one wall was a variety of training dummies, capitalizing on different parts of the body. Some of the mannequins were true to form, looking almost human, some were simple silhouettes and some were sectioned off body parts. There was one with no arms capitalizing on blows to the head, there was another that sported limbs to encourage accuracy around them. There were instructional signs regarding proper hand to hand techniques plastered along the wall.

In the middle of the room was a wide circle set into the ground. It was a foot or so lower than the rest of the floor, creating an easy boundary.

I thought momentarily back to the day that Will and I had sparred. That was the day that our lives had changed dramatically, but I took joy in recalling his indignant response to my head butt. It wasn't the first time I had "cheated" and seemed to be far from the last. I wished he were here for another round.

To the far left, there was a door that led to a long room lined in glass. Inside I could see what appeared to be a shooting range. It took up the length of the room with targets set to different distances within.

It was here that Carson led us. He swiped his bracelet over a panel at the door and the door clicked open. I would have to ask him about that bracelet at some point, but now didn't seem to be the time.

He swung the door open, ushering my mother and me inside. I followed on her heels as she headed to a bank of cubbies at the shooting end of the gallery. She squared her feet and I could feel her drawing on the energy in the air. Her skin had begun to shimmer with blue white light as Carson sidled up to us.

I looked up at him, my gaze eager. If there was any part of being a Magick that I had been inherently excited to try, it was flexing my new magick muscles. I was happy to see that with the right knowledge, I now recognized the power building and being pulled and manipulated from the air. This made me feel confident that my consciousness of magick was increasing.

My mother glanced over her shoulder as Carson approached. "I know that you're more experienced with magick than most, but what do you know about its actual use?" she asked, sending sparks of electricity dancing through the air. She stood away from the range itself, lifting her hands and sending blue white bolts skimming across her skin starting with the fingertips of her right finger and shifting it across her chest to the tips of her other hand.

Her eyes were alight, thrilled, and she seemed to revel in the ability flowing through her. This was the Naomi that I remembered. She was playful and light and I realized with a jolt that I likened her to Kellic. Perhaps that was why they had both been my best friends.

My mother and her sister were very similar in both attitude and actions. They were inseparable and I didn't find myself resenting that until I realized that this was the first time I'd had my mother--almost--to myself since we had found her. I took a deep breath, letting my insecurities and emotions slip out with the exhale.

Carson leaned against the back wall, his arms folded over his chest. He looked endlessly exhausted right now, dark bags forming beneath his eyes. He stared at my mother's powers unimpressed however which made me curious for his response. He chuckled. "I have a better concept than most skilled with the ability. I have rigorously researched and trained in both its use and defending against it."

My mother's dainty dark eyebrows rose. Maybe there were some things she didn't know about this handsome hybrid. She extended her fingers and my heart leapt in my throat. The blue lightning that danced on her fingertip zipped across the room toward Carson.