Willow

This pattern continued for the next few weeks. After the first five weeks, Willow’s exhaustion grew oppressive, and Agnes and Jonathon forced her to take a couple of days off. The council, while not happy with the delay, kept their complaints to themselves. Willow’s change of mind had earned her a great deal of respect from the people. Even without Agnes’ constant updates on the situation, they watched as Willow grew sickly looking and it was at their outcry that Willow had even been willing to take the time away.

Willow continued at a reduced rate after this incident, choosing to work five days at a time, with two days recuperation. Even at this reduced rate, however, after eight weeks, they’d looked at everyone within the compound above twenty years old and things were getting tense.

Willow cancelled the search the following day. She hadn’t been feeling well and presumed her monthly courses were around the corner so chose to rest. She ate only a little breakfast, not feeling up to eating much, and remained in her nightgown, wishing to be comfortable. She took particular care that morning to examine her injuries for the first time in a while. She was healing well, although still tender.

Agnes was more than willing to keep her company for the day, and they chatted idly about the happenings of the compound and so on, Agnes catching her up on all the gossip in her usual way. Willow didn't really care much for gossip, but most of what Agnes had to tell was benign, so she tolerated it.

Willow was only half paying attention to Agnes as she nattered away about this and that. Since she had woken up, Willow's magical sense had been firing off, sensing that something was unusual in that way. Willow chalked it up to overuse- she’d never in her life willingly used her magic and to force her body to use its energy reserves in such a manner was taxing.

After the midday meal, Willow had requested a walk outside, hoping the fresh hair might quell her upset stomach. They didn't walk far. Thick, black clouds were rolling in and neither woman wanted to be caught in the torrential downpour it promised. Agnes continued to monopolise the conversation, but Willow was too busy trying to find the source of her unease to care.

She glared suspiciously at the clouds as she made her way across an open space to reach one of the housing areas, intent on visiting some of her students, who happily waved from their verandas. Agnes commented on their enthusiasm and Willow managed a quick smile, challenging her to try teaching them for several hours.

She was just mounting the stairs to the veranda when Willow felt a shift in her perception. If she had not been monitoring it, she likely would not have even noticed it, but it gave her pause. She turned, staring toward the outskirts of the compound, frowning, not hearing the concerned calls of Agnes and the children, as she tried again to pinpoint the source of unrest.

Suddenly, lightning was crashing, and Willow sucked in a desperate breath as she fell to her knees, the tension finally having snapped and seeming to vibrate through her very being.

When Willow looked up, she was met with Agnes’ wide, fearful eyes. Willow shook her head to clear it, realising that if even Agnes had felt the backlash, someone with not even a latent magical ability, then things were growing dangerous. Willow took stock of the tension, feeling it building once more, and suddenly, a sense of déjà vu came over her. She was reminded forcefully of her own last outburst, but also of an incident longer ago: Nianti. Her snap, right after her vision, had felt like this, a rumbling storm on the precipice of letting go, wild and electric.

Willow turned wildly to Agnes.

“Get everyone inside, I don't care how much panic is causes! Everyone is on lockdown.” Agnes looked bewildered as Willow tried to impress the urgency on her. “That was magic used, someone untrained. They could kill everyone!” Willow shouted.

Agnes' fear rose, but she kept herself remarkably well in check as she nodded. Willow stayed only long enough to give the woman's shoulder a squeeze before she was running, doing her best to track the source of this wild, uncontrollable magic. While better able to track it than she had been with the children, Willow was still no expert in the art. She got turned about and off track frequently. The bone deep tiredness she carried these days did nothing to help either.

But the storm kept growing, and Willow found it hard to breathe on multiple occasions as the tension grew toward a crescendo once more. Finally, she felt another overpowering wave, sending her down onto her hands and knees, struggling to breathe. But this last massive shock wave gave Willow a firmer location: The small graveyard in the farthest corner of the compound. She ran, gasping for air, her lungs struggling to function as she skidded to a stop at the entryway.

There, she found Felix, hunched over against the heavy rain, head resting on a curved stone, seeming oblivious to the terror and danger around him.

“Felix!” Willow screamed out, mission forgotten as she sprinted for him, slippery dirt making it hard to keep balanced. But Felix didn't seem to hear her as she continued to call, using headstones to keep herself upright.

With another flash of lightning, Willow felt her feet leave the ground as she flew backwards, before landing heavily in the dirt on her side. She felt the twinge from her stilling tender ribs but ignored that in favour of the very real possibility.

Was Felix the source of all this? She pulled back a little to consider. It made sense in a way. He was alone today, on the anniversary of his mother's death, a mother he did not remember, his father was absent and here he was sitting in front of what could only be his mother's headstone. Willow felt for the boy, but that could not be the focus now. This magical storm could not have gone unnoticed by the King, and it had to be quelled so he could not use it to track Felix as Willow had. Left like this, Felix would likely not just kill himself but every living thing in the compound.

