Essarai

By DeeAnn Fuchs and Zachary Fuchs

Lily of Camar grew up afraid to use her extraordinary powers of healing. Told by her father to let no one know of her abilities she keeps them hidden until the Roh Vec Empire conquers her small island. Forced into slavery with the rest of her people, she escapes her bonds with the help of her Camarian lover. Together they follow the visions of a mysterious seer and travel to the Northlands, a wild, untamed land where even the trees of the forest are reputed to have power. Here, they will seek to find the truth of her heritage.
Tevarian was taken from his parents as a child and taught to serve the Emperor with his powers of mind control. Killing is second nature to him until he is lost in the forests of the north and his powers are taken. Now, living among his enemies, he learns that the truths he was taught by the Empire were a lie and that his future is not what he once thought.
Together with a renegade general, runaway slaves and the mysterious inhabitants of the Northlands, both must now choose to either join together to end the oppressive Empire or watch as it destroys all those who rebel against it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DeeAnn Fuchs
• Release date: Dec 25, 2013
• ISBN: 9781310109256

Book preview

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

The Book of Essence

Rule one

An essence reader may enter the essence of another who is not a Reader. He may enter undetected and read this persons essence. He can read their emotions, memories and thoughts. He can communicate with them telepathically.

Rule two

When an essence reader is inside the essence of a non-reader he may alter the emotions, memories and thoughts of the non-reader’s essence. He may also enter another essence forcefully. This will let him control their physical being. As soon as he releases the essence they will regain control of their body.

Rule three

Every essence-touched has the ability from birth to take a lost essence before it travels to the spirit realm. He can capture this essence and use it to strengthen or restore his essence for a period of time. A lost essence is always seeking the spirit realm and it dissipates to nothing if it is kept from the realm.

Rule four

An essence reader must never take the essence of another essence-touched be he heretic, student or reader for it will destroy him. He must never attempt to absorb the essence of a witch or he will meet death instantly.

Prologue

 The tower room was cold, the stone walls damp with moisture. The air was stale and smelled of old blood, the feeling of fear so thick the man could almost taste it. Today was a pivotal day in his life and he was nervous, a feeling he wasn’t used to. Weakness of any kind had to be purged from the body and he took a calming breath and forced his heartbeat to slow, his hands to stay still. He opened his mind and took in everything around him; the sounds of water dripping in the distance, a rats claws scrabbling against the rough stone floor, the other heartbeats that were present. His eyes had already adjusted to the dim light of the glowing red stones that gave off no smoke, just a blood red sheen that glimmered off the walls.  Calmer now, he stood in the center of the room, waiting. His robe was the same deep red color as the stones, the hood shadowing his face. He stood motionless, power radiating from his body. Three men in black robes stood unmoving behind him, their power burning as strongly as his. They were essence readers, the elite of the Roh Vec Empire. Today he would earn his black robe and join them.

A side door opened out of the stone wall, and a single man entered carrying two oil lamps which he hung from small hooks on the ceiling increasing the light in the room slightly. Three more men entered following the first, walking carefully in the dim light. They wore fine leather armor and short swords; each led a bound woman. Two of the women were young, in their late teens, and the other was clearly their mother. They were pushed to their knees before the man in red and held in place by the guards. They stank of sweat, but far stronger to the man in red was their smell of fear. The guards were afraid of him as well, although they tried to hide it as they looked straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Are you ready?" a voice asked him telepathically. It came from one of the black robed men behind him.

"I am," he replied silently.

"Begin."

He stepped forward to the youngest girl on the right. Her fear escalated, she could not look away and as he leaned close she began to shake uncontrollably. Suddenly recognition came to her eyes as she saw his face in the lamp light. Yes, she knew him, just as he knew her. She spoke a name, his name, a name he no longer recognized as his own.

He reached into her mind making sure to stay undetected. She was still afraid of him, but she was also hopeful that he might help her.  He read these emotions no longer than he deemed necessary for the hooded men to understand that he was capable of doing it. Next he read her memories; at the moment they were of her playing with him as a boy. Finally he read her thoughts; "Why are you here brother? Are you going to help us? Tevarian please speak to me!"

