Aaliyah looked serene and almost satisfied. “Nothing that cannot be undone.”
Gewey leaped to his feet. His hand slid to his sword as the flow raged through him. “Then undo it!”
Aaliyah didn't appear intimidated as she slowly stood. “I will not. Not until your lessons are complete.” She turned to the door. “You are unable to control your bond with Kaylia. That will hinder our work, and we can ill afford that. The time I have to teach you is short, and I will not allow passion to cripple you.” Reaching for the door, she turned her profile to Gewey. “I will leave until you calm your storm.” With those words she left the room.
Gewey let out a tortured scream. For more than an hour he raged, pacing back and forth. Again and again he tried to reach out to Kaylia, but could feel nothing. The sensation of pure emptiness had him weeping openly several times. Finally, he sat on the bed, defeated.
The door opened and Aaliyah entered and sat next to him. Her face bore the look of deep concern and sympathy. “When you have the strength, you can overcome what I have done. I have not broken your bond, only pulled it from your grasp.” She placed her hand on Gewey's. “You must trust me.”
Gewey reached down and roughly pushed her hand away. “You had no right to do this.”
“Better for me to face your anger now, than to let you face your enemies unprepared.” She knelt back down beside the basin. “Come.”
Gewey stared with seething anger, and remained on the bed several minutes, before kneeling beside her. “You had better keep your word. Once you've taught me, undo it.”
Aaliyah took his hand. This time he did not resist. “When I have taught you what you need to know, you will not need me to undo it.” Her mouth turned up to the tiniest of smiles. “When that happens, your foes will tremble before you.”
Gewey closed his eyes and let Aaliyah enter his mind. Despite his anger, the touch of her thoughts felt soothing and warm.
“Allow yourself to feel as I feel.” Her voice lifted away the loneliness.
Gewey let himself drift nearer and nearer, until he could no long separate where his mind ended, and hers began. He had only been this close to Kaylia. Guilt and regret shot through his heart, but somehow, Aaliyah pushed it away, replacing it with a feeling of joy and contentment. He felt her spirit reach out to the air that surrounded the basin. At first it was confusing. It felt very different than when he drew power from the earth. It seemed as if it were so removed and strange, that it couldn't be part of the flow. But as Aaliyah began moving and molding it, he began to see how it melded to the actual fabric of the world. Suddenly it was so simple. He wondered how he had never seen it before.
“Magic,” he whispered.
“Yes,” said Aaliyah. “In a way.”
The air above and around the basin swirled and compressed, faster and faster, until heat sprang forth from its core. Increasingly hot, it danced and swayed, caressing the surface of the water and sides of the basin. Then, as suddenly as it began, it ended. The water steamed and rippled.
Gewey reached out and touched the basin, burning the tips of his fingers. He scarcely noticed the pain. “How didn't I see it before?”
Aaliyah squeezed his hand and helped him to his feet. “It may still elude you.”
Gewey closed his eyes and reach out for Aaliyah once again. This time she didn't allow him to join with her. “Why-”
“You must try without my help.” she said.
Gewey realized in that moment that he longed to feel her spirit, and felt ashamed. He felt as if he had betrayed Kaylia. “Of course.” He pushed his feelings aside, and tried to recreate what they had done, but as Aaliyah said, he couldn't. After three straight attempts, he threw his hands up in frustration.
“Patience,” said Aaliyah. “It will come more easily with time.” She turned to the door. “I will leave you to bathe. Then we can rest.”
“But it's still morning.”
Her voice became soft and seductive. “I prefer the night. And I am weary from our journey.”
Gewey blushed under her gaze. The feeling of guilt and betrayal returned to snap back his reason. He was very tired. And now that he had released the flow and his anger had subsided, he became keenly aware of the dull fatigue that was now washing over his entire body.
After he washed and changed into the elf clothing given to him by Theopolou, he settled into his bed. The waves rocked ever so slowly, until he drifted close to sleep. He was only barely aware of Aaliyah's return. For a moment, just before sleep completely took him, he could feel her mind touch his. It was soft and comforting, as if a mother soothing a frightened child. He felt his lips turn to a smile. Then there was only the dark oblivion of a deep, restful sleep.
Chapter 11
Gewey awoke to the sound of Aaliyah humming softly at the desk, reading a small blue book. He lay there and listened for a time, then sat up, refreshed and strong.
“You slept well, I trust?” she asked, without looking up.
He yawned and stretched. “Yes. I was more tired than I thought.”
“You have had quite an eventful few days.” She closed the book and placed it in the desk drawer. “I am sorry to say that you will get little rest while on board. We have much to do.”
She waited outside for Gewey to change, then led him to the galley. Two plates of eggs and bread awaited them. After breakfast, she took him on deck. The cool sea air sent a chill down his spine. As he looked out onto the Western Abyss he envied the sailors such a life. The dark, rolling waves and the endless expanse calmed him. The sun was just sinking over the horizon, setting the sky ablaze with swirls of orange, blue, and red. Stories his father had told him of storms and sea monsters couldn't exist in such a marvelous place.
Aaliyah walked to the port railing and leaned her slender figure over the side. The wind wrapped her thin cotton dress around her curves. “Beautiful, is it not?”
Gewey blushed, thankful she could not see his unease. “It is,” he replied and joined her. “It's like nothing I've ever seen.”
“It is not always so peaceful,” she warned. “The sea is more perilous than you can imagine. Storms can rise without warning, and there are beasts that lurk within that are larger than this ship.”
Gewey laughed. “Sea monsters?”
“Some,” she replied. “Though not all are monsters. Some are gentle and wise.”
Gewey cocked his head. “Wise? How can a beast be wise?”
“There is much about the world you have yet to learn,” she said. “One is that not all ‘beasts’ are what they seem.” She took his hand. “Come. It is time to begin.”
The crew was busy about their work, but each took a moment to greet them as they passed. Gewey had counted about thirty elves aboard, and assumed there were more below. Aaliyah led him to the bow where the navigator was concentrating on her duties.
“Is she using wind or water?” asked Gewey.
“Both,” said Aaliyah. She placed his hand on the navigators shoulder. “This is Faaliyasi. Join with her.”
Gewey obeyed, allowing his mind and spirit to drift outward toward the navigator. Her mind was different than that of Kaylia or Aaliyah. It was hard, cold, and as unyielding as steel. She let Gewey draw close, but only close enough so he could feel as she did. The flow was similar to what he experienced that morning, but a million times more complex. The forces intertwined in perfect harmony, dancing and twisting as one.
“Amazing,” he whispered. “How can you do this?”
Faaliyasi did not respond.
After several minutes Aaliyah pulled Gewey away. “She has trained for many years to learn this skill.”
“Can you do that?” Gewey asked.
“Yes, but not as well,” she admitted. “Our navigator’s begin learning their craft at childhood. What you saw was just a small thing. Should a storm arise, you will see her true power.”
Aaliyah had a small bowl of water brought on deck, and Gewey spent the rest of the evening trying in vain to touch the power of the air to heat it. He soon found Aaliyah to be as severe a task master as Lee had been, though not as harsh in temperament. By morning he was exhausted and frustrated.