Empowered (Unbound, Book 6)

Chapter Sixteen

After a week, nothing in my new routine changed.

I followed Zach to the dining room after a morning of inducing visions. It was hard to believe it had only been seven days since I arrived in the Kingdom. For the first time I didn't feel exhausted to the point of needing a nap. Instead, I was starving.

"What do you feel like?" he asked, gesturing for me to take a seat at the table.

"Food." I sat and put my hands on the table, making him laugh.

"When you use as much energy as you have been, you need fuel. And no, I don't just mean sleep."

"I eat."

"Not enough."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. What are we having?"

"Do you have a preference?"

"Nah. Just food." I thought for a second, then added, "Not spicey."

Once again, Zach laughed. He stepped away from my chair and rounded the table. As he passed the long side, Zach waved his hand over the centre. By the time he took his seat at the opposite end, an array of Chinese food take-out containers appeared.

"Mmm. This is my favorite place to order from," I said, reaching for the ginger beef, which was as much zip as I could handle. "You even got plates! Did you steal this?"

"No, I summoned it. Don't worry, the owners were paid and will recall someone coming to get it. I just figured if you got something you like, you'll eat more than you have been."

"Um, yeah. I eat."

"Um, yeah." Zach rolled his eyes at me. "Not enough. It'll amaze you how strong you are when you eat regularly and in proper portions."

"Well, if I hadn't been too tired to chew, I would have had more."

"You are improving. Doing more and feeling less taxed. I'm impressed."

"That I'm not napping? Thanks." I snorted as I filled my plate with a sample of all the options.

"That, and how far you've come already, Your offense is strong."

"Is that a polite way of saying my defense is weak?"

"Simply that we should spend time on it."

I smiled, thinking of the fire I was able to control, then cleared my throat. "So. If I wanted to sense how strong someone is through their essence, how would I go about it?"

"Much like you sense the objects I give you to prompt a vision."

"I assume I sensed Maible's—her essence and the half of her signature not related to me—but I have no idea how strong she is. I worry about that and Devland's influence."

"Did you ask yourself that whilst sensing her? I suspect her strength would have been uncovered if you had. Of course, as I've said, it would take more effort on your part in the mortal realm."

"I just sensed she had it."

"And her binds."

I nodded. "Yeah, but—wait. How did I sense her binds if Devland did it?"

"He tied them to something else —living flame like you did—so as not to drain himself. Besides, if something exists, you'll see it. It becomes tangible rather than sensory. You may feel the magic but couldn't match it to a relation. Not traditionally, though now there are many families with half-blood relatives that create loopholes."

"How do you know if you only sense half?"

"Usually you know who you are related to."

I scoffed. "Who knows how many children Devland has? Maybe he bound them and they are far away or living outside Wickenton."