He brought himself away from her mind and back fully into the physical world. He was still leaning over the kneeling girl who was looking at him with pleading eyes. He looked back at her with a face as cold as the stone walls. He drew a small iron dagger from within his robes and without hesitation, pierced it straight through her heart. One small jerk and it slid in easily; then he watched as her eyes looked into his with confusion as the life slowly drained from her. He withdrew the knife and her guard released his hold allowing her body to topple forward, her head hitting loudly on the ground, her blood already pooling out. He watched as her essence escaped from her body and floated toward the spirit realm. The mother cried out once, just once and then looked away. The other young woman screamed, first in fear, then in anger, but he ignored her. He turned and looked at the three men.

They nodded and said, "Continue."

He approached the next young woman, who was slightly older than the first. She spat at him and continued to scream, struggling against the guard’s hold until the mother spoke to her. Peace Elizabell, Tevarian is only doing what he must. Go with grace, I will be with you shortly, my daughter.

He leaned forward to the second girl, touched her defiant face and entered her mind undetected. Rather than simply reading her emotions as he had her sister, he altered them. One moment she was glaring at him in anger and the next, tears were coming down her face in sadness.

The memories were slightly more difficult. He had to reach in secretly and slip one of her memories away then change it and place it back in her mind. To alter the smaller memories was easy, but tampering with an important memory was often noticed.

Finally he took her mind by force and took control of her physical body. She struggled against him but though her will was strong she had no power to stop him. Overcoming her strength was simple, but he remained aware of her constant push as it slowly drained him.

Holding the dagger that was still sticky with her sister’s blood he held it out to her; had her reach out and take it. He was the puppet master and she the puppet. Wasting no time he had her turn the dagger towards herself and thrust it into her own heart. She gave a quiet gasp then stiffened and he let her fall lifelessly into the pool of her sister’s dark blood as her essence left her body. He stooped forward, retrieving the dagger, and once again turned, looking at the robed men.

Another slow nod, urging him to continue.

Now he stood before the mother, bloody dagger in hand .He held out the dagger and placed it to the mother’s throat, leaned forward and looked her in the eye. She no longer smelt of fear as she did when she came in.

Tevarian, my son, she whispered, tears in her eyes. I know you will succeed and make us proud. I love you and I forgive you.

He drew the knife across her throat and blood came gushing out, spattering on the sleeve of his robe. A gurgling sound came from her throat as if she was trying to say something but she never looked away. Eventually her eyes rolled inwards and she too collapsed to the floor. He watched as the woman who had raised him to a boy of twelve years died; slain by his own hand. Her essence floated out of her like her daughters, but this time he reached out and stopped it from leaving.

He pulled in his mother’s essence as if taking a deep breath of air. Immediately the fatigue that he felt from controlling the second girl washed away, and he felt stronger within, more powerful. He knew her essence would never travel to the spirit realm. She would never reunite with her daughters. She would never rest peacefully in the realm for the fallen. This was why people feared the essence readers above all else. 

He turned to the three robed men behind him and waited. He remained empty. No emotion. No thought. No remorse for killing his own family. The other three essence readers had been in his mind throughout his ordeal, watching from within him. Now they left to confer amongst themselves, leaving him alone within himself. This was the moment that they would decide his fate. After a short time, the three minds of the robed men reached out to him once again.

 "You have passed the three tests. You can perform three of the basic rules of the Book of Essence, and more importantly you have passed the test of loyalty. You are hereby granted the black robe of an essence reader," they said simply.  

He bowed before the three men and the middle one stepped forward carrying a black robe. He let his red robe fall to the floor, and the dim light revealed a pale young man in his early twenties. He was of average build, his body was well muscled. His face was clean shaven as was his head, hiding the dark brown hair that was similar to his mothers. He had multiple black tattoos covering his body, arms, and legs. They seemed to sway and shimmer in the blood red light of the glow rocks. They were artful symbols of different kinds; some flowed in circles while others were overlapping blocks. After he put on the black robe another of the readers came forward with a small bottle. Its content was a black liquid which the reader now rubbed on his forehead. Using his thumb he traced the shape of a triangle and when he had finished the young man felt a burning sensation where his thumb had been. Almost immediately a new tattoo appeared on his forehead, the first one anywhere on his shaved head. It was a simple triangle with a black book at its center, the symbol of an essence reader.

The three men stepped away and all bowed to him. Welcome to the order, brother, each one said aloud. He placed his hood over his head and bowed in return.

He was an essence reader.

