Dance of the Moons

Chapter 15

Marissa, much to her disappointment, was only able to send blocks of light from her hands, and the blocks only last a few seconds away from her skin.  After trying and continuously failing for half an hour she gave up.  She went off to play with some toys in the other room, leaving me free to retire to my room.

“You’ll be a good teacher,” Topher told me on my way up the stairs.  I ignored him, and continued as if the wind had swept his voice away into nonexistence.

I could hear him following after me.  I slammed my bedroom door behind me, blocking him out.  I smiled as I imagined his facial expression. Topher was the all-important-feeling type who hated being shut out and ignored like that.  Doing so brought a certain satisfaction.  Unfortunately this satisfaction was short lived.

I collapsed on my bed, throwing my arm over my face as I did so and sighing dramatically.  I felt my body relax the tension of the day away.  In the security of my room, where I had fortified the walls, I could let my mind relax and open.  I was protected here, just as much as I was a prisoner.

My thoughts wandered to David.  His smiling face, warm hands.  Our kiss.  I could feel my skin heat, still, at the thought.  I smiled and bit my lip.

I had never felt this way about anyone before.  I always assumed my parents would set me up with a witch, as was usual with witches.  But I was nineteen now, and they still had not mentioned it.  Witches were usually paired off by now.  I knew my father had always been opposed to the idea of matchings, and I wondered if he had been able to convince my mother to let me chose my own husband.  It seemed unlikely, but maybe my mother really was concerned with my own happiness.

I remembered the feel of David’s hand in mine.  His skin was smooth and rough at the same time, powerful yet tender.  I wanted to hold his hand again.  And again.  And yet still after that.

I shook my head.  What was I thinking?  It didn’t matter that I hadn’t been paired with a witch.  It would still never work with David.  We would be executed before my family supported such union.

Anyway, I didn’t even know if I could tolerate being with a Shifter.  Sure, David made me feel funny inside, like I was bursting with energy and yet calmed at the same time, but what if that was only because he was a Shifter, and I had never interacted with one as much as I had David?  What if I was misreading my own emotions?

I sighed again.  This was all so confusing.

But I wanted to see David, right then.  Surely that meant something?  I wanted to hold him, and kiss him, and feel his warmth mingle with my energy.  I wanted it to be just a girl and a guy when I was with him; none of the witch and Shifter business.  I wanted to dress prettily for him.  I wanted him to compliment me.  I wanted….

I didn’t even know.  But I wanted to see him.

I gasped in remembrance and sprang up, smiling.  I was a witch, I could see him right then if I wanted.  Without even having to leave my room, or have anyone know what I was doing.  He wouldn’t be able to see me, but at least I could see what he was doing—what he did in his spare time.

I got off my bed and walked over to my closet.  Pulling out a shallow white bowl, I blew the dust off it.  It had been a while since I had done anything of this sort.  Next I walked over to my desk and poured some water from my water bottle into the bowl.  Then I climbed back on my bed, and set the bowl down on my Indian-style crossed legs.

Muttering, I concentrated on the spell and David’s face.  After  a minute, the water rippled and smoothed to show David.

My breath caught.  He was laughing wildly, happiness etched across his face.  I could see he was sitting on the ground outside a house, judging by the light.  He wore nothing but a grey T-shirt and jeans.  He threw a clump of dirt at someone off the picture.

I muttered something and the picture zoomed out, revealing Aaron to be the other person.  He had a fresh clump of dirt splattered on his shirt.  He said something, and David laughed harder in response.

Aaron said something else.  I wished I knew what they were saying, but I had not yet mastered how to incorporate other senses when scrying like this.  I would have to be content with just watching.

David stopped laughing at whatever Aaron said.  He looked serious for a moment, before he flung himself at Aaron, yelling.  The two crashed to the ground, wrestling.  They were yelling at each other and throwing punches.  I could feel my pulse rise, worried about the fight.  What could they be fighting about?  What would happen to David for attacking the Second in Line of the pack?  That was no light charge.  What would push David to do something so stupid, especially when he had just been laughing?

Aaron pinned David to the ground, looking smug.  David grabbed a clump of dirt and threw it at Aaron.  Aaron let up his grip and they started fighting again, rolling around throwing punches and elbows.  I noticed I was gripping the bowl too tightly, but didn’t loosen my fingers.

Aaron pinned David to the ground and bit his shoulder lightly.  They were both breathing heavily.  David rolled his eyes lightly and mumbled something.  Aaron rolled off him, smiling.  David said something else, and Aaron laughed a reply.  David began laughing too.

I stared at the image, thoroughly confused.  They just fought.  Aaron didn’t seem mad at David, although David attacked him.  It was almost like they were wrestling for fun.  But that couldn’t be.  Could it?  Who wrestled for fun?

David leaned over and punched Aaron’s shoulder.  Aaron turned and said something.  David replied and began laughing.  Aaron rolled his eyes but smiled.

I didn’t understand.  They were having fun?  Was that a Shifter thing?  Fighting for fun?  Even in their human forms?

Both men were lying down, staring at the sky.  They were quiet for a bit, and I took the time to study them.  They were both calm, and looked to be in pleasant moods.  I wasn’t sure, since I couldn’t sense their moods like I normally could, but neither was tense.  Rather, they were both relaxed and comfortable. 

David had his arms under his head, resting his head on his hands.  It exposed his biceps, which I found myself very interested in.  His chest was rising in slow breaths.  His eyes were closed.

Aaron said something.  David’s eyes opened and he replied after a few minutes.  It didn’t seem like they playful conversation from before.  They looked serious as they spoke back and forth.  They talked for a while, laughed occasionally, looking relaxed the whole time.

I don’t know what I was looking for.  I don’t know if I found anything.  But it was nice to see David, even if he didn’t know I was watching.  Even if I couldn’t hear him, or say anything to him.

After a while I began to get a headach.  That happened if I tried to maintain a spell for too long.  I ignored it at first, but it persisted.  With a last look at David, I mumbled a few words and the image rippled out until I was staring down at blank water.  I put the bowl on the ground.

Sighing I laid down, closing my eyes.  I pictured David lying on the ground, hands under his head as he looked up at the sky.  Except instead of Aaron lying next to him, I pictured myself there.  And instead of staring at the sky, we were facing each other.

I knew it was pointless to picture this.  It would never happen.  But for the moment, that didn’t matter.