The Talented Read online

  So she resisted the urge to try out her Talent, and waited for the commission’s decision.

  ••••••

  It was three days before a boy came to the inn with a message for Adrienne to report immediately to the commission. She had not gone farther than the stable since Ben had sent her away, and she had refused visits from both Louella and Pieter. She knew her friends were confused and worried, but she was determined to follow Ben’s orders.

  She was a soldier, not an undisciplined civilian.

  And now it was time to meet her fate.

  The clerk, who typically let Adrienne have free reign of the library, left his station by the door to show her where the commission was waiting, as though she was too dangerous to leave unattended in the halls. He did not speak to her, and Adrienne did not try to start a conversation, preferring to think ahead to what the commission might be planning for her in response to what she had done. She understood that breaking that chain had to come with consequences, even if she had not meant to go against the commission’s wishes. It was the only way to maintain order.

  When she entered the room, she saw the commission sitting behind the same table, in the same order, as they had been the last time she had seen them. Their expressions were grim.

  Elder Rynn sat in the center, with Lady Chessing and Franklin on either side of him. Franklin was wearing a virulent green coat today in place of the mustard yellow, and Adrienne wondered inanely if all of his clothing was so obscenely colored. Ben was located at the end of the table, and Adrienne wondered how much trouble he was in. Maybe none. Perhaps all the blame had been placed solely on her.

  She would not be surprised if they blamed a soldier instead of one of their own, despite the fact that the incident was faultless. She had not meant to disobey Ben or the commission; she had discovered her Talent quite by accident.

  “Adrienne,” Elder Rynn said, his dry voice filled with his displeasure. “I was wondering if you would come.”

  Adrienne stiffened at the perceived insult. “Of course I came,” she said, wishing he did not address her by their first name. Soldiers were often an irreverent lot, but she was a lieutenant and this was a formal setting. She wanted the respect due someone of her rank.

  “Due to recent events, it has come to light that you do not always follow instruction,” Elder Rynn said. “Master Ruthford did not give you permission to progress in your training, yet you still saw fit to do so. Why should we expect you to listen today?”

  Adrienne looked briefly at Ben and caught the slight shake of his head before turning her attention back to Elder Rynn and answering. “He did not give me permission, no, but neither did I intentionally disobey him or go against the commission’s wishes. It was by accident that I happened to develop an ability at that time.”

  Lady Chessing’s smile was reminiscent of a cat anticipating a dish of cream as she leaned forward over the table. “He says that you argued with him about delaying your progress,” she said.

  “I did,” Adrienne said, since there was no point denying it. “I did not understand why the commission would want to hold me back. I got angry.”

  “And in your anger you lashed out with fire,” Lady Chessing said, bosom heaving, face alight with pleasure. Some of the other commissioners looked pleased, too, and Adrienne realized that, far from looking for the truth and a good solution to what they saw as a problem, they were hoping to prove that she was dangerous. They wanted an excuse to stop her training.

  Adrienne had not realized their dislike of her ran so deep, or that they could be so short-sighted as to want to stop her training at the moment she developed a Talent that could be of use.

  “I did get angry, but I did not lash out,” Adrienne told her and the rest of the commission. “I didn’t know at the time that I had any control of fire. Had I meant to ‘lash out’ at Master Ruthford, the action would have been physical in nature, I assure you.” Her voice was cool and dangerous, and Lady Chessing sat back in her chair as though Adrienne’s words had been a threat against the noblewoman’s person.

  “I won’t deny that I can be dangerous,” Adrienne said. “I am a highly trained soldier, but that is why you brought me here. I didn’t hurt Master Ruthford the other night, though I could have. Even before I discovered my ability with fire, harming Master Ruthford would have been laughably easy.” Several of the commissioners shifted uncomfortably, but Adrienne didn’t give them a chance to speak. Her temper was up, and she had no interest in subduing it. “Despite that, I haven’t hurt him, or anyone. I have done what you wanted. I have developed an ability that can be used against Almet.” Her words rang with authority, and Ben looked uncertainly between her and Elder Rynn, as though wondering if there was a play for power taking place that he was not aware of.

  And Adrienne realized in a moment of clarity that it was not only her power that was in question. She saw that Ben, the youngest commissioner, had not been informed of the final decision. He, too, had been left out of the decision making process. Was it because of his youth, or because of how much time he spent with her?

  “The other commissioners and I have discussed this situation at length over the past three days,” Elder Rynn said. “Although it is undeniable that you are now infinitely more dangerous than you were before the development of your ability, it is also true that you have developed one of the abilities we were hoping for.” The creases in his cheeks looked deeper, the bags under his eyes larger, and he did not seem gratified that the hope of the commission had been realized.

  Adrienne wanted to ask what their ruling was, but she stayed quiet, wondering what she actually wanted their decision to be. She did not like Kessering with its crowds of civilians and the strong prejudice against soldiers; being sent back to Kyrog would almost be a relief. She had discovered her Talent. Surely she could continue to develop it after she was back in Kyrog.