Chapter 1

Lily filled the last jar of honey and placed it on the table next to the herbs that she had already tied into bunches. Everything was nearly finished for market day tomorrow and she was ready for a much deserved rest. She stood by her table, a hot cup of tea in her hands and surveyed the small room, pleased with what she saw. The tall bottles of syrups and tinctures, the smaller jars of creams and ointments all filled and ready to be used in her healing were lined up neatly in the cupboard attached to the wall. Dried herbs and flowers hung from the rafters and would be used for making other herbal remedies when the cold weather brought on many ailments. The bright colors and scents also helped to remind her of the warmer days to come as she endured the wet, cold winter months.

 She had been busy for weeks, rushing to harvest everything before the cooler weather hit. Tomorrow was the season’s final market day in the nearby town of Redin and her last chance to trade for items that would have to last her over the winter. Although she kept much of the honey and herbs for her work, she had more than she needed and the extra she sold at the market. While in town she was also sometimes asked to help someone who was ill but most of the time she healed her friends and neighbors in the forest where she lived. She was drawn to it and seemed to have an innate ability to diagnose a problem and then choose the proper herbs to fix it.

She knew that her mother had been known for her healing abilities just like herself, because her father had told her as much. She also had been told that although her mother often used the herbs and simples that Lily herself used, her mother could also heal with just a touch. Lily discovered on her own, that she also had this power. It happened when she was twelve years old on the day that her brother Jon fell out of a tree and broke his leg.

She was working in the garden when she heard him scream. Dropping her tools she ran and found him lying at the base of the tall maple tree that grew near their house. Most girls her age would have turned away in horror at the shards of broken bone jutting through his skin and the blood that soaked his short pants. Lily, however, had run to him and tried to straighten his leg, carefully pushing the snapped bone down to meet with its other half. Jon had passed out and didn’t witness his bone slowly growing back together, the torn skin closing over the once broken leg as Lily’s hands touched it. She heard her father come up behind her and looked up to see him staring at her in dismay before she collapsed at his feet.

Later that evening her father told her about her mother’s ability and in an angry voice that he rarely used, had made her promise not to ever tell anyone what she could do. He also made her promise not to use her power again, saying only that it wasn’t safe. Jon had been so woozy from the fall that he didn’t seem to remember much about the accident and neither she nor her father had told him how he had been healed. Her father never explained why she had to keep it a secret but he had left her feeling frightened by what she had done. Later, whenever she tried to bring the subject up he refused to say anything more, only reiterating that it wasn’t safe. He died two years later and left her with all her unanswered questions. She continued to keep her promise to him but lately she had been wondering why, if she had such an ability, she should keep it a secret.

She sat down in the old rocker that had been in the house as long as she could remember and went over the list of items she wanted to trade for tomorrow. She didn’t need a lot now that her brother was gone, but there were always a few things she couldn’t make or grow herself.

Thinking of Jon always caused a well of mixed emotions in Lily. On the one hand she missed him badly, despite their far too frequent arguments. On the other hand, though, he hadn’t liked farm work and spent too much time at the inn in town listening to stories of foreign places and drinking far too many pints of ale. He made friends with the wrong people and Lily had been afraid before he left that he would be spending time in jail if he didn’t change his habits.

Even though they were only two years apart she had always felt much older than her brother. Their mother had died giving birth to Jon and their father had been too busy taking care of the farm and trying to keep them all fed to coddle his two young children. Their aunt Molly had helped but she had five children of her own and could only spare so much time for her niece and nephew. Lily had sometimes felt like she had had no childhood, only responsibilities.

She and Jon had been close as children but the years after her father died had been hard and their relationship had suffered as she tried to parent him and he resented it. She supposed it was inevitable since she was his sister not his mother but she really thought it was those stories of faraway places that finally prompted him to leave. He went off seeking adventures and she often wondered where he was now. Would he have left the island where they had both grown up? The Roh Vec Empire was a huge place and she hated to think of him wandering around it alone. He’d just turned seventeen when he left a year ago and although children grew up quickly on the island and shouldered responsibilities at a young age, she still worried about him. Despite their many quarrels she hoped he’d return one day, healthy and happier than when he left.