Urgently, she pulled her focus back to Felix and used what she understood, repeating what she had done with Nianti. It was hard this time, as Nianti had been all but unconscious. Subconscious or not, Felix fought against the constraints. Even with the torrential rain, Willow could feel herself sweating from the pressure, but Felix did not relent.

“No! Don't make me be alone!” She heard him scream out and Willow realised that he was not restraining the help, he was resisting the solitary nature of the shield. Thinking on her feet, she shifted the magic so it would encompass her and screamed back:

“Felix, you are not alone! I'm here and I'm trying to help! Let me!”

Her words seemed to reach him as he looked up. His face was haggard, eyes bloodshot, but his resistance seemed to give, just a little. This allowed Willow to encompass them in the protective shield as Willow slowly moved forward. The nature of the shield allowed Willow to get a glimpse of what Felix was feeling, no matter how unintended.

So much pain filled this young man, guilt and shame and loss. All mixed up into a jumbled, confused mess inside of one boy who was far, far too young to feel so accountable for things beyond his control. Willow did her best to send back reassurance and tried to remind him that people cared about him until finally, the bubble was secure, and Willow could gingerly approach the crumpled form.

Willow didn't touch him, knowing this was not only dangerous right now but likely unwelcome. Instead, she settled down beside him to offer some form of comfort. For a while they stayed like that, Willow watching as the clouds slowly dissipated, until, with a heartbreaking wail, Felix threw himself into Willow's lap and cried. Willow gathered the sobbing boy up in her arms and allowed him to release the pent-up emotions, emotions that had been bottling up for years, gently stroking his hair until his sobs turned to sniffles.

Between sniffles he whispered out brokenly, “I think I want to talk about it now.” and he did, in a long stream of words he explained how not having a mother had hurt him, but that not having his dad had been worse because he could see his dad. He had noticed that his father was not affectionate, that the man couldn't seem to look at him.

He talked about his confusion, how he didn't know he could do what he did and that it had scared him, he’d panicked, thinking it would never stop. How sorry he was for being mean to Willow because he had been angry.

For what felt like an age he seemed to babble on, needing to get everything off his chest until finally, the stress of the day added to the sheer amount of magical energy he had output that day catching up with him, he passed out in Willow's lap.

Willow had cried right with him at his words but had kept her feelings otherwise to herself. This had been important for him. Carefully, she reduced the bubble down to a thin layer over Felix's skin, as a precaution, before gently shifting him around so she could piggyback him somewhere he could be cared for.

Willow stumbled to her feet and slowly made her way out, careful of her footing. Once back in the residential zone, Willow had called out to the first people she had seen, to let everyone else know that all was well, but refused to speak about the boy loosely slung over her back, silencing any who protested with a long hard look.

Agnes and Jonathon were notified quickly, and Willow was grateful that Jonathon was there to take over carrying Felix. Her rib had been twinging since she had been thrown, but now it was screaming in agony and Willow could only hope that it had not re-broken. Willow instructed them to bring Felix to her rooms, informing them that until such time as she could have a conversation with his father, Felix would stay with her, no exceptions. Jonathon and Agnes, noting the absolute fury etched into her face, wisely chose not to question this stance until they'd had a chance to get all the facts.

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Willow had Agnes bring a fresh towel, and they had gently laid the sleeping Felix on top of it on Willow's bed. She had then said sheepishly that he needed to be bathed and announced she would wait in the lounge room. Agnes had joined her after a moment, leaving Jonathon to clean the boy up, hoping to maintain at least some of his dignity.

While they waited, Willow had demanded to know if there was any way to get in contact with Edward. Agnes had tried to hedge around the topic, but Willow was having none of it.

“I refuse to believe that a man as responsible as Edward would leave no way to contact him in case of emergency. And let me remind you this is an emergency. And not just in relation to Felix. Our location is completely compromised. Do you honestly think magic of that calibre, so strong that even people without the gift could sense it, would go unnoticed by the King? But fine, if we cannot contact him then we will just have to wait until the King finds us!”

Agnes had been unprepared for the angry tirade thrown at her but was appropriately cowered when Willow detailed the danger they were in now and politely excused herself. Willow presumed to send that message she had demanded.

When Jonathon had appeared to let her know Felix was changed and cleaned, Willow had entered and begun checking him over, ignoring the offer to fetch a healer.

“I am a Healer,” she had stated apologetically, “And I am the only person here with knowledge on magic. A regular healer would do more harm than good right now.” Jonathon had nodded and pulled up a chair nearby at Willow's behest.