  She thought back to the conversations she had had with Louella. Each Talent was different. Even between the healers who had developed similar Talents there had been enough differences that no two healers could do the exact same things. But Louella had told her that working with Maureen and the others had helped her find the strengths and weaknesses of her own Talent. Even Pieter, with a completely different Talent than Louella, had been able to help her explore what she could do. If she left Kessering now, there was a chance she would never be able to reach her full potential. She needed more training before facing Almet.

  “It has been decided that you will remain here in Kessering,” Elder Rynn said what seemed a lifetime later. “You will resume your training and learn to control your temper as well as your Talent. It is also hoped that you will learn to obey our orders.”

  Adrienne lowered her head, an expression of humility that did not come easily to her. “I will try my best.”

  “See that you do,” Elder Rynn said.

  “What about her association with the healers and that blacksmith?” Lady Chessing asked, her voice shrill. “What about that horrible sword she carries?”

  Adrienne‘s head snapped up. It took everything she had to keep her voice even and deferential rather than snapping at the woman. “Louella and Pieter are my friends,” she said, wondering if she should mention that Pieter had forged her sword using his Talent. She thought that Ben knew, or at least suspected, but she decided against adding more fuel to the fire. She did not want to risk getting Pieter in trouble as well as herself.

  Elder Rynn sighed. “Much as I would like to do something about that, the damage is done, Lady Chessing. It would hardly be advisable to keep Adrienne in confinement. We must hope that the common sense of the others prevails.”

  Lady Chessing huffed out a displeased breath but did not argue.

  “Adrienne, I will meet you at the inn in two hours,” Ben told her, speaking for the first time since Adrienne had entered the room. “I have things to do before we resume your lessons.”

  Adrienne bowed slightly. “Thank you,” she sai
d and quickly took her leave before anything more could be said or done.

  She had two hours, and instead of going directly to the inn, she headed in the direction of Louella’s shop. She knew that Louella was concerned for her and would want to know that Adrienne was all right.

  “Adrienne!” Louella exclaimed as they almost bumped into each other in the doorway. “I was just going to your inn. I was going to insist that you saw me this time, and not leave until you agreed.” She clasped Adrienne’s hands in hers with a surprisingly firm grip. “I’ve been worried.” Her blue eyes were big and sincere, and she gave Adrienne’s hands an extra squeeze before dropping them.

  “I’m sorry I worried you,” Adrienne said. “I wasn’t supposed to speak with anyone.”

  Louella frowned and all but dragged Adrienne inside before closing and locking the door behind them. “Sit down while I put on some tea, and then you can tell me the whole story.”

  Adrienne had not planned to tell Louella everything, but watching Louella as she moved around her small kitchen preparing tea, she felt an urge to tell her all that had happened in the last few days. “I discovered my Talent.”

  Louella snapped her head around and she abandoned the teacup she had been filling to give Adrienne an excited hug. “That’s wonderful! When?”

  “Three days ago.”

  “What?” She let go and took a step back. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Ben told me not to. I wasn’t supposed to develop a Talent so quickly.”

  “I don’t understand. Shouldn’t he be happy?”

  Adrienne shrugged. “He wasn’t. The commission wasn’t.”

  Louella shook her head and turned to fetch the tea and arrange sweets on a plate that she set between them on the table. “They were happy when I developed my Talent,” Louella said. “Perhaps a bit disappointed that it was healing and not something more fantastic, but—I never asked! You said you discovered your Talent, but I never asked what you could do.”

  “Fire,” Adrienne answered. “I can control fire.” She told Louella about the confrontation with Ben, and what had happened with the candles. Saying it seemed so unreal, and as if she was setting down a burden she had been carrying for days. The only other person she had ever been able to confide in so absolutely was Ricco, and she had missed him terribly during her days of confinement. She had thought that Louella could never be the same sort of friend to her that Ricco was, but she had not been altogether correct.

  Louella was not the same sort of friend that Ricco had been, but the difference did not make the friendship bad. She could tell Louella everything that had happened, and the Talented healer would listen in a way that Ricco wouldn’t. Louella was empathetic, even passionate, but unlike Ricco, Louella did not try to jump in and solve the problems Adrienne placed before her. She let Adrienne talk, listened as Adrienne unburdened herself, and said nothing.

  When Adrienne had finished with her story, Louella shoved herself away from the table with enough force to send the chair toppling to the floor. “I can’t believe it. You develop one of the Talents that they have wanted from the start, and when they find out you’ve accomplished what they have been trying to get the rest of us to do for years they treat you like a criminal. It’s disgraceful.” She stalked around the small room, scowling at the implements of her profession. Her reaction surprised Adrienne all the more because of the calm way she had listened to the story. “I have half a mind to march over there and tell that commission what I think of their actions.”

  “Please don’t,” Adrienne said. “I don’t want you to get in trouble, too.”

  Louella stopped her pacing and gave Adrienne a wry smile. “Don’t worry, that is only one half of my mind. The other half of my mind knows doing that will do no one any good.”

  Adrienne began to breathe easier. “I have to meet with Ben in just over an hour,” she said.

  “Well, that gives you enough time to show me what it is you can do.”