Jezebel the cat came winding around Lily’s legs, interrupting her thoughts. Are you hungry for your dinner, Jezzie? Aren’t there enough mice in the shed to keep you full? She gave the cat a small piece of cheese that she had saved from her earlier supper. Picking the ginger cat up she stroked her gently, glad for the company. What she wished for more than anything, though, was the company of her mother. She had few memories of her; the scent of lavender and soft hands tucking her into bed. What she wouldn’t give to have a long conversation with her; to ask her all her unanswered questions.

Lily shook herself from her daydreaming as she heard someone calling her name.

Lily, are you home? came a woman’s voice from just outside.

I’m in the house Grandma Joan, Lily responded as she set the cat down and went to the door. Grandma Joan wasn’t really her grandmother or anyone else’s, for that matter, but everyone called her that. She had no family in the area and no one really knew much about her past. In the town she was known as a wise woman to some, others called her a seer because at times she had visions of the future or issued warnings to people.  Lily, though, always thought of her as the grandmother she never had because she always seemed to be there when Lily needed help, a shoulder to lean on when times were hard. She was a tall woman with thick, white hair and often walked with a cane although Lily sometimes thought she did it more for appearances than need. She was always willing to help anyone and was a favorite with the local children although she could be harsh if anyone misbehaved. One swat from that cane on your backside was enough to stop even the most unruly child. Also Joan’s weather predictions were legendary in their accuracy. The farmers wouldn’t plant or harvest without first consulting with her.

Are you still going to the market tomorrow Lily? Joan asked as she entered the house, her cane held tightly in her hand and a scarf resting lightly on her hair to keep off the autumn chill.

Yes, Lily replied. One of her chickens tried to follow Joan through the door and Lily gently pushed it out with her foot causing it to cluck loudly. I’m leaving at first light. Did you want me to trade your wool for you?

No, dear, I’m keeping all my wool this year. It’s going to be a cold winter, she said. I was hoping we could sit and spin together like last year but… the old woman’s voice lowered and she muttered absentmindedly, I guess that won’t be possible.

Before Lily could ask her why, Joan walked briskly toward the fire Lily had burning, holding her hands out to warm them and spoke again. I came by because I have something I must tell you. It’s important that you remember it.

Lily suddenly felt chilled, as if a cold breeze had gone through the room. She tugged her sweater tighter around herself and rubbed her arms to warm them.  All right, she said hesitantly, I’m listening.

Joan turned slowly toward her and the room seemed to darken. The late afternoon sunshine that had been shining in through the open doorway abruptly dimmed, as if a cloud had passed in front of the sun. Lily could see the fire burning brightly behind the old woman but her face was in shadow. She stood motionless and when she spoke her voice became deeper; her words slow and measured. She stared into Lily’s eyes as she said, You will find what you are seeking to the north, you must follow the black book.

For a moment it seemed that time stood still. The fire that had been burning brightly just moments before suddenly died down to a low flame. The noise of the chickens outside her door abruptly stopped and Jezebel the cat, who had been sitting contentedly in front of the fire, quickly darted under her bed. Lily looked at Joan and didn’t recognize her in the dim light. Her features had changed giving her the appearance of an old man for a moment. Lily released the breath she didn’t know she had been holding, rubbed her eyes and looked again at her oldest friend trying to comprehend what had happened. I don’t understand, Lily said hesitantly.

You will when you need to, was Joan’s terse reply. The room seemed lighter once again as the sun came out from behind the cloud and she saw that her fire was burning as brightly as before. Joan’s voice was pleasant when she said, Now, I must be off to tend my animals before it gets dark. She moved quickly toward the door.

But Grandma Joan, Lily began, wanting to ask more about her cryptic words.

Take care, Lily, Joan said cutting off her questions, and make sure you get to the market early tomorrow. With that the old woman opened the door and left and Lily watched her walk quickly away. Lily shook her head wondering what Joan’s message could possible mean. She had no plans to travel in any direction but she would remember it just the same as Joan had asked her to. No sense in borrowing trouble, as her father used to say, there was always plenty out there to be found.

The next day dawned bright and clear and Lily left home with her burdens to walk the hour into town. Despite the heavy pack she carried she didn’t really mind the time it took because she loved to walk in the forest. The evergreens towered over her but the early sunlight filtered down making it light enough to see the path. There were small animals already going about their business and she heard the birds calling to each other from high in the trees. The forest was always so full of life. She had grown up here and knew it like the back of her hand. She knew where the huckleberries grew sheltered in a sunny thicket, where the stream widened a bit making a small pool the perfect place to catch fish and where the honeysuckle, that she used in syrups to help a cough, climbed the maple trees which were even now turning shades of orange and red. She couldn’t imagine living away from the forest.  It made her feel safe, almost like it was a living being protecting her. When she returned after being in town, she always felt like it welcomed her home.         

