13

"Are you sure Taylor?" »

My mother was kneeling in front of me and attaching the mage robe that I had to use to participate in the summoning. It was a simple white-colored mage robe with golden sleeves. But it was a little big for me.

" Yes mom."

My mother sighed. She had been trying for the past thirty minutes to get me to change my mind, to no avail.

“Since you decided to risk your life, for people who hate us, I must at least give you some advice. Listen carefully. It's not just about carrying a flame. She wants to express herself. But it's up to you to moderate it. Because it is not she who is invoked. Remain respectful at all times or she may get out of control. Have you ever absorbed the element of fire? »

“Not yet, Endar wanted me to dedicate myself to the element of air, before moving on to another. He told me that I am not far from reaching the peak. »

“I'm proud of you, but right now your teacher's program is causing us problems. Because that's what you're going to have to do. Absorb the essence of fire for the first time. »

" I'm ready. »

She sighed again

“Good luck, my son. »

I placed myself behind the two other participants and at the signal of my father we advanced. When we were in front of the table I seized the candle then followed my congeners who had taken their element at the same time as me.

We walked in a line to the circle and when it was my turn I bowed, then walked south of the circle, put the candle on the ground and bowed again before turning my back on it. Then Ilawen put down the empty bottle and entered the circle. The invocation could begin.

I heard him lay down the parchments. Then he spoke.

“Vital air, light breeze, strong wind, free air, playful air hears my call, listens to my wishes and offers me a spirit of air. May he be strong in the face of adversity, may he be brave and ward off fear, may he be intelligent and dispel the mist, may he respect his summoner and protect him in every way. »

At that moment I understood that Ilawen had lost his chance. The first three virtues might sound like him, but respect… he expected the spirit to respect him without giving anything in return. He just wanted to chain his mind.

Unfortunately he would repeat these same words until sunset.

After an hour, Ilawen's voice was beginning to fade, but didn't seem to want to give up. Over time, I felt the flame grow stronger. Scarlet beeswax was extraordinary in that it melted very slowly. A candle could last for a week. Soon the heat on my back was such that I had no choice but to absorb the essence of fire. The heat slowly penetrated my skin to be absorbed by my web and enter my core. But I felt the process was painful. I felt like the energy was burning inside me and I knew why. Each time Ilawen repeated his prayers, the element grew more out of control. I felt an anger that was not mine. The elements were therefore truly capricious. As the hours passed the essence intensified. I was lost in my pain, my chest was on fire, and the sun wasn't down for two hours.

I was sweating and my legs were shaking, there was only one hour left we were close to the end. My vision was blurry and it was only by my will that I was still standing. It was then that I felt a breeze cooling me. She seemed to sympathize with my miserable situation.

Thank you, I thought before widening my eyes in horror.

The force of the wind, rose, the gusts of winds were unleashed in the circle then it was silence.

"A spirit, there is a spirit!" heard a bystander shout followed by Ilawen's hoarse voice.

" You came ? Thank you for offering me your presence, and for deeming me worthy to be your summoner. Will you bind yourself to me Ilawen Woodskin 4th son of Duke Liamon Woodskin? »

Silence ensued.

"Why doesn't he pursue the bonding?" wondered a spectator.

Then I heard a laugh that sounded familiar. It was a playful, free laugh. I then remembered this moment between heaven and earth. The same spirit...

“Don't assume you deserve my help, elf. Don't expect my respect either. Air spirits are not playthings for a noble without quality." It was not the voice of a woman or a man but a subtle, powerful mixture.

“How dare you talk to me like that! cried Ilawen.

“Ilawen, no! exclaimed Dalanne, who seemed terrified for his son.

"He's going to get killed." I heard someone say

"Liamon, get him out of this circle!" exclaimed Dalanne

“We cannot interfere it is his invocation. If the circle is broken by someone, the consequences could be unimaginable. In the best case, it would lose its magic, in the worst case, the elements would be unleashed on all participants. said my concerned father. Worried about her two sons. .

