The Paragon

Chapter Six

After confirming that the Imperial ships on our tail had indeed lost us, Wayfinder Nadia ordered us off the bridge.  "She's mad at me," I commented as Eli, Casp, and I walked down the halls of the ship, heading ostensibly in the direction of our quarters.

"Why exactly?" Eli asked.  "Because you refused to be called Paragon, or because you stupidly risked your life on the outside of the ship in the middle of a lightning storm?"

He didn't even know the half of it.  Phoenix hadn't mentioned my lightning redirection once we went back inside, and I followed his lead on the matter.  He'd seemed well and truly confused by what I'd done, and I, of course, had no clue what had happened either.  Just like before, with the monitors, the magic had happened without my consent, like my body reacted of its own accord.  "Take your pick," I suggested.  "But she obviously doesn't like me."

"Aww, Immy, it's all right," Casp said.  "Most people don't like you when they first meet you."

"Excuse me?" I asked, even as Eli and Casp exchanged grins and chuckles.  "What's that supposed to mean?  Plenty of people like me."

"Sure, when you don't threaten them with knives to the throat or shout at them or run full speed in the other direction from anything they have to say," Eli replied.  I rolled my eyes and stayed silent.  "It's only been a day, Immy.  Give them some time to get used to you.  They don't know how you work yet."

"Well they better get used to it," I grumbled.  "They're the ones who brought me here, and they're the ones who want me to stay."

"Not like there's a choice," Casp said, just commenting in general.  "We've got scores of Imperials and miles of land between us and Foster.  Not to mention the whole...you know."

"The Paragon thing?" I finished.  "Yeah, don't I know it.  And all of them still look at me like I'm some reborn goddess; it doesn't help."

"Imogen!"  We all turned to see Phoenix coming down the hall, purpose in his steps and his cloak billowing out behind him dramatically.  His long-legged stride closed the distance between him and us quickly.  "Can I speak with you quickly?"

Eli looked hesitant when I exchanged a glance with him.  "We'll meet you back in your room, Immy," he said.  I nodded, and he walked off with Casp.  A few steps down the hall, they joined hands, subtly and naturally.

I looked back at Phoenix.  "What?" I asked simply.

"How did you do that with the lightning?" he asked.

I threw my hands in the air.  "Are you still on that?  Look, I'm sorry I ruined your save or whatever, but you weren't going to get that rod out in time.  I did what I had to do!"

Phoenix let out a surprised and slightly amused sounding breath.  "Are you serious?  Imogen, I couldn't care less about who made what save.  What I want to know is how?"

"What do you mean?" I asked impatiently, folding my arms and tapping my foot.

"What you did—I've never seen that before," Phoenix explained.  He sounded awestruck and confused and suspicious all at once.  "Lightning—weather in general, really—isn't something magic can control.  What you did was theoretically impossible."

"Everything that's happened to me in the last three days has been theoretically impossible," I snapped.  "You tell me how it happened.  You're the one who claims to be an expert and thinks you know what I am.  I just did what felt right."

Phoenix nodded, seeming intrigued.  "So, it's instinctual, then," he replied.  He was like a kid who was finally understanding something new and interesting.  "Like what happened with your brother, before?"