Felix had suffered no external injuries, bar a few minor scrapes and bruises on his knees and elbows, things that would heal quickly with his magic so close to the surface.

“Did you know he had magic?” Willow asked Jonathon as she reached out her magic sense to assess the internal damage.

“I had no idea. I presume if Edward had known he would have told me, but I cannot say for sure until he arrives back.”

Willow grimaced. “Yes. Agnes, I believe has gone to try to get a message to him. I must apologise. I was unfriendly when she told me there was no way.” Willow shrugged.

“How bad is it?” Jonathon asked lowly, eyes piercing.

Willow sat up from her examination to meet the older man's eyes. “Regarding Felix. He'll be fine. Bed rest for a few days and a high-fat diet should see him back to himself in no time. I must try to put some kind of blocker in or teach him how to do it himself. Apart from that, he's fine. The compound is however in a dire situation. Almost as bad as it can get bad. There's no way the King didn't notice that outburst. I was right here and at some points had trouble breathing through how heavy that magic was. We could have the King on our doorstep at any moment right now. I'm just hoping that by blocking it as quickly as I could, I bought us some time he has to waste tracking us. With two different outbursts in a short amount of time, he will search for this place doggedly. I suggest you start talking about countermeasures as soon as they can be arranged.”

Jonathon nodded slowly. “You know more about this stuff than you let on,” he noted with a wry smile.

Willow shrugged, “No one ever asked, and I was content with how things were going.”

“There is something else you are concerned about,” Jonathon stated, watching her fidget with her fingers and clothing.

Agnes came with tea, and they adjourned to the couches, although left the bedroom door open in case Felix needed them. Willow attempted to apologise to Agnes, but she just waved it off.

“You were in a panic, love. No harm done. I have dispatched a messenger to Edward, who has been told that he does not leave until they send a message back. My orders.” Agnes laughed a little. Willow mustered a tired smile.

Finally, they came back around to what actually happened and Willow filled them in where she had found him and some of what he had revealed to her. She withheld a sizeable portion of it, feeling that would violate Felix’s privacy, something he had admitted in an incredibly emotional state. But the gist was given, and Agnes and Jonathon seemed to understand the situation, regardless of what was withheld.

“He’ll be staying with me until further notice,” Willow stated. “The Healers are ill-equipped to deal with his unique physiology. I will have to help them learn at some point,” she mused.

Willow turned back to Agnes, “When do you expect to hear from Edward?”

Agnes shrugged, “I’m not entirely sure. He should have the message within the week, but whether he responds that soon, I don’t know.”

Willow frowned in confusion, “If it was an urgent missive, you would think the Leader of the resistance would be more willing to deal with matters of security.”

Agnes coloured a little at her words and Willow quirked an eyebrow. “You framed it as urgent, didn’t you?”

Agnes stood firm, “All had calmed down, and you seemed to have handled the situation enough to not mark it as so urgent.”

“Except the imminent attack on the compound by the King,” Willow responded sarcastically, bubbling barely constrained anger making her voice tight.”

“What?” Agnes asked, horror-struck.

“Did you not listen to me before? Do you honestly think the King hasn’t noticed the massive spike of magical energy? Even I can feel the shift in the land around the storm. The King will track it straight to the front doors.”

“If you don’t hear from Edward in the next seven days, I want a personal message sent to him from me,” Willow ordered, “I don’t care whose toes I’m stepping on. This ridiculousness could have been avoided, and part of that blame falls at Edwards feet. He should be here to clean up the damage.”

Willow, too upset to continue, turned away from Agnes. She of all people, Willow trusted, and she thought that trust was a two-way street. She had been wrong, and that hurt more than Willow wanted to acknowledge. Admitting such a thing meant admitting she cared about more people, and that was unspeakable. She returned to Felix’s side, noting his steady breathing. He was still a little too pale for Willow’s taste, but that would rectify once he was awake and had eaten. Willow expected that would be soon, since she had entered the room, he had been shifting around, his eyelids fluttering, although he had not yet woken properly.

While there, she pulled a scrap of vellum from amongst her belongings and scratched out a brief note and resolved to have it sent by someone more readily able to understand the urgency of the situation.

It was a natural reaction he was having, something Willow had noticed in the children she had worked with back home, whenever she was around a child who wasn’t familiar with her, their magic would react instinctively against hers. Purely based on age, Willow’s magic was significantly stronger than most of her charges, although she had truly little training and in that regard, they were the same. But, on an instinctive level, their magic was trying to protect them. Felix would be disoriented when he woke, which was why Willow was remaining so close. She still had him shielded just in case he lost it for a moment when he awoke. It was just safest that way.