“Strength, courage, intelligence, and respect. Your strength is not your own but that of your family, as powerful as it is, a spirit like me doesn't care. Certainly you are full of courage, but I fear that your intelligence will fail you or you will be on your knees begging me to spare you. Oh, now you understand your situation. As for respect, after that insult…”

With his back turned, I couldn't see the expression Ilawen wore, but I imagined that at this moment he presented the image of someone humiliated and horrified. He was a boy who had never tasted these emotions. He was adored and protected by everyone around him. People came for one reason or another to seek his favors. He had never really suffered from hatred, from indifference. Which had never ceased to feed an ego that had just been brutally crushed.

“But someone other than you has these virtues. »

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I then felt two arms encircled my shoulders and a chin resting on my head.

“He has been building his own strength for a long time. I feel a barely closed scar in him. He does not lack courage, while his body is devoured by the flames, he remains standing. Let me relieve you of that fickle little spirit. »

What was he doing ? Why had the situation escalated so quickly? And how did he know so much about me? Did he follow me?

The wind rose again in the circle, but I had the strange feeling that each gust was a word. Did the spirits have their own language? The wind rose more, as if the spirit was angry, then suddenly the heat that enveloped me for many hours, dissipated. The lightness of the breeze replaced the power of the gusts.

"Now that the flames have died down, let's get back to what matters to us. Intelligence and respect. This child despite his young age has traveled far and wide the writings of this world, and his thirst for knowledge is endless. He carries within him the elvish virtues and knows that something borrowed must one day be returned. I have chosen. »

Exclamations arose among the spectators.

"It's the invocation of my son" indignant Dalanne

" I disagree. »

" You can not do this ! It's against the rules!" cried Ilawen.

The spirit laughed at him at these words.

“Little elf, spirits have their own rules. We don't need this circle to choose. Now, Taylor, will you accept me as your partner? »

I thought for a moment about the choices available to me, the consequences especially. But whatever I did, Dalanne was not going to forget the humiliation I had caused her son. War had already been declared.

" I accept. »

Suddenly a hand penetrated my back and roughly grabbed my core, The intense pain did what several hours of invocation had failed to do and brought me to my knees. I heard a scream, and thought it was my mother and maybe it was. But my own screams drowned them out.

" Focus "

Where was this voice coming from?

“Focus, or you won't survive the process. My power is far too strong for your core. I have to reinforce it. But I need your help. To be strengthened your core must change shape. Think, think about who you are. »

The world faded away.

I felt someone untie my shoes. I didn't want to lose them, it was so cold. I kicked the stranger away.

“Ha, thought you were dead and you had good shoes. »

I frowned.

“What smells so bad? I said before finally opening my eyes. To see a woman bend over me.

"It must be me, you haven't been on the streets for a long time. Don't do good to smell the rose when you're a woman on the street. It attracts guys like honey and you don't need the attention if you know what I mean. »

" Where am I ? I said looking all around me. I was sitting on a piece of cardboard in an alley between two buildings.

“Are you already a junkie at your age? No, you don't seem like that. You may have drunk too much. Come on, don't stay there, you'll die of cold if you don't move. »

That's when I felt the icy wind burn my face.

“Walk a bit to warm up. »

She left the alley and despite my doubts, I followed her.

I was immediately assailed by car horns and engine noises. A man on the phone looked up and pulled away, grimacing when he saw us.

I rubbed my frozen hands and blew on them trying to regain some warmth.

" How old are you ? she asked me

" 12 years." I say yet something in me told me that it was not true.

“A little young to be outside, right? What is a girl like you doing outside in the middle of winter? No parents? »

I still got that weird feeling when she called me a girl. But I was… a girl.

"So no parents?" »

I shook my head. But a soft voice singing to me made me doubt my answer.

