A Rumor of Peace

CHAPTER 24

SUMMARY  :  Ethan and Rohan begin to work with Roark to help him get control of his psychic gifts, and balance his magic.  They begin moving against Tom Riddle.  

Ethan spread several of the thickly padded workout matts on the floor in the center of the workout room as Rohan went to the rooms control pad on one wall, opened it, and set the shielding on the room at one hundred percent.  Closing the panel, he came back to them, nodding to Ethan that he was ready.

"Right then, Roark," Ethan began, "let's take a seat.  Before we begin anything however, we are going to need to ask you some questions."  

"Questions?" he asked as the three of them moving to sit in the middle of the room, forming a small circle.  He followed their lead to fold his legs, each wrist coming to rest on his knees, palms up, back straight.

: Close your eyes, : came Rohan's soft voice into his mind,  : Take slow, even breaths.  Calm your heart beat, clear your mind.  There is nothing you need worry about right now. :  He fell silent, letting him work to clear his mind, steady his heartbeat.  : That's right.  Relax.  There is nothing in your mind.  Clear of thought; clear of worry...  Good. :

: When did you first loose control of your magic? : came Ethan's soft question, shifting a bit so that his left knee touched Roark's right, then Rohan shifted so that both of his knee's were touching his and his brothers.  : Tell us what led to it happening? :

Leaving his eyes closed, he thought back to when he had first lost his control. : The first time was in Ardyn's office, : he answered, also using telepathy.  : He was treating me the same way that everyone else did since graduating from the Academy.  Like I was some child playing a game of being a Colonial Warrior.  A Counter-Intelligence Officer.  He was treating Harry that way too, though not to the same extent as he was me.  He'd made us...angry.  I was becoming more and more so as every centon passed.  Slowly that anger turned to fury at his attitude of our having been sent there in the first place.  He was refusing to read either of our reports, instead wanting us to tell him what had happened on Virgon. :

Twin dark brows arched at the same moment, mental and actual.  : And  why would that bother you so much?  Your first debriefing with Dad and the rest of the Admiral's, then with the President and the Council were all verbal. :

: I know, : came softly, : and I honestly don't know why I was so angry, then furious about it, other than I knew he didn't want us there.  He was very determined to get us off of Aquaria, even after speaking to Raph and being told we were there until the job was done.  My anger about the whole situation fed Harry's, and his anger reacted to mine, fed it until our control slipped. :

: Did your magic slip together?  Or your magic began to slip and Harry's followed?  Don't answer right away.  Take a moment and think about it.  Go back to that day and bring it to the front of your mind. :  Rohan told him.  : We've spoken with Severus to try to get a handle on what is happening with you, so we already know the answer to that, but we want to hear in your own words what you think may have happened. :

He nodded, sending his mind back to that day in Ardyn's office.  Without even realizing it, he had begun to relax, his tension easing.  : I slipped first, : he answered softly, a frown beginning to curve his brow.  : I could feel that Harry was raging about Ardyn's treatment and attitude.  Feel it feeding my own.  Felt mine intensifying. :

They both gave him mental smiles.  : Good.  Did you think about it later once you had calmed down enough too actually think? :

A long pause as he considered their question.  : No.  Now that I think about it, I didn't.  I did wonder though why I could suddenly sense everyone's emotions around me, but especially Harry's, when I had never been able to do so before. :