Chapter 14

Kaylee and I walked out of deer camp and down the road a bit. I glanced at her. She was worried. Her face told me that much. How much of that was the fact that she was alone in the woods with a guy she didn’t know and how much of it was fear of being judged I didn’t know. I just knew that this was necessary and she was going to have to learn to live with fear now. There was a war on and she was a soldier in it, whether she liked it or not. Then again, having a bit of fun couldn’t hurt, especially if it was also instructive.

“Alright, Kaylee,” I frowned briefly, thinking for a second. “Find me a small animal nearby. Have it run up to us and sit down in the middle of the road.” It was safe enough, not being hunting season there was no reason to expect anyone down these roads.

Kaylee stopped for a second, a look of concentration on her face. “How do you do magic and hide your aura like you taught me?” She was clearly trying to figure this out but it wasn’t going to work.”

“You don’t” I kicked a rock in the road. “You have to let your power show in order to cast. That’s life. It’s also why I brought us out into the back of the beyond. There shouldn’t be anyone around to detect you other than me and Steve. We already know you’re a Gifted. Let go for a bit. Do what you love doing.

“I will.” Kaylee smiled. Her aura glowed brightly around her, contrasting with her dark hair. I saw a brief flare and then heard a rustle from the high grass along the side of the road.