Slowly, he came to, not moving his body, but staring around the room in confusion, trying to work out where exactly he was. Suddenly, it all seemed to come back to him in a great rush as he pushed himself upright, attempting to bolt from the bed. He got tangled in the bed sheets carefully tucked around him and fell forward into Willow’s waiting support, who gently pushed him back into the bed, firm but caring.

“You’re fine, everything’s fine. You're in my rooms,” Willow reassured. “It was the closest place I knew was safe. You're going to be feeling dizzy, it’s normal. Definitely shouldn’t have gotten up so quick,” she lightly teased.

Felix looked at her, the embarrassment clear on his face, and Willow reached over to push him further into the pillows.

“Don’t worry about it,” Willow smiled, “Even boys need to get their emotions off their chests sometimes. It’s perfectly normal to cry when you're sad.”

Felix shifted uncomfortably, so Willow left him to mull it over for a moment while she asked Agnes for a tray of food and some water for Felix. He perked up at the sound of food, his stomach audibly growling as Willow laughingly said to Agnes, “I’d rather not be Felix’s next meal. Would you mind collecting a tray of food for both of us? I’m starving.”

Agnes, more than willing to perform any task that prevented Willow’s fury, scurried off to complete the task. Willow and Jonathon fussed over Felix, to his continued embarrassment. Willow and Jonathon smiled privately about it, noticing that, while he protested loudly, he never grumbled for longer than a few seconds and watched them carefully to make sure no one was leaving.

Agnes returned promptly, having brought an array of food, taking Willow’s previous comment about high-fat foods to heart, having loaded their plates with little else. Neither Willow nor Felix was going to complain about it and happily dug in, Felix seemed more surprised than anyone else when he cleared his tray in mere minutes and insisting, he was still hungry.

Agnes had been stunned, but Willow had let out a loud laugh, much to Felix’s chagrin.

“I’m not laughing at you, I promise!” Willow insisted, “It’s just the look on your face, like you don’t know where the food went.” Willow forced herself to sober, “You used a lot of magical energy today, Felix. Magic is not something that is always easily and readily available. It is something your body is ill-equipped to handle and when you unexpectedly use significantly more than your body can handle, it drains your energy.”

Felix looked at her with wide, fearful eyes, “If I use too much, will the magic take all my energy?”

Willow tried to hide her cringe but chose honesty instead of heeding Agnes and Jonathon’s warning looks and gestures. No wonder Felix was so naïve, even though he was but a few short years from adulthood, if everyone sought to downplay the danger in his life.

“If used inappropriately, yes honey it can kill you,” Felix looked ready to panic, so she quickly grabbed his hand, “But that’s where I come in. You remember I told you I was a teacher back home?” He nodded slowly. “I did that so I could help children like you. I used to work with people younger than you, to put a blocker, stopping the kid from using magic altogether. You're too old for that, but I think I can at least teach you to suppress the magic, so you don’t lose control of it the way you did earlier today. How does that sound?”

“But what if I lose control while you're teaching me!” He cried, borderline hysterical.

Willow soothed gently before continuing. “I’m used to children younger than you with magic,” she reminded, “Can you imagine a five-year-old with magic like yours?” Felix guffawed. “For now, you’ll be staying with me, so I can keep your magic hidden if it fluctuates. It’s easier for me to keep the shield up when you're close. I won’t drop the shield until I’m convinced you can maintain it yourself. Nothing will happen, I can promise you.”

Finally, Felix smiled and threw himself into her arms. Willow smiled over his shoulder at Jonathon, who smiled back, keeping his own concern hidden from Felix. Felix didn’t need to know about the added risk his magic storm had wrought, no matter how accidental. He was far too weak to handle such things just yet, and Willow was inclined to hide it from him as long as possible. No need for added stress and turmoil.

Willow for spare mattresses to be sent to her rooms, not ready to let Felix be moved just yet. The colour had not yet fully returned to his cheek and in Willow’s professional opinion, he should not be moved.

Felix soon returned to peaceful sleep, and Agnes returned to the kitchens, leaving Willow and Jonathon.

He returned to their interrupted conversation.

“You’ve extra concerns you have not shared,” he prompted gently.

Willow sighed. “What I have to say cannot leave this room, Jonathon. Not until I have spoken to Edward.”

He nodded, raising his hand, “I won’t even tell Agnes.” He winked.

“I think we may have found out Bearer today.” Jonathon froze, cane falling to the ground. clattering several feet away.

“No,” he whispered. “Felix?”

Willow nodded once.

Willow dreaded the conversation to come with Edward, but she refused to let that stop her. There was a lot that needed to be discussed, but the news that Felix was the coveted Bearer. That would not go down well since he of all people knew the danger associated with that status.