  Adrienne raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

  Louella sat back down across from Adrienne at the table. “This controlling fire thing. I want to see it.”

  “I don’t know if I can just do it,” Adrienne told her friend. “It only happened the other night, and I wasn’t trying at the time.”

  “Have you tried since?” Louella asked.

  “No. I didn’t think I should.”

  Louella rolled her eyes. “And they say you don’t follow orders,” she scoffed. “I would have spent the last three days trying everything I could think of, whether they liked it or not.”

  Adrienne had no doubt of that. Despite her small size and fair coloring, Louella was anything but the fragile, docile waif she seemed. Adrienne wondered if the commission knew about Louella’s fiercer traits, and if they worried about the possibility of the healer being dangerous. Probably not. They had placed all of their fear and mistrust in soldiers, and doubtless never considered what danger a maverick healer could pose.

  “I’ll try it, but I’m not promising anything,” Adrienne said. She breathed deeply and the Oneness, the connection to everything, the connection which had once eluded her, came into her as naturally as air. “Can you move the candle closer?” she asked, looking over at Louella.

  Louella grabbed the candle that had been burning on the shelf and set it in front of Adrienne. At first nothing happened. Adrienne could feel the flame, but nothing she did could affect it. She took another calming breath and tried again, visualizing what she wanted.

  The flame leapt up a foot, shooting up multi-colored sparks. Adrienne smiled and Louella clapped her hands in delight.

  “That was wonderful. What else can you do?”

  Adrienne concentrated again, and the flame began to move in distinctive patterns, twirling and gyrating on the wick, occasionally sending tendrils of flame out like arms. It was hard for Adrienne to maneuver the flame in such intricate ways, but she felt that she was nowhere near the limits of her Talent. “Do you still have a fire going in your oven?” she asked.

  “A low one,” Louella told her, “for boiling tea and such. Why?”

  “I want to try controlling a bigger flame.”

  The hearth fire, while by no means roaring, was much harder to control than the candle flame. It did not act like one flame, but instead Adrienne discovered it was many flames, originating from the different logs and embers that were the source of its fuel. It was difficult for her to force the multiple flames to act as one, or to control several separate flames at a time. Sweat beaded on her temples and dripped down the sides of her face.

  “I think this is like the particles you can feel in blood,” Adrienne said, her voice strained from the effort of controlling so many separate fires at once. “A fire this size has many separate parts, even though you can’t see them when looking.”

  Adrienne tried a few more tricks before sitting back, feeling both drained and elated. It had been like learning to use a new weapon, exhilarating despite the difficulty. “Wow,” she said, unable to describe her feelings more coherently.

  “I’ll say,” Louella agreed, her husky voice sounding strained, as if she too had been hard at work. “It isn’t as useful as healing, of course, but the show is quite impressive.”

  Adrienne laughed.

  “Do you think you could create a new fire?” Louella asked. “Like the balls of fire in the stories?”

  Adrienne thought about the dream she had had before arriving in Kessering and the man in them who had been throwing balls of fire. She imagined herself doing the same and smiled.

  “Not today,” she told her friend, rising to her feet with some regret. “I have to go meet with Ben.” Although she was not looking forward to the meeting, her practice with controlling the fire had left her with a feeling of accomplishment. No matter what Ben said or did, she knew she could take it.

  She was a soldier.

  “Good luck,” Louella said, pulling Adrienne in for a tight hug. It lasted only a
few short seconds, and Adrienne headed back to the inn, mulling all the while about the events of the last few days.

  Adrienne beat Ben to her room by only ten minutes, and when he got there he started in with explanations on the commission’s decision without bothering to say hello.

  “They still believe it was unacceptable that you moved ahead without my consent,” he told her, pulling himself up straight so that he could stare down at her from his advantageous full height. In Adrienne’s opinion, the fact that he was skinny and appeared slightly off-balance now that he was standing instead of slouching ruined the attempt at intimidation.

  “I didn’t mean to move ahead against your wishes,” Adrienne replied calmly, for what seemed the hundredth time.

  “I told them that,” Ben said, “but they say that is beside the point. I am surprised the commission didn’t expel you from Kessering, though frankly they probably believe that it is best that you be contained here.” He was breathing hard, and his frail shoulders had fallen inward, returning him to his typical slump.

  “Contained?” The thought that the commission wouldn’t let her leave had never occurred to her.

  “Don’t you understand the implications of your Talent? How dangerous it could be?”

  “Of course. But that was the point, wasn’t it? It’s why the commission finally decided to train soldiers. They needed people to develop Talents that could be used in a fight.”

  “Yes. And they—we—needed time to decide what to do with you if you did develop such a Talent.”

  Adrienne almost felt sorry for the young man, caught as he was between her and the commission. He was both Talented and a commissioner, and being caught between two pieces of himself could not be a comfortable position.

  “Perhaps everything happened faster than you and the other commissioners planned,” Adrienne began in what she hoped was a reasonable, reassuring tone, “but that is done and cannot be changed. Now we have to focus on the fact that I have developed one of the abilities that the commission was looking for and move forward.”