The hour passed quickly and as she neared the edge of the trees she saw the dust rising from the road in the distance. She could see the farmers with their wagon loads of goods heading toward the walls of the town of Redin and many people going through the gates. She also saw that there were soldiers on the road marching into town which surprised her. It was unusual in a small town this size and she hadn’t heard of any problems nearby but then she didn’t come to town often to hear the local gossip. As the path merged with the road she met up with a farmer she had once treated for a bad cough.

Good morning Patrick she called to the older man riding in a wagon full of apples and pumpkins. You must have had a good harvest this fall.

Aye, Miss Lily, I did. How was your honey this year?

The bees cooperated very nicely, thank you. Perhaps we could trade for a few of those apples in your wagon. They’re making me hungry just looking at them. She edged closer to his wagon and lowered her voice before asking, I notice that there are soldiers about, do you know what’s happened to bring them here?

I’ve heard that there’s going to be a war with the Roh Vec Empire. They’ll probably be conscripting the local young men to fight. I also heard that they’re asking about healers. You might want to stay out of their notice today, we wouldn’t want you to be sent to war.

I don’t know anything about treating war wounds and surely they wouldn’t force anyone to go with them, would they? Lily nervously asked. She was suddenly thankful that she had heeded her father’s wishes and not revealed her powers to anyone. They all knew her as a simple healer that used teas and tinctures to heal and occasionally a bag of herbs to put under your pillow to help you sleep. She couldn’t imagine the horrors of war.            Oh, aye, Patrick responded, they’ll take anyone they think they can use. The king doesn’t care if you agree or not. That’s always the way with those in power.

Well, thank you for the warning. I’ll steer clear of any soldiers I see. Good trading today. The soldiers were getting thicker on the road and Lily had to move onto the grassy verge. Her conversation with Patrick ended when he had to pull ahead to get out of the way of another wagon. She kept her head low to avoid drawing attention to herself and tried to mix in with a group of women also carrying bundles on their backs similar to hers. The road was getting more crowded the closer she got to the town gates and she began to feel hemmed in and anxious. Crowds had always oppressed her and she could feel herself close to panic and tried again to push forward faster. The soldiers were mixed in with the common people, everyone almost at a standstill as the masses crowded together to squeeze through the gate.

The sweat was trickling down her back by the time she finally got through.  She wondered again about the soldiers. She supposed that Patrick was right about the conscriptions. The Island of Camar was small and wouldn’t have enough volunteers to form a large enough army to protect them from the Roh Vec Empire. She had heard that the Empire had been moving closer in recent years, conquering neighboring lands and it appeared that King Rubin was getting nervous. Lily didn’t know why the Empire was interested in her island, but she was sure that she wouldn’t like the reason. She had heard stories about their brutality and didn’t want to find out if they were true. Some even said that the Empire was filled with slaves. Slavery was unheard of in Camar and she couldn’t even imagine it.

Lily had been so preoccupied with her thoughts that it took her a moment to notice that one of the soldiers had been watching her.  He looked young and was taller than most of the men around him which made it easy to see that he had a scar up one side of his face. She wondered if the scar was earned honestly as he served his king or picked up in a back alley while he was doing something he shouldn’t have been. When she caught him staring she ducked behind a large man and hurried on even faster, losing herself amongst the growing number of sellers and buyers. The market was crowded but not like the crush at the gate and she quickly lost sight of the soldier. She walked swiftly past the booths selling everything from fruits and vegetables to great wheels of cheese that could be eaten by the slice. The booths were set side by side and all sported striped awnings that made the market very festive. She hoped that Bridgett had saved her a space next to her, as she usually did. Bridgett was a weaver and sold her cloth at the market, befriending Lily after her father died. They enjoyed chatting and often shared a meal at midday. Her husband Liam and two young sons often helped Lily set up her wares, sometimes helping themselves to a sample of her honey as well.

Bridgett was waiting as Lily hurried through the square. She was alone, which surprised Lily as Liam always helped with the selling of their cloth.

