I sat in front of the fire later that evening with a cup of tea in my hands. I felt better about my powers, but I couldn't help but wonder how long that was going to last and if I would ever feel confident in them.
Someone cleared their throat at the door, and I looked that way to see Carter standing there with a small smile on his face.
He bowed his head and cleared his throat again. "Do you mind if I sit with you, Synnie Bear?" he asked while he raised an eyebrow. The small smile on his face grew a little wider while he bowed again, and I couldn't help but scowl and narrow my eyes but stayed silent.
"Well?" he asked and raised an eyebrow while he cocked his head when I didn't answer. "Can I?"
I sighed and gestured for him to go ahead and sit down in the seat beside me. "You can, Carter. There is nothing else saying that you can't," I said coldly.
Carter chuckled and nodded while he walked over to me and sat down in the seat I gestured to. "But there is someone that could say I couldn't," he pointed out, and I rolled my eyes and scowled.
"Very funny," I said coldly, and his grin grew wider while he leaned back in his seat. "What is it? What do you want?"
"I wanted to see how you were feeling," he said and moved a hand through his beard before he cleared his throat. "So how are you feeling?" He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head while he studied me.
I grimaced and shrugged. "I've been better," I admitted before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "I feel a bit better about using my powers, though."
"Hmmm." Carter nodded, and I could tell that he was relieved. "Then it is a good thing that I am here, isn't it, Synnie Bear?" he asked and raised an eyebrow while he smirked.
I rolled my eyes and scowled before I sighed and slowly nodded. "Yes," I admitted before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "It is a good thing that you are here. I do appreciate them letting you come."
Carter leaned against the seat and looked relieved. He bit back a small smile and dipped his head closer to his chest. "Good," he said. He rubbed his hands together and cleared his throat. "How much do you want to train each day?" he asked and raised an eyebrow, and I gave him a weird look. "What?" he asked.
"Why did you ask me that?" I asked. "Shouldn't I be training a lot each day because we are running out of time?"
Carter shrugged and looked nonchalant. "Well, one of these days, you can slow down time and create as much time as you need," he replied, and I raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't suggest doing it for long because it would be detrimental to you and to those around you."
I set my jaw and slowly nodded. "What else would I be able to do in time?" I asked, and Carter smiled sadly and shook his head.
"Unfortunately, I do not know," he said and cleared his throat. "I do know that your father will know, but..." He grimaced and shrugged, and I pressed my lips into a thin line and slowly nodded.
"I won't be able to contact him until later." I moved a hand across my face and bit back a small sigh while I shook my head. "Damn."
Carter smiled sadly and dipped his head closer to his chest in silent confirmation.
I pressed my lips into a thin line and cleared my throat while I shook my head. "So, what are we going to do until then?" I asked and raised an eyebrow, and he shrugged.
"Well, we train," he said and leaned back in his seat. He cleared his throat and dipped his head closer to his chest. "You build your bond with your Familiar and then connect deeper with Zën. You train with him and have that bond grow stronger too."
"And what happens after training?" I asked. "Do you know what happens then?"
Carter smiled sadly and shook his head before he cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, I do not," he replied apologetically before he cleared his throat again. "I wish I did, but I do not."
I pursed my lips in annoyance and slowly nodded before I sighed and moved a hand through my hair. "Will I get to leave this place after I am fully trained?" I asked, and he nodded.
"Of course," he said before he cleared his throat and grew serious. "Unfortunately, you will not be able to live the life that you have lived."
"So I can't graduate high school?" I asked and pressed my lips into a thin line. My heart filled with disappointment because I knew that my father wanted me to at least graduate from high school and get ready to live on my own.
Carter sighed and moved a hand across his face. He shook his head and cleared his throat while he pursed his lips, and my heart broke a little. "Not in the way you wanted to," he said softly, "unfortunately."
I pressed my lips into a thin line and looked down, my heart aching. I didn't say a word and set my jaw while I cleared my throat.
"I will be helping teach you the rest of your school work so that you can at least graduate high school." He moved a hand through his hair and shook his head before he cleared his throat. "When do you want to do that?" he asked while he furrowed his brows while he cocked his head and studied me.