"You don't have to answer, I see a lot of people like you. They think they can survive outside. They have no choice, either they adapt or the street devours them. She doesn't do feelings. There are plenty like you who give up and go back to the system. They don't always have good parents but their stomachs don't try to eat themselves. »

I knew she was trying to terrify me.

“Taylor and you? »

“Harvey”

"Isn't that a man's name? »

" And yours ? »

And we laughed, to forget the cold, to ignore the looks of passers-by, to live for a moment instead of surviving.

I really looked at her for the first time. She didn't look like much. She may have been thirty years old, but the wrinkles and white hair, a sign of a life full of misery, made her twice her age. Her face was covered in grime, but the smile she was giving now made me forget for a moment the situation we were in.

I stayed with Harvey for the next few days, she had found a disused tunnel in a park, it was cold there, but less cold than in the streets.

We were in a convenience store, the cashier was watching a game on the TV above him. He would never have left us in if he had looked at us well.

This was not our first time.

Harvey stuffed his coat with snacks and drinks, while I kept watch.

“Special flash: a blizzard is forecast tonight and promises to be particularly violent. We invite all residents to seek refuge. I repeat It looks particularly violent. All scheduled flights have been cancelled. Stay safe, take care of your families, our thoughts are with you. »

“What are you doing in my store, you dirty bums! »

Harvey grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the store with her. The cashier was yelling behind us, but we made it safely to our hiding place.

“Did you hear? There's a blizzard coming. What are we going to do ? »

Harvey wore a tough face.

“We will survive. »

All day we looked for a place in a refuge, without success. I went back into the tunnel, leaving Harvey to search for something to ensure our survival for the night.

In the woods, I had the impression of seeing a light in the distance. It was definitely just my imagination.

" Look at what I found. Harvey said as she entered breathless. She was holding a large duvet in her hands.

"Where did you find it? I say relieved

“Rupert, this lucky guy found a room for the night, he let me borrow it”

The snow had started to fall, and the wind was picking up. The night would be long.

We ate in silence in front of the fire that we had managed to light in a garbage can.

“Why are you on the street? I asked Harvey for the first time.

She continued to chew those chips. Then surprised me when she answered.

“My father kicked me out when I was 16. I knew it wouldn't last. But I was young and stupid. I took a train with what I had as savings. I thought the city would be better. I never went back and the city devoured me. »

“Harvey is your real name? »

"Of course that's my name. My family name. They call me Melanie Priscilla Harvey. The name of my mother and my grandmother, and you, what is your name? »

“Taylor, just Taylor. »

I felt again that this was not entirely true.

I woke up in the dark in the middle of the night. It was then that I noticed that it was dark. The fire had gone out.

“Harvey wake up, the fire is dead. Harvey! »

I touched her forehead, it was frozen. I put my hand over her mouth, she wasn't breathing. I turned her around, putting my head on her chest. The silence.

"Harvey, wake up, wake up." I screamed, then the screams turned into whispers.

The cold froze my veins, but I remained miserably clinging to the body of my friend.

“Think, think about who you are. »

I jumped.

I couldn't stay here, I will die. I took the duvet and covered my shoulders.

"You don't want me to be cold" I say to Harvey

At the exit of the tunnel I hesitated for a moment, the wind was blowing violently and I saw nothing. Suddenly a light in the distance like a lighthouse appeared.

I turned toward the tunnel one last time.

" Thank you my friend. I will not forget you. I say before disappearing into the woods.

I advanced slowly, and for a time I thought I was lost, but the light guided me. I already couldn't move my fingers when suddenly the snow stopped. The sky was clear and two moons illuminated a tree. I approached it slowly and a golden light rose from the roots to reach the leaves.

“Taylor, come back. Taylor we miss you, come back. Please. Please, my son."

This voice... I knew it.

I ran, a snow-covered quilt over my shoulders, my body freezing, and touched the tree. A bright light blinded me and the world faded away.

“A being of two worlds. A survivor."