Etienne

Gifts

 "Milo!" Etienne called through the house walking around. "Mil..." As she turned, he appeared.

She smiled at his site.

"I'm finished with my lesson. Can we go out now as you promised?"

"Of course, let me just dismiss the tutor and we can get going."

"Oh, you don't have to do that. He's already left." She reached out grabbing his hand to pull him towards the house's front entrance.

"That's very rude if he just excused himself without a word," Milo responded letting himself be guided for the moment.

"I think he got sick. He did end the lesson rather abruptly."

With this statement, Milo reached around placing his arm around her waist and redirected their movements.

"Hey no fair," Etienne called. She tried to pull away, but Milo would not let her, and they entered the study together. "You're not supposed..." He let go of her waist and with his now free hand placed a finger over her mouth, silencing her.

The tutor sat on the couch looking pale as a ghost, his eyes clouded over with a slight white haze (his eyes shut).

"What is this Etienne?" Milo scolded walking over and taking a closer look at the body.

"Don't you think it's important for me to experiment with my gifts? To practice them so I can better understand what they are?"

"Of course I do, but I do not think the time to practice your gifts is on your tutor who is trying to teach you."

"I don't know why it's so important that I learn all this stuff."

"I thought you loved your lessons?" Milo asked.

"Some of them are lovely like literature and science. But I don't know why I must learn French. I'm not going to go to France."

"You don't know that. France isn't that far away. Besides, that's my land originally. Don't you want to know more about it because of me?"

Etienne sighed at the question. Mile could tell she felt somewhat irritated, but it wasn't serious.

"Oh, my dear Milo you know exactly what to say to re-do my whole inner workings."

Milo smiled and kissed her hand. "You do the same for me, so I find it only fair."

He released her hand and tapped the couch next to where the tutor sat.

"Come on then wake him up and we'll go out as we had planned."

Etienne smiled broadly and took a seat on the couch. She removed the gloves she wore and reached out touching the tutor on his arm. She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe focusing all of her energy. It took only a moment and the color returned to the tutor's face. His eyes slowly warmed over and he blinked a couple of times looking around.

"Thank you, Mr. Motley." Mile stated before he could say anything else. He looked slightly confused, but like he couldn't pinpoint anything specifically.

"Um..."

Milo reached over patting his shoulder.

"My good man you look like you should go home and get some rest. We'll send for you next time a lesson is required. I do think me, and Etienne will be taking a trip soon."

Mr. Motley nodded his head still in a slight daze and stood to his feet.

"Let me walk you to the door," Milo stated and they walked towards the door together leaving Etienne alone. She sat back down on the couch watching as a moth fluttered around the room. It left a trail of light behind it that dissipated into nothing in the blink of an eye. As it danced around the light in the room she couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't drawn to the light of people like the moth was drawn to the light of the candle. She was drawn to Milo, whose light was absent. It was his energy that pulled her to him. The love and the passion that she knew was bubbling deep within his soul, the one that he denied having, but Etienne knew better. Different didn't mean bad.

Milo returned after a few more seconds.

"Well, he seemed pretty out of it still. You're lucky people can't remember when you do that to them. We would have a mob upon the house at once."

Etienne giggled at the statement feeling no real danger.

"I wonder what happens exactly."

"You mean you don't know?"

Etienne shook her head.

"I only see the energy and life force. It's just a matter of how much is being used. But I don't get a look into their minds or a glimpse of what they experience when their life force lowers or spikes in times of trouble."

Milo nodded his head. They didn't talk about Etienne's powers very often, but it was because Milo didn't want to draw any attention to anything that Etienne didn't want to. He was ever so curious as to her powers since she was the only one he knew who possessed such skills who wasn't cursed in another form.

"What about me?" he asked daring a question he had never thought to propose to her before. "You once asked me why I didn't have a light around me? So, you must see the absence of what you just described?"

"Actually, it's quite the opposite."

Milo made a face not expecting that answer.

"Your life force is different for sure, but you still have it. I can see everybody's else glowing on their skin, but with you I just see you. But your energy is the strongest I've ever felt. It's incredible to feel and to image how you must feel carrying all of that around."

Milo shook his head this time.

"I'm sure as amazing as it feels it can never quite convey the weight of it all."

Etienne stepped closer to Milo and embraced him in a hug.

"Oh, my darling," She stated. "I wish I could take the weight off of your shoulders."

Milo looked down at Etienne touching her chin to make her look up at him.

"Oh, you are doing more for me than anybody I've met in the past 200 years. I think you make me more human with each passing day."

Etienne smiled back at him and then buried her face into his shirt deeply breathing in his scent.