I shrugged and grimaced. "In the evening?" I asked. "After all of the training?"
He nodded. "Of course," he said and leaned against the back of his seat. "Do you want to start tomorrow?" He raised an eyebrow, and I nodded in confirmation. "Good."
I bit back a sigh and moved a hand through my hair and shook my head. "How are you going to teach me stuff?"
Carter shrugged and looked nonchalant. "Well, I can get stuff delivered here and whatnot, but we have to be careful so that we don't disturb the forcefield too much."
I pressed my lips into a thin line and nodded. "Who is going to get the stuff for you and bring it here?" I asked, and he shrugged and grimaced.
"We will figure it out later," he said, and I slowly nodded and took a sip of my tea while I pursed my lips in annoyance. "So, do you want to work with Zën for a bit this evening?" he asked, changing the subject and raising an eyebrow.
I furrowed my brows and cocked my head while I studied him. "Why?" I asked. "I already worked with him today, and you were able to see some of it."
He shrugged and smiled, and I scowled and narrowed my eyes while I looked at him. "I would like to see you do it some more," he said. "Contact him."
I hesitated before I slowly nodded and took a deep breath while I closed my eyes and focused on the bond between us.
There was an annoyed groan when Zën opened his bond between us, and I couldn't help but feel relieved because a part of me did think he would answer. "What?" he asked in annoyance, and I rolled my eyes and scowled, annoyed at his tone. "What do you want?"
"Where are you?" I asked, not answering his question. "What are you doing?"
"I am in my cave trying to sleep, but unfortunately I can't because someone decided to wake me up," he replied coldly. "Why? What do you want?"
I pressed my lips into a thin line and scowled while I opened my eyes. I looked at Carter with an annoyed look, and Carter smiled and shrugged as if understood what my look meant. "Do you want to come over?"
"No." His reply was instant, and I couldn't help but grit my teeth and huffed, annoyed. "I do not want to come over."
"He doesn't want to come over," I said. "Zën," I warned.
"Syn," he said, mocking me, and I scowled and narrowed my eyes, and I had a feeling that he smirked.
"Tell him to come," Carter said and dipped his head closer to his chest.
"He won't," I said with a shake of my head. "Please, can you come over?"
"Hmmm... how about no?"
I bit back a sigh and shook my head while I pursed my lips in annoyance. "Please?"
"Nope," he said. "Can I go back to sleep, please?"
"No," I said and set my jaw. "Come here."
Zën sighed mockingly and rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said in a tone that had me gritting my teeth together in annoyance. "I'll come over, but why?"
"Carter said that you should come over so that we can train together."
Zën grumbled, and I scowled and narrowed my eyes. He didn't say a word, and I had a feeling that he was annoyed about having to come so that he could train with me.
"Well?" I asked and raised an eyebrow, silently praying that he would say yes and would come with me.
"I'm coming. I'm coming," he grumbled before he groaned, and I had a feeling that he rolled his eyes again. "Don't get your panties into a twist." He shut me out after that, and I huffed and rubbed my face when a headache appeared out of nowhere.
"Well?" Carter asked and raised an eyebrow when he saw my face. He cocked his head and studied me. Amusement filled his eyes, and I couldn't help but scowl and narrow my eyes, annoyed at him as well as at my griffin. "Is he on his way?"
I bit back a small sigh before I nodded. "Yes," I said. "He is on his way."
"Was he giving you trouble?" Carter asked and raised an eyebrow while amusement filled his eyes, and I couldn't help but scowl and narrow my eyes.
The giant chuckled and slowly nodded. "Or course," he said before he cleared his throat to hide a chuckle while he winked teasingly. "Don't worry, Synnie Bear," he teased. "He won't give you problems for long. You have my word." He dipped his head closer to his chest.
I didn't respond and finished the rest of my tea before I went to the small kitchen to clean my cup and to put it away.
I had a feeling that Carter was right and there was a chance when Zën would stop acting like a pain in the ass to me and would enjoy my company and want to be near me.
However, that didn't stop my concerns in which it felt like a complete and total lie...
He wouldn't accept accept me even if we were bonded in more ways than one...