Look Beyond What You See

Sorcery

 A corner of the rooftop, surrounded by starlight, seems ideal to read the book I've obtained about humans who possess the "magic touch." Like the tome on supernatural history, the print glows within the pages, enabling me to read easily despite the darkness around me. This is fortunate, as I do not wish to be discovered, even by my fiancé. Especially by my fiancé. As with the Russian that I've been studying in the early mornings, I want to surprise him with any other magical skills I manage to acquire.

Humans who possess an ability to perform magic have existed since the beginning of time. What endows them with this ability, none can say. Some suggest cross-breeding with the ancient gods. Others suggest gifts from faeries and other magical creatures. Still, such persons exist, the most famous being individuals such as Nostradamus and Merlin.

The ability to perform magic can take on any number of forms. Individuals who practice the most are able to do the most, as is true of all other human skills. Popular skills pursued by humans include the ability to turn baser materials into gold, the capability to create various potions, the capacity to see or foretell future events, the ability to contact the past or the dead, and the talent to create illusions of various sorts. Less common are capabilities of shape-shifting, flight, manipulation of elements, causing objects to change form, and teleportation. The latter skills require much more practice and refinement than the former, unless the magic-endowed human happens to have a great deal of talent or an exceptional bloodline.

Well. It seems I must have a great deal of talent or an exceptional bloodline, considering that the only thing I really know how to do with my magic is to manipulate water.

The magic also manifests in certain everyday aspects of the magic-endowed human's life. Frequently it meshes with some ordinary talent of that individual, so as to give the impression of exceptional giftedness in that talent. It can also express itself through increased stealth, aesthetic sense, social sense, speed, normal human senses (sight, touch, smell, and hearing), and/or a "green thumb."

That explains much. No one except Grandmother must have known much about sorcery and magic-giftedness, else others in my family surely would have noticed something.

Humans gifted with magic tend to be drawn to other magic-gifted individuals or supernaturals, both for ordinary relationships and for romantic ones. The society of ordinary humans is too dull for their liking. They also tend to have an ability to commune with animals in some way.

This book is intended to provide detailed information on humans with magical gifts, as well as to serve as a resource to any magic-endowed human just discovering and exploring his or her gifts. May all you seek be enclosed within these pages.

The book must truly be a magic thing, for the very next page contains information concerning magic-endowed humans and romantic or mating relationships.

While magic-endowed humans can have "normal" romantic relationships, these only occur when their magic (which exists within them as a dependent but separate entity) is not involved therein. Such relationships are rarely fulfilling for the magic-endowed individual and have low success rates. Where the magic is involved, it expresses itself as an extremely heightened attraction to the other individual in question, usually as a result of the other individual's possession of magic. If the magics are compatible, they will be drawn to each other; when the magics are incompatible, they cause strong loathing and hatred between individuals. A spectrum of magic-influenced relationships exist regarding magic-gifted humans.

Most frequently, magic-endowed humans mate with each other or with elementals or, on rare occasion, faeries. Only rarely can they be happy in relations with ordinary humans, as detailed above. When mating with another magic-endowed or supernatural individual, the magics intermingle and become one, just as the two physical bodies do. This meeting is generally extremely intense and often causes transmutations of one or both individual's magical capabilities. Usually these transmutations are for the betterment of both parties involved. When a magic-endowed human mates with an elemental, his or her abilities will become fully elemental, though he or she may maintain magical capabilities in other regards. Elementals have been known to practice some sorcery in their own right.

So I will not be doomed to lose any skills I may pick up before the consummation of my impending marriage with Dmitri. Supper was not overly pleasant. The process of planning for our wedding will commence soon, and the event is scheduled for the end of October. I am not sure I can be prepared for it by then, but I will do my best. At least I know that Dmitri and I get on well together. I know from experience that arranged marriages often turn out far worse. I should be thankful for my blessings in this regard--thankful that I can live with this man and that we do not hate each other. The question of love should never come into the balance.

But I have seen enough loveless marriages to know I want no part in that. Can I ever love Dmitri? What is love, really? Will I ever know? Even the sorcery book seems to lack those sorts of answers. I read on, anyway, hoping for more enlightening information.

Hatred between magic-endowed individuals, however, has been the cause of many wars and much destruction. Because an individual's magic increases the strength of that individual's emotions and passions wherever other magic is involved, the depth of the hatred between two magic-endowed beings is unfathomable to the outside perspective. Such confrontations ought to be avoided at all costs, but history is rife with examples where these confrontations were unfortunately not avoided, to the peril of many.

Here the book lists titles of historical manuscripts that might detail such scenarios. Perhaps I will look into reading them at another time. But this last paragraph has been most interesting. It explains why passions have been running so high in this mansion; where magics meet, there is an intensity I have heretofore not felt in interpersonal interactions. It also gives me more reason to fear a loveless marriage with Dmitri. Could the deep and strange feelings that already flow between us turn to something so dangerous and ugly as a magic-strengthened hatred? I cannot imagine it to be so, given the undeniable draw between his magic and my own that we have felt so many times. But still I have to wonder.

"Aerys? Are you up here?" Dmitri's voice calls softly from the direction of the ladders to the roof. I have concealed myself behind some of the vegetation of the rooftop garden, but I suspect he will find me still. "Aerys, the maids are looking for you downstairs. You know, after the lecture we got this evening, that we can't afford for them to even suspect--"

"Yes, yes. Please accept my apologies. I did not think it would be prudent to read this particular book in the presence of the usual maids that are in my attendance," I reply, rather sour at having to acknowledge this unwelcome interruption, as I emerge from my hiding place in the foliage.

"And what forbidden materials are you reading now? Surely you do not think you have a need for such things, after my parents' generous edict," he teases, glancing at book under my arm as I join him near the openings in the roof that descend into the most secret parts of our respective suites. He refers to his parents' decision that secrets should henceforward not be deliberately kept from me, but that they will not provide me with new information without my first asking. A generous edict, indeed. "Sorcery and magic-endowed humans. I should have guessed as much. Have you learned anything interesting?"

"Of course. But I'm sure you've read it all before. None of it would be a surprise to you."

"On the contrary, I have never before had cause to take a serious interest in such things, and so I have not yet had the privilege of perusing that particular manuscript."

"Perhaps you will read it when I have finished with it. It is, after all, your family's book."

"Of course. But it would save time and, potentially, misunderstandings if you simply enlightened me as you went."

"That would be far too easy. Surely you know me better than that."

"So cold! And after I was so helpful in answering all of your questions...."

"You have not yet posed a question on the matter for me to answer, and you ignore that I had to guess the most important things to obtain answers to those questions from you."

"So what answers have you been seeking in this book, Aerys?" The way he says my name... Dare I answer his question honestly? What will he think if he learns that I've been looking for more information on the unfamiliar feelings between us?

"What exactly I may or may not be able to do with my ability, and how much of it I'll be able to retain once our magics unite. And how magic affects interpersonal relationships. It's really been quite interesting."

"It sounds fascinating." A particularly loud shout interrupts, reminding him of his purpose in coming up here. "I would love to explore this further, but neither of us can afford to be in trouble just now. Hurry downstairs. I'll see you in the morning for lessons. And hide that book title."