Where are Liam and your boys? Lily asked as she came closer to their space.

Liam was here earlier and helped me bring our goods, but I sent him home with the boys. With the soldiers conscripting any man under forty years of age I didn’t want him dragged off to war. I’m hoping that they don’t go door to door searching for available men, Bridgett answered in a hushed tone. Lily was surprised to hear such fear in her friend’s voice.

 I can’t believe that it has come to this. It’s unthinkable that the Empire would be interested in our little island. I only hope that it doesn’t come to actual war, Lily said quietly, as if speaking it loudly could cause it to happen. It frightens me.

The morning slipped away quickly and Lily had sold a good portion of her herbs and most of the honey when she realized that the apothecary hadn’t been over to pick up the order of herbs he had requested the last time she had been in town.

Have you seen Samuel the apothecary? she asked Bridgett. He usually comes first thing in the morning to pick up his order.

No, not yet, replied her friend as she handed over one of her woven scarves to a waiting customer, why don’t you run it over to him. I’ve sold most of my cloth and I can easily watch your things for you. It won’t take but a moment for you to run over and back.

If you’re sure you don’t mind then I’ll do that, said Lily as she found the herbs she needed to take. She picked up the parcel and left their space heading toward the apothecary shop which was several streets over. As she walked she looked at some of the other things for sale in the market. She was able to grow most of her food and she traded honey and beeswax candles with Bridgett for cloth to make her few dresses, but there were always some things she needed to buy or trade for. Salt was one of these and the salt merchant usually insisted on coins. Thankfully the apothecary always paid in coin for her herbs which was one reason she particularly needed to see him.

The streets were almost empty once she left the crowded marketplace and other than several small children playing on a tumbled down wall she saw no one else. As she walked she had an odd feeling that she was being followed but each time she turned her head, she saw no one. It made her heart beat faster and her steps quickened. She was nearing the apothecary shop when suddenly the unthinkable happened. One of the boys playing on the wall accidently slipped and fell off. Her heart came to her throat as she saw him hit the ground and heard something crack. She had stopped walking as she watched him fall and it was his screams following a second later that brought her to action. Lily hurried over to see if the child was all right.  It wasn’t too far of a fall but the ground in front of the wall was made up of broken rocks and the boy had landed on a particularly sharp one. He had hit his head and was bleeding badly, as she knew head wounds always did, and the other two boys looked terrified. Lily felt anxious as she knelt down to examine the boy and saw that not only was it a very bad cut but the boy was unconscious.

You! She said anxiously, pointing to the boys. Do you know where this child’s mother is? They both nodded their heads. Then run and fetch her and I’ll take care of him. Hurry! As soon as they were gone Lily turned his head gently to apply pressure to the badly bleeding wound. She used the scarf that she was wearing to try and stop the flow but the sharp point of the rock had gone in deeply and the blood continued to dampen her scarf unchecked. He was just a small boy and the amount of blood he was losing was alarming to her. She began to worry that he could possibly die from the wound and that thought brought back her memories of healing Jon. Was it possible that she could heal this child as she had her brother so many years ago? Perhaps this was her chance to see if she still had that power. Remembering her promise to her father, though, she looked around furtively to be sure that she was alone, not wanting anyone to see what she was going to attempt. She thought she saw movement on the side of the building next to the wall, but after watching for a moment decided that it was only a shadow. She didn’t want to wait any longer to heal the boy, so sending up a quick prayer to the Maker, she placed both hands on him and thought heal in her mind. Not really understanding what she had done the first time with Jon she was terrified that it wouldn’t work but amazingly the blood slowly stopped and the wound began to close up. Lily let out a sigh of relief. She removed her hands and gently placed his head in her lap as the boy started to come around. She was feeling very dizzy and sat quietly as he awoke. While she rested she saw a woman she assumed must be his mother and the other two boys coming down the street toward her.

How is he? the woman shouted, how’s my boy?

He’s just starting to wake up and the bleeding has stopped, said Lily as the woman got closer. I think he’ll be fine. It wasn’t too bad of a cut. In fact the cut had already closed completely but thankfully there was plenty of dried blood so the woman wouldn’t be able to tell that it had healed so quickly. The boy’s mother thanked her and Lily stood up unsteadily but was still able to help the woman get her boy to